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The San Francisco Chronicle

May 7, 2001

Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2001 The San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved.

Editorial: STATE OF NEGLECT; An ounce of prevention

A WOMAN SUFFERS from severe depression and quietly commits suicide in her home. A schizophrenic man murders a child, believing he has just killed the devil. In a manic phase of bipolar disorder, an executive spends all his money, fires his staff, loses his business, family and friends and finds himself homeless.

Later, others ask: "Why did it happen? Why didn't someone prevent it? Why did we have to wait until they harmed themselves or others?"

We know the reason. In 1967, California passed the well-intentioned, but misguided, Lanterman-Petris-Short Act that made it practically impossible for doctors or judges to compel treatment for the severely mentally ill.

Tomorrow, the Assembly Judiciary Committee will consider a key piece of legislation that could prevent such tragedies from recurring. Introduced by Assemblywoman Helen Thomson, D-Davis, AB 1421 would permit court-ordered outpatient treatment for those who suffer from severe mental illness, but are unaware that they need medical treatment.

AB 1421 includes $50 million (less than one day's state outlay on energy) to provide for "the delivery of community-based care by multidisciplinary teams of highly trained mental health professionals with staff-to-client ratio of not more than 1 to 10." If a county cannot provide such comprehensive services, no court order may be issued.

Under this law, a court order for outpatient treatment would require that a person is suicidal, or has threatened or committed violent acts against other people. Rather than being hospitalized as a psychiatric inpatient, the person would be given the option of being treated as an outpatient and provided intensive and comprehensive services.

Naturally, many people are concerned about protecting the civil rights of the mentally ill. Fortunately, AB 1421 addresses this important issue by guaranteeing due process rights. No medication can be compelled unless family members and a range of mental health professionals are consulted.

In our previous editorials on the shameful neglect of the severely mental ill, we have consistently emphasized the fiscal and human costs of ignoring the needs of the untreated mentally ill.

We strongly urge members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee to pass this legislation. The cost of warehousing the mentally ill in prisons or hospitals is exorbitant. Equally important, anyone who suffers severe mental disease deserves treatment and the opportunity to live a normal life.

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