Involuntary commitment.

Assembly Member Krell's behavioral health legislation expands the pool of medical professionals authorized to conduct involuntary psychiatric holds by requiring county behavioral health directors to include emergency physicians among those eligible for designation under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.

The measure maintains existing liability protections for facility superintendents, professional staff, and peace officers involved in detaining individuals for psychiatric evaluation, while extending these same protections to newly designated emergency physicians. Under the bill, emergency physicians working in licensed general acute care hospital emergency departments can qualify for designation after completing the same training and approval processes required of other professionals. The legislation also codifies requirements for written notification when county behavioral health directors deny or revoke any professional's designation, mandating documentation of the specific reasons.

For Sacramento County specifically, the measure outlines procedures for designating City of Sacramento employees who serve on mobile crisis teams or as professional staff, contingent on written requests, qualification verification, and completion of any required county training programs. These provisions aim to establish clear protocols for expanding and managing the network of professionals authorized to initiate involuntary psychiatric holds while maintaining consistent standards across all designated individuals.