(Feb. 4, 2015) Yesterday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to implement Laura’s Law, making it the eighth county in California to embrace assisted outpatient treatment as a tool for making treatment possible for individuals with severe mental illness.
“We believe it’s an investment in helping families and people with serious mental illnesses,” Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia said in a statement. “We’ve heard from many families (who want) an opportunity to help their own family members.”
First enacted in 2002, Laura’s Law, provides for court-ordered outpatient treatment for individuals with a severe mental illness, but only operates in counties where the board of supervisors authorizes its application.
California has finally reached a tipping point in the implementation of this lifesaving tool. Already, seven counties (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange, Nevada, Yolo, Placer and Mendocino) have embraced the law. With the addition of Contra Costa County, the number of Californians with access to Laura’s Law reaches more than 15 million.
We expect many more to come. San Diego’s Board of Supervisors voted last week to create a plan to implement Laura’s Law within the next three months. (“Supervisors support Laura's Law,” UT San Diego, Jan. 27).
We offer heartfelt thank-yous to the advocates who work tirelessly to pass Laura’s Law. Your hard work is paying off for families and people suffering from mental illness across the state.
To comment, visit our Facebook page.
Visit our blog archive to read all our recent posts.