How will AOT address our current psychiatric hospital bed shortage?
OT allows providers to ensure consistent treatment for individuals with a history of repeatedly stopping their treatment and requiring inpatient hospitalization. Under New Jersey’s current system, providers cannot intervene for these individuals until they’ve deteriorated to the point that they again require hospitalization. Research shows that each time an individual is allowed to deteriorate in this manner, treatment is more difficult and expensive, and the prospects of a full recovery are reduced. AOT ensures that these individuals are not allowed to repeatedly deteriorate, without requiring expensive and ultimately ineffective hospitalizations. AOT allows individuals who would otherwise be committed to an inpatient facility to receive treatment in the community – reducing treatment costs while limiting the upheaval inherent in an inpatient hospitalization. Every dollar saved by helping an individual to be an active member of society is a dollar that can be reinvested in other areas
