COLUMBUS – Bartholomew County will launch a new Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Court in April to provide court-supervised mental health treatment.
Judge Jon Rohde of Superior Court J2 announced the program, a partnership between Columbus Regional Health, Centerstone, Mental Health Matters, and the South Central National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The AOT Court will serve individuals with mental health diagnoses. It seeks to reduce repeat interactions with medical facilities and law enforcement, thereby alleviating strain on inpatient services. While similar programs are standard in neighboring states, this will be only the second program in Indiana. A similar mental health court for criminal cases was established last year in Bartholomew Superior Court 1.
Judge Rohde emphasized that the program will not incur additional taxpayer costs, as partner agencies will utilize existing resources. The goal is to provide timely intervention, preventing crises that may lead to criminal activity, and optimizing the use of community emergency resources, ultimately contributing to a safer community.
