The Van Amerigen Foundation is funding a two year pilot project to increase the number and use of psychiatric advance directives. Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADS)are a type of medical advance directive, similar to a living will. It is a legal document that may be used to document a competent person’s instructions and preferences regarding future mental health treatment.

PADs may also be used to plan for the possibility that someone may lose capacity to give or withhold informed consent to treatment during acute episodes of psychiatric illness. This project is a collaboration of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey and MHAPC. The project will be focused on Passaic and Hudson County. Specially trained Peer Advocates will be working one on one with interested individuals with mental illness.We are very excited about this project and expanding the work that we have already done in this area.

To date we have assisted 82 Passaic County individuals in completing their PAD. If you or your organization would like to learm more or would like a presentation please contact: Rebekah Leon at (973) 478-4444 ext.116 or email RLeon@mhapassaic.org