(Aug. 31, 2015) The high-profile cases of John Hyde and James Boyd – two men whose lives took a tragic turn as a result of untreated severe mental illness – motivated lawmakers to introduce an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) law in New Mexico. The state considered the legislation in 2015, but it passed the House too late for small differences to be reconciled.
Now, following the latest homicide involving untreated mental illness, the Albuquerque Journal is calling for renewed attention to assisted outpatient treatment laws.
James Finch, 24, forced his way into his parents' northeast Albuquerque home last week, according to authorities. Finch attacked both of his parents, killing his father. His parents had tried repeatedly to get their son into treatment.
“[H]ow many more tragedies will it take to force New Mexico lawmakers to finally step up and provide an alternative to a police response for mentally ill individuals in crisis, as well as their families and the public?” ask the editors (“Editorial: Another tragedy shows need for a treatment law,” Albuquerque Journal, Aug. 31).
New Mexico is one of only five states without an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) law. The state has nearly 3x more people with serious mental illness in jail than receiving treatment in a hospital, and has only 18 percent of the beds necessary to meet the needs of people with a psychiatric disease.
“If there had been such a law in place to detain John Hyde when he came to the hospital begging for help after a medication change, perhaps he could have received the treatment he needed instead of gunning down three civilians and two police officers,” the editors wrote. “If there had been such a law – and possibly a crisis team – in place to detain Boyd...maybe he could have received the treatment he needed instead of the police response that killed him.”
“And if there had been such a law to detain Finch...maybe he could have received treatment and his parents might not have been forced to live in fear for years, waiting for him to finally dig a grave in the backyard and make good on his threats of violence.”
Senator Mary Kay Papen is expected to reintroduce assisted outpatient treatment in 2016.
(Photo: Albuquerque Journal)
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