YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert Rusu Jr., the Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board and others gave presentations last week to the Treatment Advocacy Centers National Assisted Outpatient Treatment Symposium & Learning Collaborative in Annapolis, Md.

The presentation was on the probate court’s seven-year-old Assisted Outpatient Treatment program, called Fresh Start Court.

Assisted outpatient treatment is the practice of providing community-based mental health treatment under civil court commitment as a way to motivate an adult with mental illness who struggles with voluntary treatment to fully engage with his or her treatment plan, according to a Mahoning probate court news release. Another purpose is to focus the attention of treatment providers on the need to keep such a person engaged in effective treatment, the release adds.

The symposium was a gathering of mental health providers, court personnel and advocates from around the country to discuss the benefits of instituting an assisted outpatient treatment program in their communities, the release states.

Rusu discussed the benefits that Mahoning County has seen with the implementation of its Fresh Start Court and discussed how the program was implemented. He urged the attendees not to wait to start one.

In addition to Rusu, others who gave presentations were Michelle Werth, clinical director for the Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board; and Marla Golec, MHRB office manager. Shannon Hudspeth, Mahoning County Probate Court AOT coordinator, also shared her experiences.

Mahoning County’s Fresh Start Court began in May of 2018, according to Vindicator archives.

Research suggests AOT is effective in reducing the incidence and duration of hospitalizations, homelessness, arrests and incarcerations, victimization and violent episodes, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national nonprofit that promotes treatment for severe mental illnesses.

In Fresh Start Court, clients meet with the judge about every two weeks. He checks in with clients about taking their medications, their physical health, family support, housing and anything relevant to their case.

Clients are assigned a case manager from a local service provider. A team helps coordinate a treatment plan and assists with housing, transportation, employment and other needs.

The judge is there to check in on the individual’s progress and can order them to comply with the court if necessary, although he prefers to have their cooperation.

In an interview Monday, Rusu said, “What we have found with Fresh Start Court is that when it comes to individuals with persistent mental health issues, how you deal with them really depends on the support services they get surrounding them when they come out of the hospital.”

He said they receive a combination of support from their treatment team, the court and accountability that the court provides to the individual.” He said the individuals in the program “see it as somebody who cares about them. But they also want to comply with the court orders.”