Treatment for mental illness sometimes does require an involuntary commitment when someone lacks the insight to seek treatment on their own which can then lead to times of crisis. As posted in an article on Pantagraph.com, "In Illinois, a new law taking effect this summer could make it easier for people to obtain mental health treatment before they reach such a crisis level."
In Pennsylvania, Senate Bill 226 could help to prevent crisis situations from occurring at all, since it is an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) law, modeled after Kendra's Law, that has proven results that show a reduction in hospitalizations, homelessness and incarcerations.
Timely, compassionate treatment can make the difference between someone suffering needlessly and finding themselves in dangerous situations that could have been avoided and receiving treatment that allows them to return to their usual routines.
How unkind and unfair it is to withhold the treatments that work - as a caring society, we should do better than that.
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