On January 10, 2001, our daughter, Laura, was at work at California's Nevada County Behavioral Health clinic.  A client appeared for a scheduled appointment. Without warning or provocation, he drew a handgun and shot Laura four times. When the rampage at the clinic and at a nearby restaurant ended, Laura and two others lay dead, and three were injured.

California passed Laura’s Law to help make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to another family.  Laura was at the clinic that day to help. 

We’re asking for you help to bring Laura’s Law to your county and help save lives.

--Amanda and Nick Wilcox   

Email us today at savelives@treatmentadvocacycenter.org to join the effort in your county!

Recent Media

• KQED Radio: SF Supervisors Postpone Vote on Laura's Law
  
• San Francisco Chronicle: Laura's Law - an opportunity to improve life in San Francisco
  
• San Francisco Chronicle: Pass 'Laura's Law' in San Francisco
  
• San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco should use Laura's Law
• San Franciso Chronicle: S.F. supes to decide on mental health law
• San Francisco Chronicle: Time for San Francisco to implement Laura's Law
  
• NPR Forum, KQED Radio:  Laura's Law
• San Francisco Examiner: Griffin: Laura's Law is sane choice
• The Medical News: If Laura's Law is not implemented, mentally ill people will be arrested and jailed: Recent analysis
• Governing through Crime: Two Cheers for Laura's Law
• Los Angeles Times: Law and Disorders
• San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco chooses jail over treatment 
• The Sacramento Bee: Viewpoints: Mentally ill are dying for lack of care
  

 California Treatment Advocacy Coalition News Updates

• San Francisco Laura's Law Update (7/21/10)
• Laura's Law Wins Support from Media (7/19/10)
  
• Attention Bay Area! (7/15/10)
• Laura's Law coming up for a vote in San Francisco (7/13/10)
  
• Reminder - July 12th Laura's Law Hearing Scheduled in San Francisco for 10:30 AM (7/8/10)
• July 12th Laura's Law Hearing Scheduled in San Francisco! (6/29/10)
  
• Laura's Law Resolution Formally Introduced in San Francisco! (6/18/10)
• San Francisco Chronicle Endorses Laura's Law Implementation (6/8/10)
• Laura's Law Advancing in SF!...How about your County? (6/3/10)
  
• Mentally Ill Californians Most Likely Jailed; Not Hospitalized (6/2/10)
• Attend the Laura's Law Hearing Scheduled in San Francisco! (5/20/10)
  
• Laura's Law Hearing Scheduled in San Francisco! (5/12/10)
  
• Treatment Advocacy Center Study Reveals Severely Mentally Ill Persons More Likely to be in California Jails than Hospitals  (6/2/10)
• Your Connections Can Build Coalitions! (4/28/10)
  
• What's Going on In Your County?? (4/2/10)
  
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment Is... (3/22/10)
• Let the State of California Hear You! (3/15/10)
  

Break the Stalemate

It is now time to implement Laura’s Law in every California county.  The time for delay is over.

Laura's Law was passed in 2002.  The state left it up to each county to put the law in place, to avoid future tragedies, like the death of Laura Wilcox, from happening again.  Laura's Law will put in place assisted outpatient treatment, an extremely effective tool that allows for the sickest patients to get help before its too late.

Nevada County, where Laura Wilcox lived, put in place Laura’s Law.  It shows it can be done. 

Laura’s Law will bring real treatment to people who need it most.  By providing assisted outpatient treatment, Laura’s Law will create an effective tool for people with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia to get help before they become a danger to themselves or others.  It will help stop the revolving door that spins too many people in and out of hospital emergency rooms and jails.  It will save counties from provide those expensive and least wanted services.  It will give people treatment that will make life worth living.

Current California Mental Health Treatment Standards

California like each state has its own rules governing when there can be a legal intervention to get treatment for a person with a severe mental illness.  California rules apply to someone who needs treatment but is unable to seek it voluntarily.  California mental health laws outline what steps must be followed and what standards must be met before someone can be ordered into treatment in the hospital or in the community.  Although California law does allow for inpatient and outpatient treatment, outpatient treatment is only available in counties that have adopted provisions established by Laura’s Law.  California still uses a treatment standard based primarily on a person’s likelihood of being dangerous instead of using a more progressive “need for treatment” standard as in many states.” The following summary can be helpful for a family member trying to get court-ordered treatment for a loved one.

For inpatient care a person must be either be a (1) Danger to self/others or (2) unable to provide for basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter.

For counties that have adopted Laura’s Law, a person is eligible for outpatient care if: condition likely to substantially deteriorate, unlikely to survive safely in community without supervision, history of noncompliance which includes two hospitalizations in past 36 months or act/threat/attempt of violence to self/others in 48 months immediately preceding petition filing, likely needs to prevent meeting inpatient standard, and likely to benefit from assisted treatment.