Laura’s Law refers individuals with severe mental illnesses to outpatient treatment they may not otherwise receive
TULARE COUNTY– The board of supervisors authorized Tulare County Health and Human Services to extend a pilot program mandating treatment for those with severe mental illness.
Laura’s Law is a mandated service model for individuals experiencing serious mental illness that have within the last three years had two hospitalizations, two incarcerations, inpatient psychiatric care or been a threat of serious violence within the previous four years. The number of individuals who received help through this law is not a significant number on paper, but that does not mean the program is not working.
“This is not just the general total population of people who are suffering a mental health episode. This is for the most severe [cases],” Supervisor Larry Micari said. “Even though we have a very small amount here, that’s a good impact because that’s the severe cases. I am fully supportive of it.”
Dr. Casie Ennis, division manager of clinical services for Tulare County Behavioral Health, updated the supervisors on how Laura’s Law had helped individuals in the community. The hope is to improve access to services and prevent relapse, repeated hospitalizations, incarcerations, victimizations, suicide and violence toward others.
Dr. Casie Ennis, division manager of clinical services for Tulare County Behavioral Health, updated the supervisors on how Laura’s Law had helped individuals in the community. The hope is to improve access to services and prevent relapse, repeated hospitalizations, incarcerations, victimizations, suicide and violence toward others.
The implementation of Laura’s Law remains optional for counties despite the legislation being on the books for nearly a decade. The board of supervisors’ approval on June 28 continues the program for at least one more year.
Ennis said Laura’s Law is a high intensity program for both staff assisting those with voluntary treatment and patients trying to remain in treatment while dealing with a serious diagnosis. The goal is to reach people before they reach a point where county staff must force them into inpatient care.
“Laura’s Law is a level of treatment that is before we would consider sending somebody to more intensive services, like an inpatient psychiatric hospital or to be potentially investigated for conservatorship,” Ennis said.
County mental health has to receive a referral before case managers and therapists can go out in the field and try to help. Ennis said individuals are referred by either law enforcement, a family member or a support person. If patients do not voluntarily engage in an outpatient program within 30 days of the referral, Tulare County mental health will file a petition for court-mandated services.
“If at all possible, we definitely want to get them into mental health services voluntarily first,” Ennis said.
Tulare County mental health only made six referrals in the last year, which Ennis said is not unusual for a new program. Of the six referrals, two did not meet the criteria and were connected to outpatient services, one individual engaged voluntarily in outpatient services and three enrolled in assisted outpatient treatment. Of the three who enrolled, one left the area, one was elevated to a higher level of care and one was not responsive to treatment and is currently being evaluated for a higher level of care.
“These are those individuals who are really the most significantly ill in the community, it would be pretty horrifying if we had so many people that met that level of need,” Ennis said.
There is additional legislation the county is waiting on that could possibly change how the county deals with Laura’s Law. In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom launched CARE (Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment) Court, a new policy framework to assist homeless people living with untreated mental health and substance abuse challenges. Newsom said CARE Courts would require counties to provide comprehensive treatment to the most severely impaired and untreated Californians and hold patients accountable to their treatment plan.
If CARE Court goes into effect, it would expand and build on the initial foundation of Laura’s Law. This would allow additional individuals to meet the criteria for receiving help from the county.
“Potentially, we would be doing the same as Laura’s law, but for many more people,” Ennis said. “So we might not need that additional program.”
Going forward, Ennis said the mental health branch is hoping to spread the word about the referral process and help more people in need of the greatest level of care.
