Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT)
Many families learn about Assisted Outpatient Treatment, also called AOT or Laura's Law, only after years of trying everything else. They have contacted the county, called mobile crisis teams such as CAT and PET, and involved law enforcement, without success in getting treatment for a loved one who does not believe they have a mental illness. Some come to AOT after an unsuccessful CARE Court petition. Others are looking for a way to secure treatment when a loved one does not meet the criteria for a psychiatric hold or a conservatorship.
What AOT Is
AOT is a court-ordered program of outpatient treatment and support. The person remains in the community rather than in a hospital or locked facility, and the court oversees participation in a treatment plan.
What AOT provides. Services may include psychiatric and psychological care, help obtaining and managing medication, substance use treatment, case management, supportive housing or other housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, and family support and consultation.
Who can start the process. Unlike CARE Court, where a family member may file the petition directly, an AOT petition can be filed only by a county agency. Certain family and household members, treatment providers, and others may request that the county investigate, but only the county behavioral health director or a designee may file a petition with the court. Because the county decides whether a case goes forward, how well a request is prepared and presented matters.
Who May Qualify
The person must:
- Be at least 18 years old and have a serious mental disorder that substantially interferes with daily functioning and independent living
- Have been offered a comprehensive voluntary treatment plan through the local behavioral health department and continue to fail to engage
- Need AOT as the least restrictive option that would work, and be likely to benefit from it
And meet at least one of these two conditions:
- Be substantially deteriorating and unlikely to survive safely without supervision, or
- Need AOT to prevent relapse or deterioration likely to result in grave disability or serious harm to themselves or others
AOT is not limited to psychotic disorders. A substance use disorder alone does not qualify, but someone with both a serious mental disorder and a substance use disorder may.
There is also a treatment-history requirement, met by either:
- At least twice in the past 36 months, the person's mental illness was a substantial factor in requiring hospitalization or mental health services in a correctional facility; or
- Within the past 48 months, the person's mental illness resulted in serious and violent behavior toward themselves or another, or threats or attempts to cause serious physical harm to themselves or others
A period of hospitalization or incarceration immediately before the petition is filed is generally excluded when applying these requirements.
Who May Request an Investigation
- An adult who lives with the person
- A parent, spouse, sibling, or adult child
- The director of certain agencies, treatment facilities, hospitals, charitable organizations, or licensed residential care facilities
- A licensed mental health provider treating or supervising the person
- A peace officer, parole officer, or probation officer assigned to the person
- A superior court judge before whom the person appears
A friend outside these categories generally cannot make the request.
What Happens After a Request
The county must investigate and may file only if it believes there is a reasonable likelihood every required element can be proven by clear and convincing evidence. Before AOT can be ordered, the county must offer the person a chance to participate voluntarily. If the person still does not engage and the requirements are met, the county may petition the court.
The person has the right to counsel and other protections. If the court finds the criteria are met and no appropriate less restrictive alternative exists, it may order AOT for up to six months initially, with later periods of up to 180 days when the requirements continue to be met.
Failing to comply with AOT is not by itself grounds for contempt or involuntary commitment, and AOT does not by itself authorize involuntary medication. Those require separate legal grounds.
How We Help
Under Assisted Outpatient Treatment (Laura's Law), only the county behavioral health director can file an AOT petition. Families and others may request that the county investigate, but the county decides whether to file and the court decides whether to order treatment. We therefore cannot promise that a request will lead to a petition or an order. What we can do is make sure the county is provided a complete, organized picture of the person's history—diagnosis, hospitalizations, failed or refused treatment, and recent deterioration—matched to each statutory criterion, so the request is as strong as the facts allow. If the county declines, we help you evaluate other options.
Timing and Availability
Not every California county offers AOT, and the eligibility criteria and procedures described here are subject to change by the Legislature and the courts. We accept representation only after a legal consultation in which we assess the circumstances, determine whether we can help, and confirm our availability.
This page provides general information, not legal advice. Laws, court procedures, eligibility rules, and available services change, and legal options depend on current law and the circumstances of each case.
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We're Here to Help
If someone you love may qualify for AOT, reach out to Blumen & Tauro, Treatment Law℠. We'll listen and tell you whether we can help.