The White Paper
 is a
 Call to Action
for

1.  NYS Office of Mental Health,
2.  county governments,
3.  elected officials, and
4.  providers, to

● stop talking about what is not working in the mental health system, and

● start focusing on what will bring positive outcomes to people who use services.

As a next step, we identified the need for state and local offices of mental health to

◊ collaborate with consumers, survivors, patients, and ex-patients,

◊ for the purpose of developing recovery-focused outcomes, and

◊ quality indicators based on the 10 rules that we have collectively identified as priority.

These quality indicators should be interwoven through the Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) initiatives, and

offered as a recommended framework, or foundation,

for all OMH licensed and operated programs.

 Additionally, the development of

● instructional and/or collaborative tools that would help

● put our rules into operational practice would be a way to

Move beyond talk
Towards action.

For example,

an interactive computer tool might be created that would assist a person who is using services in making informed treatment decisions with his or her services provider.

It is our deepest hope that state and local governments will also-

▪ Use The White Paper as ▪

◊ an opportunity to
create a new vision

◊ that looks at
a culture of wellness, and

◊ the elimination of discrimination and coerciveness.

The White Paper
is just
the beginning
of a very
important
movement.
The Recovery Movement

This process has left many people eager to get involved in participating in a collective effort to:

~ change the mental health system, and ~

 ~ improve the quality of life ~

~ for so many New Yorkers ~

by bringing the promise
of a better future.

~~~~~~~~~

It is our sincerest hope that all stakeholders will rise with us to meet this occasion.

The
White Paper
by
People Who Are New York State
Consumers, Survivors, Patients, And Ex-Patients