SENECA COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

AOT PROGRAM

Eligibility Criteria

Kendra's Law (Chapter 408 of the Laws of 1999), creates a statutory framework for court-
ordered Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) to ensure that individuals with mental illness and
a history of hospitalizations or violence participate in community-based services appropriate to
their needs. The court-ordered treatment must be the least restrictive alternative which will
allow the individual to live safely in the community.

Kendra's Law defines specific eligibility criteria for the AOT target population, which
are listed below:

An individual may be placed in AOT only if, after a hearing, the court finds that all of the
following have been met. The individual must:

1. be eighteen years of age or older; and

2. suffer from a mental illness; and

3. be unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision, based on a clinical

determination; and

4. have a history of non-adherence with treatment that has:

a. been a significant factor in his or her being in a hospital, prison or jail at least
twice within the last 36 months; or

b. resulted in one or more acts, attempts or threats of serious violent behavior

toward self or others within the last 48 months; and

5. be unlikely to voluntarily participate in treatment; and

6. be, in view of his or her treatment history and current behavior, in need of assisted
outpatient treatment in order to prevent a relapse or deterioration which would be
likely to result in serious harm to the person or others; and

7. be likely to benefit from AOT.

http://bi.omh.ny.gov/aot/about?p=home
09/24/2013