Mental health.

Existing law, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, provides for the involuntary commitment and treatment of persons with specified mental disorders and for the protection of the persons so committed. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature, with regard to this act, to end inappropriate, indefinite, and involuntary commitment of mentally disordered persons, developmentally disabled persons, and persons impaired by chronic alcoholism, and to eliminate legal disabilities and to protect mentally disordered persons and developmentally disabled persons, among other things. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature, additionally, to provide consistent standards for protection of the personal rights of persons who are subject to involuntary detention and to provide services in the least restrictive setting appropriate to the needs of the person, as well as making technical changes. This bill would encourage each city or county mental health department to post on its Internet Web site a current list, to be updated at least annually, of ambulatory services and other resources for persons with mental health and substance use disorders in the city or county that may be accessed by providers and consumers of mental health services. Under existing law, when a person, as a result of mental disorder, is a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled, he or she may, upon probable cause, be taken into custody by a peace officer, member of the attending staff of an evaluation facility, designated members of a mobile crisis team, or other designated professional person, and placed in a facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of Social Services as a facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation. Existing law specifies advisements that are to be given to the person prior to involuntary commitment. This bill would authorize a county health director to develop procedures for the county's designation and training of professionals who will be designated to perform functions relating to the 72-hour treatment and evaluation. The bill would require the facilities for treatment and evaluation to be licensed or certified as mental health treatment facilities by the State Department of Health Care Services or the State Department of Public Health. The bill would require assessment and evaluation, as defined, to be provided on an ongoing basis and would authorize crisis intervention to be provided concurrently with assessment, evaluation, or any other service. The bill would also authorize a professional person in charge of a facility for evaluation and treatment to take custody of a person for this purpose. The bill would make prescribed changes to the advisements given when the person is taken into custody and when the person is admitted to the facility, and would require that the facility keep a record of the advisement. By requiring local mental health facilities to provide and maintain this additional information, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.