On Monday, members of the City Council discussed implementing court-ordered outpatient treatment for adults dealing with severe mental illness. Essentially, a judge would make sure people are seeking and following treatment.The council said the plan would apply to people who have had repeated hospitalizations or arrests.Councilman Jason Williams said this would be a nonvoluntary intervention designed to get people on treatment plans so they do not end up homeless, institutionalized or incarcerated.The council said the plan could also cut down on crime, as many criminals with mental health disorders are not seeking treatment.One of the pioneers of the plan, Janet Hays, said that in 2017 New Orleans police responded to almost 7,000 mental health calls.The council said having court-ordered treatment for those dealing with a mental illness could save taxpayers money and police time."What the court does, we are something called the 'black robe effect,' where it's an authority, which says, 'We want you to help yourself but we are going to watch you and work with you to keep you on the road moving forward and progressing,'" Civil District Judge Kern Reese said.The program could cost about $100,000 a year. Members of the council are backing the figure.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!