Each state has civil commitment laws that establish criteria for determining when involuntary treatment is appropriate for individuals with several mental illness who cannot seek care voluntarily. Laws in Arizona allow for the use of court-ordered treatment in the community, known as assisted outpatient treatment (AOT). In Arizona, the court may order a patient to undergo inpatient (hospital) or outpatient (community) treatment if there is clear and convincing evidence that a proposed patient, as a result of a mental disorder, is:

• a danger to self, or
• a danger to others, or
• persistently or acutely disabled, or
• gravely disabled and in need of treatment,
• and is either unwilling or unable to accept voluntary treatment.

The Arizona laws on court-ordered evaluation and treatment is in Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 36, Chapter 5, Sections 504-544. More detailed rules are also in Arizona Administrative Code, Title 9, Chapter 21, Article 5.