(Aug. 30, 2017) Some of the most consistently viewed pages on the Treatment Advocacy Center’s website are the individual state pages that show laws and standards in each state. While we are making waves in federal legislation with the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, our main focus is on state-based laws and improving them to eliminate barriers to treatment.
Every state has civil commitment laws that establish criteria for determining when treatment is appropriate, but not all allow for the use of assisted outpatient treatment. Included within each state’s page is information about the quality of emergency evaluation laws and outpatient and inpatient commitment laws, as well as the relevant statutes for those laws.
Many of our studies include individual state data that we share in easy-to-read charts on the state pages. They contain information about criminal diversion, criminalization in each state and the public psychiatric bed numbers.
There are additional resources that can be helpful for any state, as well as policy recommendations that you can use when meeting with members of your state legislature. Each state is different, and we recommend referring to your state’s individual page in order to get the most accurate information.