Assisted Outpatient Treatment - AOT or Laura's Law

Assisted Outpatient Treatment is a court-supervised program that provides outreach services, voluntary treatment, and housing support for qualifying adults who suffer from mental illness.

Our firm can guide and advise families seeking court intervention to help their loved ones obtain mental health treatment through Assisted Outpatient Treatment.

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Criteria:

To qualify for Assisted Outpatient Treatment there must be a clinical determination that the person is either:

• Unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision and their condition is substantially deteriorating
• OR they are in need of assisted outpatient treatment to prevent a relapse or deterioration that would likely result in grave disability (cannot provide for their food, clothing or shelter), or a serious harm to themself or to others.

Additionally, all three of the following criteria must be met:

1. The person must previously have been offered treatment services by the local mental health agency but refused it
2. Assisted Outpatient Treatment must be deemed the least restrictive program
3. Assisted Outpatient Treatment is determined to be likely beneficial for the person

AOT criteria also require at least one of the following:

• At least twice within 36 months the person’s mental illness was a substantial factor in them receiving mental health services in a hospital, psychiatric faculty, or correctional facility
• OR at least once within 48 months the person’s mental illness resulted in acts of serious and violent behavior to themselves or others, or threats, or attempts to cause serious physical harm to themselves or others.