Unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions shall govern the construction of this part:

(a) “Evaluation” consists of multidisciplinary professional analyses of a person’s medical, psychological, educational, social, financial, and legal conditions as may appear to constitute a problem. Persons providing evaluation services shall be properly qualified professionals and may be full-time employees of an agency providing face-to-face, which includes telehealth, evaluation services or may be part-time employees or may be employed on a contractual basis.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b) “Court-ordered evaluation” means an evaluation ordered by a superior court pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 5200) or by a superior court pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 5225) of Chapter 2.

(c) “Intensive treatment” consists of such hospital and other services as may be indicated. Intensive treatment shall be provided by properly qualified professionals and carried out in facilities qualifying for reimbursement under the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal) set forth in Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9, or under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act and regulations thereunder. Intensive treatment may be provided in hospitals of the United States government by properly qualified professionals. This part does not prohibit an intensive treatment facility from also providing 72-hour evaluation and treatment.

(d) “Referral” is referral of persons by each agency or facility providing assessment, evaluation, crisis intervention, or treatment services to other agencies or individuals. The purpose of referral shall be to provide for continuity of care, and may include, but need not be limited to, informing the person of available services, making appointments on the person’s behalf, discussing the person’s problem with the agency or individual to which the person has been referred, appraising the outcome of referrals, and arranging for personal escort and transportation when necessary. Referral shall be considered complete when the agency or individual to whom the person has been referred accepts responsibility for providing the necessary services. All persons shall be advised of available precare services that prevent initial recourse to hospital treatment or aftercare services that support adjustment to community living following hospital treatment. These services may be provided through county or city mental health departments, state hospitals under the jurisdiction of the State Department of State Hospitals, regional centers under contract with the State Department of Developmental Services, or other public or private entities.

Each agency or facility providing evaluation services shall maintain a current and comprehensive file of all community services, both public and private. These files shall contain current agreements with agencies or individuals accepting referrals, as well as appraisals of the results of past referrals.

(e) “Crisis intervention” consists of an interview or series of interviews within a brief period of time, conducted by qualified professionals, and designed to alleviate personal or family situations that present a serious and imminent threat to the health or stability of the person or the family. The interview or interviews may be conducted in the home of the person or family, or on an inpatient or outpatient basis with such therapy, or other services, as may be appropriate. The interview or interviews may include family members, significant support persons, providers, or other entities or individuals, as appropriate and as authorized by law. Crisis intervention may, as appropriate, include suicide prevention, psychiatric, welfare, psychological, legal, or other social services.

(f) “Prepetition screening” is a screening of all petitions for court-ordered evaluation as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 5200) of Chapter 2, consisting of a professional review of all petitions; an interview with the petitioner and, whenever possible, the person alleged, as a result of a mental health disorder, to be a danger to others, or to themselves, or to be gravely disabled, to assess the problem and explain the petition; when indicated, efforts to persuade the person to receive, on a voluntary basis, comprehensive evaluation, crisis intervention, referral, and other services specified in this part.

(g) “Conservatorship investigation” means investigation by an agency appointed or designated by the governing body of cases in which conservatorship is recommended pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350).

(h) (1) For purposes of Article 1 (commencing with Section 5150), Article 2 (commencing with Section 5200), Article 3 (commencing with Section 5225), and Article 4 (commencing with Section 5250) of Chapter 2, and for the purposes of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350), “gravely disabled” means any of the following, as applicable:

(A) A condition in which a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, a severe substance use disorder, or a co-occurring mental health disorder and a severe substance use disorder, is unable to provide for their basic personal needs for food, clothing, shelter, personal safety, or necessary medical care.

(B) A condition in which a person has been found mentally incompetent under § 1370 of the Penal Code and all of the following facts exist:

(i) The complaint, indictment, or information pending against the person at the time of commitment charges a felony involving death, great bodily harm, or a serious threat to the physical well-being of another person.

(ii) There has been a finding of probable cause on a complaint pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of § 1368.1 of the Penal Code, a preliminary examination pursuant to Section 859b of the Penal Code, or a grand jury indictment, and the complaint, indictment, or information has not been dismissed.

(iii) As a result of a mental health disorder, the person is unable to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings taken against them and to assist counsel in the conduct of their defense in a rational manner.

(iv) The person represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others by reason of a mental disease, defect, or disorder.

(2) For purposes of Article 3 (commencing with Section 5225) and Article 4 (commencing with Section 5250), of Chapter 2, and for the purposes of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350), “gravely disabled” includes a condition in which a person, as a result of impairment by chronic alcoholism, is unable to provide for their basic personal needs for food, clothing, shelter, personal safety, or necessary medical care.

(3) The term “gravely disabled” does not include persons with intellectual disabilities by reason of that disability alone.

(4) A county, by adoption of a resolution of its governing body, may elect to defer implementation of the changes made to this section by Senate Bill 43 of the 2022-2023 Regular Legislative Session until January 1, 2026.

(i) “Peace officer” means a duly sworn peace officer as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code who has completed the basic training course established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or any parole officer or probation officer specified in § 830.5 of the Penal Code when acting in relation to cases for which the officer has a legally mandated responsibility.

(j) “Postcertification treatment” means an additional period of treatment pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 5300) of Chapter 2.

(k) “Court,” unless otherwise specified, means a court of record.

(l) “Antipsychotic medication” means any medication customarily prescribed for the treatment of symptoms of psychoses and other severe mental and emotional disorders.

(m) “Emergency” means a situation in which action to impose treatment over the person’s objection is immediately necessary for the preservation of life or the prevention of serious bodily harm to the patient or others, and it is impracticable to first gain consent. It is not necessary for harm to take place or become unavoidable prior to treatment.

(n) “Designated facility” or “facility designated by the county for evaluation and treatment” means a facility that is licensed or certified as a mental health treatment facility or a hospital, as defined in subdivision (a) or (b) of § 1250 of the Health and Safety Code, by the State Department of Public Health, and may include, but is not limited to, a licensed psychiatric hospital, a licensed psychiatric health facility, and a certified crisis stabilization unit.

(o) “Severe substance use disorder” means a diagnosed substance-related disorder that meets the diagnostic criteria of “severe” as defined in the most current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

(p) “Personal safety” means the ability of one to survive safely in the community without involuntary detention or treatment pursuant to this part.

(q) “Necessary medical care” means care that a licensed health care practitioner, while operating within the scope of their practice, determines to be necessary to prevent serious deterioration of an existing physical medical condition which, if left untreated, is likely to result in serious bodily injury as defined in Section 15610.67.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 637, Sec. 2. (SB 43) Effective January 1, 2024.)