Mental health: assisted outpatient treatment.

Existing law, known as Laura's Law, until January 1, 2017, regulates designated assisted outpatient treatment services, which a county may, by resolution, choose to provide for its residents. In a county where assisted outpatient treatment services are available, a court may order a person to obtain assisted outpatient treatment for an initial period not to exceed 6 months if the court finds the requisite criteria are met, as specified. This bill would authorize the court to order a person to obtain assisted outpatient treatment for an initial period not to exceed 12 months. Existing law, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, authorizes the involuntary detention for a period of 72 hours for evaluation of persons who are dangerous to self or others, or gravely disabled, as defined. Existing law provides that if a person is detained for 72 hours or under court order for evaluation and has received an evaluation, he or she may be certified for not more than 14 days of intensive treatment related to the mental disorder or impairment by chronic alcoholism if certain conditions are met, as specified. Under existing law, a person may be certified for intensive treatment for an additional period of time if he or she remains gravely disabled or unwilling or unable to accept voluntary treatment or if he or she was suicidal, as specified, or may be confined for postcertification treatment for up to 180 days if he or she has, among other things, attempted or inflicted physical harm upon another person, as specified. This bill would, upon the release of a person from intensive treatment or postcertification treatment described above, authorize the professional staff of the agency or facility that provided the treatment to evaluate whether the person meets the criteria for assisted outpatient treatment. This bill would authorize the professional staff to request the county mental health director to file a petition in the superior court for assisted outpatient treatment if that person meets that criteria. This bill would provide that these provisions apply only in a county that elects to implement Laura's Law.