Johnson County, Iowa Launching The State’s First Civil Mental Health Court

On May 10, 2023, Johnson County, Iowa, held the first court date for a pilot civil mental health court, the first in the state. The court will work with people under involuntary civil commitment to provide “assisted outpatient treatment” (AOT) as an alternative to placement in a state psychiatric hospital or jail. The pilot is slated to run through June 30, 2024. A spokesperson for the Johnson County Attorney’s Office said the current plan is to admit 10 participants in the first year and ramp up to serving 12 to 15 individuals over the course of the first year . . .