2011 California Code
Welfare and Institutions Code
DIVISION 5. COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES [5000 - 5912]
ARTICLE 1. Detention of Mentally Disordered Persons for Evaluation and Treatment
Section 5151

If the facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation admits the person, it may detain him or her for evaluation and treatment for a period not to exceed 72 hours. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays may be excluded from the 72-hour period if the Department of Mental Health certifies for each facility that evaluation and treatment services cannot reasonably be made available on those days. The certification by the department is subject to renewal every two years. The department shall adopt regulations defining criteria for determining whether a facility can reasonably be expected to make evaluation and treatment services available on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Prior to admitting a person to the facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation pursuant to Section 5150, the professional person in charge of the facility or his or her designee shall assess the individual in person to determine the appropriateness of the involuntary detention.

If in the judgment of the professional person in charge of the facility providing evaluation and treatment, or his or her designee, the person can be properly served without being detained, he or she shall be provided evaluation, crisis intervention, or other inpatient or outpatient services on a voluntary basis.

Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prevent a peace officer from delivering individuals to a designated facility for assessment under Section 5150. Furthermore, the preadmission assessment requirement of this section shall not be interpreted to require peace officers to perform any additional duties other than those specified in Sections 5150.1 and 5150.2.

(Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 323, Sec. 1.)