State lawmakers pushing for assisted outpatient treatment pilot in Frederick County

Severe mental illness used to dominate Eric Smith’s life. He had a history of refusing treatment for his bipolar and schizoaffective disorders, and he repeatedly ended up hospitalized or in jail. But then, roughly a decade ago, Smith was court ordered into assisted outpatient treatment in Texas, where he regularly met with a judge who monitored the progress of his treatment. “I would very, very easily be dead or still caught in the criminal justice system,” he said. “Definitely not where I’m at now.”