Mental health services: assisted outpatient treatment.

The Assisted Outpatient Treatment Demonstration Project Act of 2002, known as Laura's Law, until January 1, 2022, authorizes each county to elect to offer specified mental health programs either through a resolution adopted by the county board of supervisors or through the county budget process, if the county board of supervisors makes a finding that specified mental health programs will not be reduced as a result of participating. Existing law authorizes participating counties to pay for the services provided from moneys distributed to the counties from various continuously appropriated funds, including the Mental Health Services Fund, when included in a county plan, as specified. This bill, commencing July 1, 2021, would instead require a county or group of counties to offer those mental health programs, unless a county or group of counties opts out by a resolution passed by the governing body stating the reasons for opting out and any facts or circumstances relied on in making that decision. The bill would also authorize a county to instead offer those mental health programs in combination with one or more counties, subject to specified implementation provisions. The bill would prohibit a county or group of counties implementing these provisions from reducing existing voluntary mental health programs serving adults, or children's mental health programs, as a result of the implementation. The bill would also repeal the expiration of Laura's Law, thereby extending it indefinitely. Existing law authorizes various persons to request the county mental health director to file a petition in the superior court for an order for assisted outpatient treatment for a person who meets specified criteria. This bill, commencing July 1, 2021, would additionally authorize a judge in a superior court to request a petition for that order to be filed for a person who appears before the judge. The bill would make additional conforming changes.