The Mahoning County Probate Court has started an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) program for those with mental illness.

The "Fresh Start Court" program is in collaboration with the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board to keep people with mental illness away from jails -- and get them into treatment.

This AOT program provides court-ordered treatment to adults with a serious mental illness who meet criteria such as prior history of hospitalizations or arrests. 

"It is about the best tool we have to help people who have trouble with engaging in treatment for severe mental illness, through no fault of their own," said Brian Stettin, policy director for the Treatment Advocacy Center.

Stettin says that "people are caught in this revolving door." He says they are admitted into hospitals again and again.

With a successful AOT program, there can be benefits such as reducing re-hospitalization, reducing arrest and jail visits and reducing re-victimization.

"AOT has been shown to greatly increase medication adherence, reduce costs from hospital readmission and promotes mental health recovery," said Mahoning County Probate Court Judge Robert N. Rusu, Jr.  

"Our goal here is to show the program participant that there are people who care about them and want to help them stay healthy," Rusu says.

Right now, there are 16 AOT programs operating in Ohio including Cuyahoga, Lorain and Summit Counties.