What does it take

It is hard to understand just what it will take before states with too stringent criteria treatment laws, that require an imminent or clear and present danger before treatment is provided, will come to understand the need for timely treatment for individuals with severe mental illnesses who lack the insight to seek and remain in treatment. What happened at Virgina Tech should have opened the eyes of legislators to the need for an effective assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) law, but they failed to act on a proposed bill that could have put an effective law in place.

In an editorial in the Washington Post, After Virginia Tech, the author expressed regret that they didn't really address what needed to be changed, "Other states have adopted more flexible standards under which people can be detained who are likely to become dangerous if not treated, or whose condition is rapidly deteriorating, or who are incapable of making rational decisions about their treatment. The effect of those reforms is to provide treatment to people before they are in extreme crisis -- in other words, before it may be too late."

Virginia's proposed SB 177, as well as Pennsylvania's proposed SB 226, would require the type of supportive services that would help someone avoid extreme crisis and which also helps to reduce hospitalizations, homelessness, and incarcerations.

I look forward to the day when legislators in every state understand the need for sensible, timely AOT laws