Hot Topics in Mental Health & Law: Assisted Outpatient Treatment series
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m. PT
Assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) is a relatively new program in Washington state designed to address complex behavioral health issues. AOT is the practice of providing community-based behavioral health treatment under civil court order as a means of motivating an individual with serious behavioral health challenges to engage in their recovery. AOT is an organized, systematic effort within a behavioral health system to ensure that those meeting the criteria receive behavioral health treatment. Diane Weiner, LMHC, will discuss the reasons AOT was implemented in Washington state, the current progress of AOT implementation, and implementation barriers and challenges.
This talk is included in an eight-session webinar series, Hot Topics in Mental Health and Law: Assisted Outpatient Treatment, for which continuing education is available. Participants must attend the live session to receive credit.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Outline the history of AOT in Washington state.
- Describe criteria for AOT in Washington state.
- Understand the current state of implementation of AOT in Washington state.
- Compare AOT to other least restrictive alternative/options.
- Discuss challenges and barriers affecting AOT implementation in Washington state.
About the Speaker
Diane Weiner, LMHC, is the assisted outpatient administrator for the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery within the Washington State Health Care Authority. In this role, Diane oversees the implementation of AOT throughout the state, providing assistance and support to the behavioral health administrative service organizations that work to implement AOT throughout the counties in their region. Diane entered the behavioral health field after supporting two close family members experiencing severe mental illness through the challenges of accessing treatment and support. During this time, she realized both that she was skilled at advocacy and that many people lacked an advocate. This led to Diane obtaining her master’s in human services and mental health counseling. Prior to her work with the Health Care Authority, Diane served as a team lead for an assertive community treatment team and in leadership roles for her local National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Continuing Education
This talk is included in an eight-session webinar series, Hot Topics in Mental Health and Law: Assisted Outpatient Treatment, for which continuing education credits are available. Participants must attend the live session to receive credit.