Mental Health

The Pandemic on Mental Health

Persons with severe Mental Illness

Ambiguity on a 5150 hold

(a) When a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled, a peace officer, professional person in charge of a facility designated by the county for evaluation and treatment, member of the attending staff, as defined by regulation, of a facility designated by the county for evaluation and treatment, designated members of a mobile crisis team, or professional person designated by the county may, upon probable cause, take, or cause to be taken, the person into custody for a period of up to 72 hours for assessment, evaluation, and crisis intervention, or placement for evaluation and treatment in a facility designated by the county for evaluation and treatment and approved by the State Department of Health Care Services. At a minimum, assessment, as defined in Section 5150.4, and evaluation, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 5008, shall be conducted and provided on an ongoing basis. Crisis intervention, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 5008, may be provided concurrently with assessment, evaluation, or any other service.

The definition for gravely is up to interpretation and has caused arguments between family members and the police and while this is a state law, each county has a lawyer that gives guidance on the interpretation. If a person is mentally ill and is suicidal then they are danger to themselves and if a person runs into traffic, then they are danger to others. In Ventura County if a person makes verbal threats or assaults anyone, they are committing a crime which takes precedence over "danger to others". Victims only have two choices of pressing charges or not. Many times, family members choose not which at times is met with dire consequence. Police must use their discretion when putting someone on a hold and the person who writes up the hold is held accountable.

In some instances, hitting yourself repeatedly can be seen as an act a regression and may not follow under "danger to himself/herself" unless they are inflicting self-harm that can lead to death.

Lack of Inpatient Beds

When a person is put on a 72 hour hold the clock starts ticking and the hospital staff have to find a bed available. In If a person is taken to St. John's Hospital, then the hospital will most likely place them the first available bed that is available. That can be as far as Bakersfield or any location that has a bed available.Unlike Ventura County Hospital, St. John Hospital does not have a mental health ward and they are looking for funding to have one. If the hold runs out then by law the patient must be let go and the whole cycle starts over again.

Mental Health for Community