Conservatorships: serious mental illness and substance use disorders: counties.

Existing law establishes a procedure for the appointment of a conservator for a person who is determined to be gravely disabled as a result of a mental health disorder or an impairment by chronic alcoholism, as specified, pursuant to a petition to the superior court by an officer conducting an investigation and concurring with a recommendation of conservatorship. Existing law also establishes a procedure for the appointment of other types of conservatorship or a guardianship as ordered by the probate court. The Assisted Outpatient Treatment Demonstration Project Act of 2002, known as Laura's Law, commencing January 1, 2022, requires each county to offer specified mental health programs, unless a county or group of counties opts out by a resolution passed by the governing body, as specified. Existing law authorizes participating counties to pay for the services provided from moneys distributed to the counties from various continuously appropriated funds, including the Mental Health Services Fund, when included in a county plan, as specified. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, establishes a procedure, for the County of Los Angeles, the County of San Diego, and the City and County of San Francisco, if the board of supervisors of the respective county or city and county authorizes the application of these provisions subject to specified requirements, for the appointment of a conservator for a person who is incapable of caring for the person's own health and well-being due to a serious mental illness and substance use disorder, as specified, for the purpose of providing the least restrictive and most clinically appropriate alternative needed for the protection of the person. Existing law prohibits a conservatorship from being established under these provisions if a conservatorship or guardianship exists under any of the other above-described provisions. Existing law authorizes the Judicial Council to adopt rules, forms, and standards necessary to implement these provisions. This bill would authorize any county or city and county to adopt these conservatorship provisions within their jurisdictions.