Laura's Law
Okay kiddo, let me tell you about something called Laura’s Law.
When we talk about Laura’s Law, we’re talking about something called “court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment” or AOT. This means that a person with a serious mental illness can be ordered by a judge to get certain kinds of treatment, even if they don’t want to.
The law is named after a woman named Laura Wilcox, who was a young woman working at a mental health clinic. In 2001, she was shot and killed by a man who had a serious mental illness and had not gotten the treatment he needed. This made a lot of people realize that something needed to be done to help people with mental illness who might not want treatment.
So, what does AOT actually mean? Well, it means that if someone has a serious mental illness and is not getting the help they need, a judge can order them to get certain kinds of treatment. This could include things like taking medicine, going to therapy, or even living in a place where they can get help.
Now, this might sound like a bad thing - nobody likes being told what to do, right? But the idea behind Laura’s Law is that it can help people who might not be able to make good decisions for themselves. If someone has a serious mental illness, they might not even realize that they need help. And in some cases, they might be doing things that are dangerous or harmful to themselves or others.
By being ordered to get treatment, people with serious mental illness can get the help they need to stay healthy and safe. And that’s what Laura’s Law is all about.
When we talk about Laura’s Law, we’re talking about something called “court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment” or AOT. This means that a person with a serious mental illness can be ordered by a judge to get certain kinds of treatment, even if they don’t want to.
The law is named after a woman named Laura Wilcox, who was a young woman working at a mental health clinic. In 2001, she was shot and killed by a man who had a serious mental illness and had not gotten the treatment he needed. This made a lot of people realize that something needed to be done to help people with mental illness who might not want treatment.
So, what does AOT actually mean? Well, it means that if someone has a serious mental illness and is not getting the help they need, a judge can order them to get certain kinds of treatment. This could include things like taking medicine, going to therapy, or even living in a place where they can get help.
Now, this might sound like a bad thing - nobody likes being told what to do, right? But the idea behind Laura’s Law is that it can help people who might not be able to make good decisions for themselves. If someone has a serious mental illness, they might not even realize that they need help. And in some cases, they might be doing things that are dangerous or harmful to themselves or others.
By being ordered to get treatment, people with serious mental illness can get the help they need to stay healthy and safe. And that’s what Laura’s Law is all about.