Connecticut does NOT have an Assisted Outpatient Treatment Law

An interesting developement IMO of the recent killings in Sandy Hook....

The tragedy in Connecticut has reopened a difficult debate over whether states should be allowed to involuntarily commit the mentally ill.

The trend over the decades has been to release mental health patients, with a number of court cases restricting involuntary commitment. Last week’s deadly rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School exposed cracks and inconsistencies within the nation’s mental health system. Many say that until those problems are fixed, it’s only a matter of time before another national nightmare unfolds.

“It’s a cultural and mental health problem and it’s something we need to address soon and seriously,” former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told Fox News. “We need to balance individual rights with the needs of the community.”

Ironically, a Connecticut mental health bill calling for changes that could have taken someone like shooter Adam Lanza off the streets was defeated earlier this year in the state legislature. The bill would have allowed the state to commit someone if there was a reason to think that would prevent them from harming others.

Reports of Lanza’s mental health have varied. One source told FoxNews.com that Lanza may have snapped because his mother was trying, despite the difficulties, to commit him to a psychiatric facility.

A senior law enforcement official confirmed Lanza's anger at his mother over plans for "his future mental health treatment" is being looked at as a possible motive. Police said they had no evidence Lanza had been medicated when the killings occurred. But even if Lanza had a proven history of mental illness, having him forcibly committed would have been nearly impossible.

Source

This is the most important "red herring" IMO! I live in PA and as a victim of this law known as "Assisted Outpatient Treatment", now I am seeing this more clearly.

What this law means, is that if you say something that may indicate that you are a threat to your own life or others, that you can be "involuntarily" admitted to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation for a period of 72 hours. (at least in PA, other states my vary, or like in the case of Connecticut, no such law exists) In PA the legal term is I believe a 302. You have no choice, the police come along with an ambulance and they take you to happy land in the mental ward of your nearest hospital.

It appears to me that this mother, whom was murdered by her own son, who then went on to kill innocent children, really had run out of options, other than killing her own son from stopping him from doing what he did! The police couldn't help her because the laws set forth by the state legislature of Connecticut did not permit them OR the doctors that may or may not been involved to allow this troubled individual to be committed to a hospital for a mental evalutation!!!

So it appears that the state of Connecticut is as responsible for the deaths of these children MORE SO than the guns that Adam Lanza used!!!

Mom, had her hands tied! The police, had their hands tied! So let's address the real issue as to the sorry shape our mental health care is in, and the criminal act of the Connecticut legislature to not address the issue versus destroying our second ammendment!!!

Look, I lived with a child with his same mindset everyday. Hospitals treated it like an unruly child who we were afraid to discipline.

Her mind and his mind, it is doubtful that he went full-fledged on a school.

Autistic's cannot carry out precise actions.

Sorry,

Autistic's are erratic.

reply to post by Manhater


Not sure of your situation versus what my OP was about????? The issue I was talking about in by OP was the fact that most states in the US have laws where doctors, parents, etc etc... have the ability to put an individual who is a threat to themselves OR others, in the hospital for a period of observasion to make sure they are able to function in society without harming anyone, including themselves....



If the child you are talking about is just unruly, and not threatening anyone I don't understand your point. Not trying to make fun of your example, I just don't understand what you are trying to say.

Here in Florida they do have that law but it is very hard to actually do. I am speaking from experience. My sister in law was suicidal and had a history mental issues we tried to get her involuntarily committed but couldn’t because she didn’t meet some sort of criteria. They finally admitted her after she ODed on purpose to kill herself but put her back on the street 2 days later. After that she even tried to get help but was turned away a couple times.

The mental healthcare system is absolutely horrible. For those who try to get help if they don’t have excellent insurance you can almost guarantee that whatever helps they do get is so inadequate that it only makes them more disillusioned. When I got back from overseas I had PTSD and if wasn’t for the VA I would have lost my mind but even with the VA I got minimal help.

For anyone who thinks that US mental health system is anything but a joke I am telling you right now that many of these recent shootings could have been prevented if the country actually put a little effort into it. It all pretty much boils down to funding there just isn’t enough. Those in government believe the massacres and shootings are acceptable losses when weighing it against providing adequate care for those who need it. The frustration I went through trying to get help for myself when out of the VA system was enough to make me feel violent but I am not that kind of person but I can imagine someone else losing their minds and lashing out. I am no way defending the actions of those who committed these acts but I am confident that if we had a decent mental health system many of these incidents would have never occurred.

The guy who shot Gifford’s should have never gotten that far. He was turned away from joining a shooting range because they could tell there was something wrong with him. The school knew he was unstable and there has been many people who came out and said there was something wrong with him but no one could do anything. For those who do not know, I have never heard of something like that happening.

Mental health care in the US is a sick joke; it is just as broken as the people who need it. In most cases people will temporary care sometimes it is as simple as their medication reacting badly with them where they need to be admitted for a very short period however the hoops they have to go through or the waiting period to be admitted makes getting the help they need nearly impossible.

reply to post by Grimpachi


Thanks for they reply Grim! Not sure how the family thing works. For my case I had a fellow employee call an 800 number anonomously and said I had threatened to kill my ex wife......never said it, but it was either voluntarily go or have the police take me kicking and screaming...I just said to hell with it and took a three day vacation...

The system is definately broken for sure....