Laura's Law, MHSA and other California Mental Illness Policy Info

Laura's Law allows courts to order a small subset of people with serious mental illness who meet very narrowly defined criteria to accept treatment as a condition of living in the community. Individuals are given extensive due process protections and offered the opportunity to participate in developing their own treatment plan. It also allows courts to order the recalcitrant mental health system to provide treatment. The services delivered to individuals under court ordered treatment are identical to those received by others with mental illness who voluntarily accept treatment and are provided within the same programs that provide voluntary treatments. The legislature gave county Boards of Supervisors the option to implement Laura's Law and most have not because mental health directors have not encouraged the supervisors to implement the law which requires them to focus on the most seriously ill. When Laura's Law was implemented in Nevada County

• Hospitalization was reduced 46%;
• Incarceration reduced 65%;
• Homelessness reduced 61%;
• Emergency Contacts reduced 44%;
• Saved of $1.81-$2.52 for every dollar spent as result of reducing incarceration, arrest, and hospitalization.
  Watch interview explaining Laura's Law

Research on mental illness and violence and other Laura's Law related issues are at http://mentalillnesspolicy.org

Laura's Law Fact Sheet (PDF Version here)
Laura's Law Results in Nevada and Los Angeles Counties (PDF Version)
Laura's Law Presentation (Dr. Quanbeck and Dr. Tsai)
List of known supporters of Laura's Law (PDF version here)
Laura's Law Myths (PDF version here)
Legal Analysis by Mental Illness Policy Org: MHSA Funds Can Be Used for Laura's Law
Legal Analysis by Treatment Advocacy Center: MHSA funds can be used to fund Laura's Law
Important Analysis of Report by Orange County Health Care Agency to Supervisors (Relevant to all counties)
Recent Developments in mental illness policy in California
Disability Advocates California position in opposition to Laura's Law in SacBee (also see legal opinion)
Join statewide effort to implement Laura's Law (not connected with this website)
Nevada County Superior Court Judge Tom Anderson on Laura's Law
Nevada County Director of Behavioral Health, Michael Heggarty on Laura's Law
Q&A on How Laura's Law works in Nevada County by Nevada County officials
Comprehensive Guide to Laura's Law
Laura's Law Legal and Policy Analysis (Psychiatric Services)
Laura's Law Nuts and Bolts

Other Important Issues
Exposes of Mental Health Services Act Funds Being Wasted (3 articles)
Whistleblower says Prop63/MHSA not working for mentally ill Californians
Severe Psychiatric Hospital Bed Shortage in California (Data)
NEW: Policing people with mental illness in California (Op-ed. Excellent)
Untreated persons with mental illness drain California law enforcement resources (survey) (PDF version)
Sacramento Bee: Reform MHSA to Help Laura's Law (op-ed)
How California can comply with Brown v. Plata by ensuring mentally ill parolees get care
Recommendations to Improve LPS Act (2012 Lanterman Petris Short Task Force Report)
Safety at psychiatric hospitals (Bill)
Future of Psychiatric Services in California (Powerpoint presentation by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey)

Source Documents
Proforma Resolution for Board of Supervisors to Implement Laura's Law
Text of Laura's Law
Laura's Law Regulations (CA Code of Regs)
Laura's Law Regulations from California DMH Letter 3/20/03
Mental Health Services Act/Prop 63 Gov Home Page(CA Dept. of Mental Health)
Text of Mental Health Services Act/Prop 63
Protection & Advocacy MHSA/Laura' Law Opinion (also see Disability Advocates SacBee op-ed)
DMH Direction to counties on 3 year plans (including AOT)
DMH detailed discussion of MHSA for LL (6/2005)

Selected Articles by Mental Illness Policy Org.
Exposes of Mental Health Services Act Funds Being Wasted (3 articles)
Seal Beach Salon Shooting shows need for Laura's Law
SF Chronicle op-ed by DJ Jaffe: Support Laura's Law
The failure to implement Laura's Law on the 10 year anniversary of her death
The Death of Mentally Ill Kelly Thomas at the hands of Fullerton, CA police
Explanatory Letter to Editor Ukiah Daily Journal on why Mendocino needs Laura's Law

Selected Media Articles on Statewide Implementation
New: Op-ed, editorial, article SF Chronicle
Long fight for Laura's Law Yet to Yield Widespread Adoption (OC Register)
Mental Health Services Act creating a two-tier mental health system (News Review)
Will California Adopt Laura's Law (Time Magazine Oct 2011)

The scientific and policy research on Assisted Outpatient Treatment (Laura's Law), Untreated Mental Illness, and more is at http://mentalillnesspolicy.org

COUNTY BY COUNTY INFORMATION

Alamada County
Laura's Law supporter answers critic (Berkeley)
Forced Treatment: Good or Evil (Berkeley Daily Planet)
Laura's Law in a nutshell (Berkeley Planet)

Contra Costa County
Laura's Law Necessary

Kern County
We need courage to treat mental illness when it gets dangerous

Los Angeles County
Laura's Law works says Los Angeles Dept. of Mental Health report
LA County position on renewing Laura's Law (favors)
Supervisor Antonovich says, "Implement Laura's Law"
Press -Telegram endorses Laura's Law (12/5//11)
Laura's Law Brochure

Mendocino County
Ft. Bragg Advocate on Laura's Law
Sign petition in support of Laura's Law in Mendocino
Op-ed by James Bassler on why his mentally ill son killed two and how Laura's Law would have helped(Fort Bragg News)
Explanatory Letter to Editor Ukiah Daily Journal on why Mendocino needs Laura's Law (by DJ Jaffe)
Letter to Editor by James Bassler (father of Aaron) (Ukiah News) on logic of Laura's Law
Current status of investigation into Laura's Law
Mendocino considering Laura's Law
Laura's Law might save county money, force better services (Ft. Bragg Advocate)
Fort Bragg Killings might have been averted with Laura's Law
Implement Laura's Law (Press Democrat)
Fort Bragg manhunt raises Mental Health Questions (LA Times)

Nevada County
Nevada County Superior Court Judge Tom Anderson on Laura's Law
Nevada County Director of Behavioral Health, Michael Heggarty on Laura's Law
Q&A on How Laura's Law works in Nevada County by Nevada County officials
Op-ed by Carla Jacobs in support of Laura's Law in The Union
Video on Nevada County Implementation of Laura's Law
Nevada County wins award for implementing Laura's Law
Nevada County Resolution to adopt Lauras Law
DMH tell NV County OK to use MHSA for Laura's Law enrolees

Orange County
Great article by Tracy Woods on Laura's Law (Voice of OC)
LAURAS LAW ORANGE COUNTY HOME PAGE
Analysis of Report by Orange County Health Care Agency to Supervisors (Important)
Response to OC Health Care Agency Report to Supervisors (by NAMI Orange County & California Treatment Advocacy Coalition)
Ending Homelessness 2020 Testimony on Laura's Law by Carla Jacobs
Sign Online Petition to Support Laura's Law
Preventable Tragedies in Orange County (PDF Version)
E-mail Orange County Laura's Law Organizing Committee
Health Care Agency misleads County Supervisors on Laura's Law (OC Register)
October 2011 Report by Health Care Agency to Orange County Supervisors on Implementing Laura's Law
Orange County Alliance on Mental Illness supports Laura's Law
Seal Beach Salon Shooting shows need for Laura's Law
Would Laura's Law have prevented Seal Beach Salon Shooting
Laura's Law Eases Requirements to treat mentally ill (Fullerton Stories)
Mentally Ill Kelly Thomas was 'gravely disabled" and shot by police

Sacramento
Sacramento Bee: Reform MHSA to Help Laura's Law (op-ed)
Laura's Law Languishes (Sacramento News and Review)
MHSA Funds misspent (Capital Weekly)

San Diego County
Help implement Laura's Law in San Diego
Laura's Law: Pro and Con (San Diego City Beat)
Laura's Law and the Black Robe Effect

San Francisco County
New: Op-ed, editorial, article SF Chronicle
San Francisco Mayoral Candidates misunderstand Laura's Law
San Francisco Ignores Mentally ill
SF Chronicle op-ed: Support Laura's Law (DJ Jaffe)
Why Laura's Law has such limited impact (SF Chronicle)
Ignore mentally ill and court disaster (SF Chronicle)
Where the Mayoral Candidates stand on Laura's Law

San Luis Obispo
Untreated Mentally Ill woman kills mom due to lack of Laura's Law

San Mateo County
Analysis of San Mateo Officials Claims About Laura's Law(Important)
San Mateo Health Dept and NAMI Presentations to Board of Supervisors Committee (Laura's Law )
Presentation on Laura's Law by local mental health officials
Preventable Tragedies in San Mateo (PDF Version here)

Santa Barbara County
Join Facebook Group to implement Laura's Law
Santa Maria Sun endorses Laura's Law
Santa Barbara prison mental health services questioned

Siskiyou County
Tragedies are preventable

Sonoma County
Press-Democrat Editorial Endorses Laura's Law
It's Time Sonoma Implement Laura's Law
Sonoma Behavioral Health Care Director defends status quo (and read our response)

Stanislaus County
County wastes MHSA money and fails to use Laura's Law

Other Media
California Emergency Rooms Very Expensive Way to treat mental illness (LA Times)
Student Video does good job explaining Laura's Law
Video on Nevada County Implementation of Laura's Law