Law Enforcement Should Support Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) to keep LEOs safer
(PDF Version)
Prepared by Mental Illness Policy Org. https://mentalillnesspolicy.org (12/13)
Issue:
The mental health system has failed to provide care for the most seriously mentally ill, so persons with untreated serious mental illness have increasingly become a law enforcement responsibility. This puts police, patients, and public at risk and is a major drain on law enforcement resources. Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) returns care and treatment for the most seriously mentally ill back to mental health departments, thereby keeping police, public and patients safer and preserving law enforcement resources.
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Attacks by EDPs on LEOs rising (Treatment Advocacy Center/National Sheriffs Assoc.)
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Officer involved shootings of mentally ill rising
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Overcrowded Jails: Three times as many mentally ill are incarcerated as hospitalized
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250,000 homeless mentally ill
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EDP calls take LEO resources away from other efforts
Solution:
Assisted Outpatient Treatment. AOT allows courts to order the most seriously mentally ill revolving-door patients (“frequent fliers”) to stay in treatment as a condition of staying in the community and also order the mental health system to provide the treatment.
AOT Results:
AOT reduces EDP calls, arrest, booking, trial, incarceration and parole
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83% fewer experienced arrest
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87% fewer experienced incarceration.
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49% fewer abused alcohol
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48% fewer abused drugs
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55% fewer recipients engaged in suicide attempts or physical harm to self
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47% fewer physically harmed others
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46% fewer damaged or destroyed property
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43% fewer threatened physical harm to others.
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74% fewer participants experienced homelessness
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77% fewer experienced psychiatric hospitalization
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AOT cut costs in half by replacing expensive incarceration with less expensive community treatment
Selected Endorsements
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The National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs
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The Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services endorses AOT
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New York Endorsements: The District Attorney’s Association of the State of New York (DAASNY); New York State Association of Chiefs of Police (NYSACOP) and numerous individual New York police departments
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California Endorsements: Peace Officers Association, California State Sheriffs’ Association and 25 other California law enforcement organizations
Conclusion
AOT can dramatically reduce the number of LEO-Mentally ill interactions. Mental Health departments are reluctant to use AOT because it requires them to engage and provide services for the most seriously ill. Greater use of AOT would result in the mental health system offloading fewer seriously ill to criminal justice. It is important for LEOs to become vigorous supporters of enacting and using AOT laws.