Adopt Laura's Law in Santa Barbara County...

<p>Honorable Supervisor,</p><p>Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), known in California as Laura&rsquo;s Law, serves persons with the most serious mental illness, those in a deteriorating condition, unlikely to survive safely in the community. Although such persons constitute only a small percentage of persons with a diagnosed mental illness, they consume an inordinately high rate of County resources, because they cycle repeatedly in and out of hospitals and jails, experiencing homelessness.</p><p>Persons served under Laura&rsquo;s Law have a mental condition, anosognosia (similar to that experienced by persons with Alzheimers&rsquo;) preventing them from recognizing the need for help.</p><p>45 US states have adopted AOT. Studies uniformly reflect reduced hospitalizations, incarcerations, homelessness, and self-medication. In New York State, persons treated under AOT have experienced 77% fewer hospitalizations, 83% fewer arrests, and a 48% reduction in alcohol and substance abuse.</p><p>Potential cost savings to Santa Barbara County, according to the County CEO's office, range from $1.6 million for out of county locked treatment facilities to $2.5 million for inpatient hospitalizations.&nbsp; Fewer incarcerations will result in additional cost savings.</p><p>Under AOT, mental health departments are required to treat the most seriously ill. Money saved by treating them as outpatients can fund an expansion of already existing treatment programs, benefiting more persons.</p><p>There is no forced medication under AOT. Persons receiving treatment under AOT report equal satisfaction with their treatment as do persons who seek out their own treatment.</p><p>Laura&rsquo;s Law was approved by the California State Legislature in 2002 for individual adoption by each County's Board of Supervisors. The Santa Barbara County Mental Health Commission has unanimously recommended adoption of Laura&rsquo;s Law.</p><p>For all the reasons above, I respectfully request that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors adopt Laura's Law, and that work commence now on the project design of Laura&rsquo;s Law for which the Supervisors allocated a sum of $121,000 in June.</p><p>Sincerely,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>