Fighting Involuntary Outpatient Treatment: Next Steps for Change

Robert Nikkel has written a good article about concrete steps we need to take to effect meaningful change in our broken mental health system. He mentions “the tragedy of Andrew Rich,” noting that the only reason given for extending Andrew’s involuntary commitment was his disagreement with a psychiatrist’s opinion that he was “mentally ill.” This is not a valid or lawful basis for extending an involuntary commitment, but as an attorney who has represented many Wisconsin clients in these proceedings, I can tell you that it is done routinely. Nikkel outlines eight problems with the current system and provides specific suggestions for solutions we can implement.