The court can order outpatient treatment for those who are so severely mentally ill that they cannot consent to treatment, or have outright refused it, especially if they're a danger to themselves or others. It happens through the Assisted Community Treatment law.
Each patient who goes through a court hearing for this treatment needs to have a guardian ad litem with them.
A guardian ad litem is a court-appointed attorney who is there to protect the interests of a person who cannot take care of themselves.
But there are only two doing this work for the island of Oʻahu.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi, care providers and the state attorney general are all calling on attorneys to become guardian ad litems.
"The more assisted community treatment petitions filed and the more guardian ad litems need to be brought to bear. Every petition requires a guardian ad litem. It is not discretionary. It's mandatory. So every case needs a GAL," said Christopher Thomas, the lawyer for the Institute for Human Services.
"The work of a GAL is life-changing, and it's very straightforward, and the time commitment, I believe, is very reasonable."
There were only eight Assisted Community Treatment cases last year. Interested attorneys can click here.
