Governor Davis Signs Laura's Law

Governor Gray Davis today signed "Laura's Law," a landmark mental health bill that will allow a court to impose assisted outpatient treatment for the seriously mentally ill. The new law is expected to reduce homelessness, hospitalization, and involvement in the criminal justice systems in the counties that choose to participate.

"This is a critical step in helping the seriously mentally ill as well as their families," said Gov. Davis "This legislation will help end the cycle of hospitalization, quitting treatment, and relapse. It plugs a huge hole in California's safety net, offering safety, support, and compassion."

AB 1421, by Assemblymember Helen Thomson (D-Davis), will permit counties to provide court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment for a 180-day period to people with serious mental illnesses. Each county voluntarily operating this program must provide teams of highly trained mental health professionals with staff-to-client ratios of not more than 1 to 10.

The legislation would make it easier for families to recommend outpatient treatment for person with a serious mental illness when the person does not have the capacity to accept or assess his or her own need for that care.

AB 1421 gives counties authority to run these programs. It authorizes courts to order into outpatient treatment adults who have a psychotic disorder or other serious mental disorder plus a history of illness, treatment, recovery, leaving treatment, relapsing, and being repeatedly hospitalized or incarcerated as a result.

To be included, the person must be 18 years of old; have a doctor determine that he or she cannot survive safely in the community without supervision; and have a history of lack of compliance with treatment for his or her mental illness. He or she must also have one of the following four conditions: been hospitalized twice within the past 36 months; committed or threatened serious acts of violent behavior toward him and herself or others; refused treatment; and have a substantially deteriorating condition

To be eligible to implement this program, counties must provide a specific range of intensive treatment services. Three counties (Stanislaus, Sacramento, and Los Angeles) are currently implementing these services through the Integrated Services for the Homeless Mentally Ill program. The Board of Supervisors must pass a resolution identifying resources for treatment programs that do not reduce funding for voluntary mental health programs.