(May 28, 2014) The series of murders by Elliot Rodger that left six people and Rodger dead in Isla Vista have renewed calls for statewide expansion of Laura’s Law, California's court-ordered outpatient treatment program for people with severe mental illness.
Prior to the deadly rampage, Rodger had extensive contact with both mental health professionals and law enforcement. Rodger’s parents had long been concerned about his erratic behavior and had notified the police. But California law doesn’t allow private individuals to petition the court for an emergency evaluation.
Now, “society must move more boldly toward providing and requiring treatment for the mentally ill,” says the Los Angeles Times editorial board (“Isla Vista and the case for Laura’s Law,” May 27).
“It's not hard to get started: All counties in California should adopt Laura's Law, which allows courts to order outpatient mental health treatment in exceptional cases,” writes the board. “Though 12 years old, the law was, until this month, embraced fully only by tiny Nevada County. Two weeks ago, Orange County became the first populous county to adopt it. Now, San Francisco is considering doing the same.”
But there are still 54 counties in California and a majority of counties nationwide where individuals with mental illness, their families and their communities are not benefiting from their assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) laws.
“Laura's Law will not stop every tragedy or protect every person in need of care. But it will save some lives and prevent some suffering. That's reason enough.”
Read the entire editorial.
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