Doesn’t New Jersey already have outpatient programs set up?
All of New Jersey’s current outpatient programs are voluntary. Thus, they cannot help those most in need of treatment – people with a severe mental illness who refuse treatment because they are unable to understand they are sick. This small segment of those with mental illnesses will not seek treatment and, in New Jersey, are left to deteriorate until they become so ill that they pose a danger to themselves or others. AOT provides effective treatment to these individuals, something that redirecting funds to the community is simply not designed to do.
