Massachusetts Advocates Resist Dystopian Involuntary Outpatient Commitment Bill

"Involuntary outpatient commitment laws create a layer of specialized courts that use the so-called "Black Robe Effect," which uses a judge's authority to compel people with diagnoses of "severe mental illness" to accept mental health and/or substance use intervention against their will - in the form of psychotropic medication, drug testing, and invasive and time-consuming requirements. While the specifics vary state by state, there are consequences for noncompliance."

"If the person does not follow their court-ordered treatment plan, they could be snatched by the cops, transported to a locked psychiatric facility for evaluation, and subject to ongoing state surveillance. It's also not entirely clear where the offramp lies, as treatment orders can theoretically be renewed ad infinitum at a judge's discretion. Starting in 1999 in New York, the conservative think tank Treatment Advocacy Center rebranded involuntary outpatient commitment and began using the language of "assisted outpatient treatment (AOT),""

Protesters and advocates call for housing programs instead of coercive treatment for people eligible for involuntary outpatient commitment. Involuntary outpatient commitment establishes specialized courts that use judicial authority to force mental health and substance use interventions, including psychotropic medication, drug testing, and other invasive requirements. Failure to comply can result in police pickup, transport to locked psychiatric evaluation, ongoing state surveillance, and indefinite renewal of orders. Beginning in 1999, a conservative think tank rebranded these laws as assisted outpatient treatment, and coalitions of police, clinicians, social workers, and family caregivers have advanced statutes across most states, with Massachusetts and Connecticut remaining exceptions.

Read at Truthout