Families of mentally ill adults work to have law providing

Families of mentally ill adults work to have law providing treatment enforced

Families and advocates who pressed for a law that clarifies the authority of Ohio judges to order outpatient treatment for people with severe mental illness say their hard-won victory has meant little in Franklin County.

Although Senate Bill 43 took effect in September 2014, it has yet to help families obtain a single treatment order.

"My son has been sick for nine years. This was some hope," said Karri Dosmann of Upper Arlington. "Now, it's the law, and there's still nothing happening."

Dosmann and other mental-health advocates met recently to call on the Franklin County Probate Court and the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County to develop a program that reflects the intention of the statute, which allows courts to order outpatient treatment even when the person is not involuntarily hospitalized.

Read more: www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/06/11/families-of-mentally-ill-adults-work-to-have-law-providing-treatment-enforced.html