Maryland health officials are rolling out a new and controversial program to help those with severe mental health challenges stay on top of their treatment — by using a court order to mandate that those patients comply with their medical plans.
The Maryland Department of Health on Thursday announced the launch of the new Assisted Outpatient Treatment program that will grant mental health professionals, concerned family members or friends the ability to petition a circuit court for someone to receive mandated medical treatments for their mental health conditions.
Some conditions, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, can interfere with the patient’s ability to recognize that they need medical care, depending on how their conditions manifest…