Maryland has begun allowing circuit court judges to order outpatient mental health treatment for certain patients, with the new Assisted Outpatient Treatment program launching this week in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, and counties on the Eastern Shore. The Maryland Department of Health announced the launch on August 20, putting into motion a mandate that state lawmakers approved two years ago but that took until now to reach patients on the ground.
The program lets mental health professionals, family members, or friends petition a circuit court to require a person with severe mental illness to follow a treatment plan, according to the Baltimore Sun. A person with a relationship to the patient, or a medical professional, can petition for an AOT plan using an online form, and in some cases a respondent can also voluntarily enter the plan themselves. The Maryland General Assembly passed the underlying legislation, known as HB 576 and SB 453, in 2024, and that law set a July 1, 2026 deadline for every Maryland jurisdiction to either run its own program or fall back on the state to do it, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
Every one of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions ultimately deferred to the state health department to build and run the program rather than developing their own local version, per the Baltimore Sun’s reporting. The rollout starting this week covers only Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore for now, with the program set to expand statewide by July 2027.
Why State Officials Say Voluntary Care Often Fails
Maryland Health Secretary Meena Seshamani said maintaining treatment engagement and consistency can be a daily challenge for many people living with severe mental illness, and that the new program creates a structured pathway to community-based treatment, stability and recovery, according to the Baltimore Sun. Left unaddressed, behavioral health challenges can lead to repeated hospitalization or incarceration, the outlet reported…