Mental Health Services

Expands mental health services under the CARE Act to include individuals diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. Requires county behavioral health agencies to provide treatment and support services to eligible individuals. Mandates state reimbursement to local agencies for additional program costs.

Authorizes involuntary psychiatric medication for jail inmates found incompetent to stand trial on misdemeanors. Permits emergency medication without consent when immediate treatment is needed to prevent serious harm. Requires facilities to file written notice within 72 hours of starting involuntary medication. Limits involuntary medication orders to one year or until court modification.

Authorizes counties to create mental health teams to support incarcerated individuals with mental illness. Enables confidential information sharing between team members to coordinate care during and after jail. Requires counties to develop and publish detailed protocols for protecting shared confidential information. Mandates team members follow strict privacy rules with penalties for unauthorized disclosure.

Establishes a new pretrial diversion program for eligible non-violent felony offenses in California courts. Requires courts to dismiss criminal charges upon successful completion of a 24-month diversion program. Excludes serious crimes including violent felonies, firearm offenses, and domestic violence from eligibility. Mandates quarterly progress reports from treatment agencies and requires full restitution from participants.

Makes technical changes to provisions governing assisted outpatient mental health treatment programs.

Requires hospital employees with patient contact to wear identification tags displaying their role and name. Allows hospitals to protect staff privacy by displaying partial names on identification badges. Mandates 18-point type or larger font on all employee identification badges.

Expands conservator authority to place individuals with cognitive disorders in secured care facilities. Requires court approval for facility transfers except in emergencies. Mandates state agencies to update care facility regulations by January 2027. Establishes annual court reviews to protect conservatees from medication or placement abuse.

Expands mental health diversion requirements for criminal defendants to ensure treatment programs meet specific needs. Requires courts to verify treatment programs align with diversion goals before approving defendant participation. Allows prosecutors to request firearm ownership bans during diversion if defendant poses safety risk.

Prohibits supervision authorities from banning contact between supervised individuals and their family members. Allows authorities to restrict family contact only if the family member was a victim of the supervised person's crime. Requires written justification when prohibiting contact between a supervised person and their victim family member. Preserves courts' authority to issue protective orders and establish supervision conditions.

Expands mental health conservatorship criteria to include patients unable to accept voluntary treatment. Requires detailed treatment plans within 10 days of establishing conservatorships. Strengthens privacy protections for mental health records and court proceedings. Authorizes courts to order mental health evaluations without county approval in specific cases.

Expands restrictions on mental health diversion programs by excluding defendants charged with child abuse and trafficking. Prohibits diversion for crimes causing great bodily injury, including spousal abuse with serious injuries. Maintains existing mental health diversion options for eligible defendants with diagnosed mental disorders. Requires regular progress reports from treatment providers to courts during the diversion period.

Authorizes emergency physicians to initiate involuntary mental health holds in California hospitals. Provides legal immunity to emergency physicians when detaining patients for mental health evaluation. Requires counties to include emergency physicians in their mental health detention training programs. Maintains existing training and approval requirements for all professionals who can initiate mental health holds.

Establishes automatic eligibility for mental health services for high-risk individuals experiencing homelessness or leaving jail. Requires counties to provide comprehensive behavioral health services including housing and substance use treatment. Prohibits denying mental health services to patients solely due to substance use disorders. Mandates licensed clinician approval and documentation for all program enrollments.

Authorizes counties to develop specialized crisis response procedures for mental health mobile crisis teams. Enables mobile crisis teams to better handle emergencies involving people with developmental disabilities or autism. Expands the scope of county behavioral health services without requiring additional funding.

Expands the use of state hospital patient Benefit Funds to include welfare services, in addition to existing education and entertainment purposes. Requires hospital administrators to provide written notifications to patients and patient groups about new ways Benefit Funds can be used. Mandates annual reporting to the Legislature by August 15th detailing how each state hospital spent their Benefit Funds in the previous fiscal year. Maintains existing patient protections requiring consent and input from patient government before spending Benefit Fund money.

Expands the Second Chance Program to include drug courts and mental health services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Requires public agencies to lead grant proposals in partnership with community organizations. Prioritizes funding for programs that combine housing assistance with mental health and substance treatment. Establishes a diverse steering committee to oversee grant distribution and program effectiveness.

Streamlines the CARE Court process by allowing initial hearings to occur simultaneously with preliminary case reviews. Requires county behavioral health agencies to submit detailed evaluation reports within 14 court days. Strengthens privacy protections by making behavioral health reports confidential and inadmissible in future proceedings. Mandates legal representation for individuals in CARE Court proceedings through qualified legal services or public defenders.

Expands mental health diversion programs by requiring courts to link mental disorders to criminal offenses. Replaces vague safety standards with clear criteria for evaluating if defendants can be treated in the community. Limits diversion periods to two years for felonies and one year for misdemeanors. Strengthens privacy protections for mental health records after successful program completion.