FY23 UKRF UK College of Social Work - KY Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program

University of Kentucky, College of Social Work KY Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program Evaluation The Kentucky Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program will close a gap in the behavioral health service continuum for individuals with a serious mental illness (SMI). While the majority of individuals with SMI who receive treatment do so voluntarily, some of these individuals have difficulty following through with ongoing, voluntary, outpatient care. These individuals frequently cycle in and out of jails, hospitals, and homelessness and struggle with substance use issues, resulting in high treatment costs and low quality of life. Kentucky AOT program will focus on serving individuals with a SMI who meet criteria set forth in Tim''''s Law and who are being discharged from a state psychiatric hospital or a psychiatric unit of a community hospital. This project will afford Kentucky the opportunity to design, implement, evaluate, and sustain local AOT programs in four (4) behavioral health regions of the state. The Kentucky AOT Program proposes to improve outcomes for the population of focus, demonstrate cost savings, and create a sustainable AOT model for statewide implementation. Through Kentucky''''s implementation of the Kentucky AOT Program, a percentage of our most vulnerable citizens, will be able to obtain treatment while continuing to live in the community and their homes with a much higher quality of life and at a much lower cost. The University of Kentucky, College of Social Work will act as the evaluator for the Kentucky AOT program and will assess implementation and outcomes for the project.