Law Commons^™

Outpatient Civil Commitment In North Carolina: Constitutional And Policy Concerns, Erika F. King

Law and Contemporary Problems

Outpatient commitment of the mentally ill is court-ordered treatment in the community and is usually characterized by short, recurring visits to a mental health clinic that provides treatment such as medication, individual or group therapy, day or part-day activities or supervision of living arrangements. The history and design of the North Carolina preventive commitment scheme and constitutional difficulties with this statute are discussed.