Events and Education
HOW TO GET HELP FOR YOUR PATIENT WHO DOESN'T WANT IT: PROCESS AND LAW OF INVOLUNTARY PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION AND TREATMENT IN ARIZONA (Check Back for On-Demand Webinar To Be Available Soon)
About this Webinar: Voluntary treatment for any medical condition is always preferable. However, because of the nature of mental illness, involuntary treatment and hospitalization is necessary in certain circumstances, especially if the illness has impacted that person’s ability to identify their own need for treatment.
Court-ordered evaluation or court-ordered treatment (assisted outpatient treatment) is a complicated topic in which the medical and legal communities each play a role. In order for a psychiatrist practicing in Arizona to effectively protect the patient and others at a time when he or she may not be capable of appropriate decision-making, having the knowledge of Arizona law and its processes necessary to interpret the appropriate course of action and apply the same is essential.
Assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has been shown to reduce hospitalization, arrest and incarceration, homelessness and violent acts associated with mental illness. Due to strict legal criteria, AOT participants typically represent far less than .05% of a state’s population. Yet, on any given day, they are the people most at risk to be in a hospital, ER, on the streets or behind bars.
Court-ordered evaluation or court-ordered treatment (assisted outpatient treatment) is a complicated topic in which the medical and legal communities each play a role. In order for a psychiatrist practicing in Arizona to effectively protect the patient and others at a time when he or she may not be capable of appropriate decision-making, having the knowledge of Arizona law and its processes necessary to interpret the appropriate course of action and apply the same is essential.
Assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) has been shown to reduce hospitalization, arrest and incarceration, homelessness and violent acts associated with mental illness. Due to strict legal criteria, AOT participants typically represent far less than .05% of a state’s population. Yet, on any given day, they are the people most at risk to be in a hospital, ER, on the streets or behind bars.
Carol Kline Olson, MD, DFAPA, Chair of the Departments of Psychiatry at Valleywise Behavioral Health and Creighton School of Medicine, Phoenix
A Phoenix native, Dr. Olson has spent her career within Valleywise, which performs all Title 36 court ordered psychiatric evaluations in Maricopa County. She has been Chair of the Valleywise Department since 2004, and is responsible for the behavioral health services at three inpatient facilities with over 400 beds, a psychiatric consultation service, ECT and TMS services, several outpatient clinics, and adult/child & adolescent residency programs. She is board certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Olson was Chair of the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB) for Arizona for 10 years, which oversees individuals found Guilty Except Insane for violent crimes, during their time committed to the Arizona State Hospital and after their conditional release. Dr. Olson is a past president of the medical staff and past Physician of the Year at Valleywise. On the 2017 Phoenix Magazine list of “25 Most Influential Healthcare Leaders, she is a Distinguished Fellow of the APA.
Josh Mozell, JD, Senior Partner, Law Firm of Frazer, Ryan, Goldberg & Arnold, L.L.P; and Immediate Past Chair, Mental Health America of Arizona
A leader in advocating for Arizonans with mental illness and Super Lawyers Rising Stars honoree, Phoenix attorney Josh Mozell practices in the areas of mental health law, estate planning, and contested probates, guardianships, and conservatorships. He is one of the few attorneys in the nation with a family-focused mental healthcare practice, helping to guide families through the complex maze of legal issues that affect loved ones with serious mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. He provides counsel on civil commitment, guardianship, special needs estate planning, and consultation on navigating the mental health system. He also represents hospitals, behavioral health providers, and clinicians, regularly providing counsel on capacity, HIPAA, civil commitment, interaction with law enforcement, end-of-life decision making, and advance directives. In addition, he represents mental health and healthcare professionals in disciplinary proceedings.
Learning Objectives
- Determine the appropriate statutory, legal, and ethical course of action for court ordered treatment or court ordered evaluations under Arizona law. - Identify the process for court ordered treatment or court ordered evaluations under Arizona law and the role of the treating psychiatrist or other behavioral health provider in the same.
Target AudiencePsychiatric physicians, physicians of other specialties providing psychiatric care, and non-physician behavioral health providers.
Continuing Education Credit
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Arizona Psychiatric Society. The APA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The APA designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
Josh Mozell, JD and Carol K. Olson, MD, DFAPA report no financial relationships with commercial interests.Gretchen Alexander, MD, FAPA reports a financial interest in LB Pharmaceuticals. The remainder of the planners for this activity report no financial relationships with commercial interests.
Continuing Education Credit
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Arizona Psychiatric Society. The APA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The APA designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
Josh Mozell, JD and Carol K. Olson, MD, DFAPA report no financial relationships with commercial interests.Gretchen Alexander, MD, FAPA reports a financial interest in LB Pharmaceuticals. The remainder of the planners for this activity report no financial relationships with commercial interests.
APA Course of the Month and More
Try the APA Learning Center free with the Members Course of the Month. Each month, members have free access to an on-demand CME course on a popular topic. CLICK HERE for more information on the current Course of the Month.
SMI Adviser is an initiative funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and implemented by the American Psychiatric Association. Its mission is to advance the use of person-centered approaches to care that ensure treatment and support for people with serious mental illness (SMI). Through the SMI Adviser website and smartphone app, clinicians can access education, data, and consultations to help them make evidence-based treatment decisions, and individuals affected by SMI can access resources and answers from a national network of experts.