A competency-based approach to managing violence with involuntary outpatient treatment

Involuntary outpatient treatment is one of the most controversial areas in public psychiatry. There are cogent arguments and strong emotions both for and against the use of it. Yet there is violent behavior towards others by individuals with mental illness who reside in the community that is not managed well even when recognized as highly likely. For individuals already in the community mental health system, the ability to keep them in treatment, even against their will, is necessary in some instances to decrease the likelihood of them engaging in outwardly directed violent behavior