The Suffolk County Division of Community Mental Hygiene Services operates a single point of access (spoa) which is a centralized intake process for referrals for high-intensity mental health services for adults who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness (smi) and whose illness interferes with their ability to function in the community, home, school, and/or work. referrals are evaluated to determine eligibility for care coordination, assertive community treatment (act) or assisted outpatient treatment (aot).
Care coordination provides services for individuals who live in the community and need help accessing services such as outpatient treatment with the goal of reducing hospitalizations and emergency services. individuals must be 18 years old and have a primary diagnosis of a major mental illness.
ACT teams provide mental health treatment in the community for high need consumers who have not been successful in traditional treatment settings. intensive community-based, skills training, support and treatment services are provided by an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals. services are available only for clients who have a primary diagnosis of a major mental illness.
AOT provides court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for certain people with severe mental illness who in view of their treatment history and present circumstances are unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision. in order to be eligible for aot an individual would have to meet the criteria set forth by kendra’s law, section 9.60 of mental hygiene law. persons on aot are deemed to be risk of harm to self or others when noncompliant with psychiatric treatment and/or medication. they are court-ordered to comply with an intensive treatment plan, consisting of an array of mental health services including case management, outpatient psychiatric services, and medication management services.
For more information on eligibility, services, and how to apply, call (631) 853-6204/6205.