-- Mission Connection Healthcare's recently published guide explores actions that individuals in California can legally take when a person in a mental health crisis poses a possible risk of harm to themselves or other people. In the guide, Mission Connection covers involuntary commitment in psychological emergencies and behavioral health crises, along with other laws related to psychiatric holds.
For more information, please visit https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/mental-health/legal-rights/california/
Mental illnesses are widespread in America; an estimated one in five adults lived with a mental illness in 2022. Some individuals choose to admit themselves into a treatment facility to receive care for their disorders - this process is known as voluntary commitment. This differs from involuntary commitment, which involves legal procedures that admit a mentally ill individual into a facility against their will, a process that is preceded by a psychiatric hold.
As Mission Connection’s guide explains, a psychiatric hold is imposed on individuals who refuse care even though it’s required, are a threat to themselves and others, and are incapable of making informed decisions regarding their treatment. Psychiatric holds are intended to provide mentally ill patients with a safe environment while their condition is evaluated and stabilized; typically, the individual is held in a mental health facility for up to 72 hours before a hearing committee makes a final decision regarding their treatment. Under Californian law, this procedure is outlined under the Welfare and Institutions Code, which allows involuntary commitment for those who meet the aforementioned criteria.
Although involuntary commitment involves admitting patients to facilities against their will, Mission Connection’s guide notes that they still have legal protections under the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act. For example, individuals can choose a personalized treatment plan that maintains their freedom, make phone calls, and see visitors; the act also protects the patient’s rights to adequate medical care and to refuse high-risk procedures. These rights are classified as “undeniable rights,” which are not affected by conservatorship.
While treatment facilities may refuse a patient’s “deniable rights,” such as access to personal belongings or money, they must have a justifiable reason to do so and must document each denial on the patient’s treatment record. Individuals concerned about their rights are also at liberty to discuss them with a mental health professional.
Interested parties can learn more by visiting https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/
Contact Info:
Name: Nathan Di Tomaso
Email: Send Email
Organization: Mission Connection
Address: 30310 Rancho Viejo Rd. , San Juan Capistrano, California 92675, United States
Website: https://missionconnectionhealthcare.com/
Release ID: 89167194