Appendix

Mental Health Department Contact Information

Regional Providers Contact Information

Covid Guidelines

References

Important Legislation:    *View the bill by clicking on the links below.

AB 2099= 5150 holds, A copy of the application shall be treated as the original. (signed into law 2018)

 AB 1194= Stipulates that the application under 5150 of the (W&I) Code must indicate whether the historical course of a person’s mental disorder was considered in the determination of whether to take the person into custody. (signed into law 2015)

 AB 2983= If a person is willing to accept services willingly and voluntarily, they should NOT be placed on, or admitted under, an involuntary 5150 hold (and suffer the potential life-time stigma of that designation, lose their right to bear arms, etc). (signed into law 2018, amending Health & Safety Code 1317(f))

AB 1976 (Eggman, D-Stockton), would amend the bill known as Laura’s Law, making it permanent and requiring all counties to implement the program, unless they formally opt out of doing so. The original 2002 law authorized counties to start programs to provide intensive assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) to people suffering from severe mental illness and enabled judges to order treatment for those who declined to accept offered services.  (signed into law 2020)

SB 855 (Wiener, D-San Francisco), would require commercial health insurers to pay for medically necessary treatment of any behavioral health or substance use disorder listed in the DSM-5. (signed into law 2020)

SB 803 (Beall, D-San Jose), would require the state to establish statewide requirements for certifying peer support specialists –people with personal experience with the mental health system who are trained to support and assist others who are going through mental health challenges. Counties that choose to do so would be responsible for implementing and managing the program and could access federal funds to partially cover the cost of employing peers, helping expand the workforce of people who can respond to the state’s mental health crisis. (signed into law 2020)

AB 1766 (Bloom, D-Santa Monica), would require the state Department of Social Services report the number of board-and-care homes that serve low-income Californians living with a severe mental illness, track their closures, and notify county behavioral health departments within three days of receiving notice that an operator plans to close a home. (signed into law 2020)

AB 890 (Wood, D-Santa Rosa), would allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to work to the full scope of their license by expanding their ability to treat patients, including those affected by mental health challenges, without a physician’s supervision. California today is the only western state that restricts NPs from practicing without physician oversight. (signed into law 2020)
 
AB 2112 (Ramos, D-Highland), would create within the Department of Public Health an Office of Suicide Prevention to advise the state and regional partners on best practices for suicide prevention. (signed into law 2020)