Who Can Write a (5150) Hold
Other CA Counties

Butte

THIS INFORMATION CAN CHANGE–for accuracy please check with each County

The Director of Butte County Department of Behavioral Health will grant authority to those individuals who have successfully completed, and received certification, through the Department‘s Involuntary Hold Training Program. The Director, in limited circumstances, may also grant the authority to initiate a 5150 application for involuntary hold to individuals identified as professional persons in charge, and/or their designees, of a local organization/facility that provide 24 hour mental health treatment and evaluation services.

Attending staff at designated psychiatric facilities automatically have this authority under the law.

The Director has discretion to waive training requirements in special circumstances.

5150 Designee:

• A licensed mental health professional who has completed a County authorized 5150 Certification Training, successfully passed the 5150 examination and who holds a current certification;
• BCDBH Facility staff who hold current certification, or attending staff at out-of-county 5150 designated facilities utilized by the county Mental Health Plan;
• Staff of the BCDBH mobile crisis team who hold a current certification;
• Other designated staff appointed by the Director who hold a current certification. Designees are authorized to hold the privilege, within the scope of their employment and/or certification, to access and complete a 5150 application.

5150 Designee Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensed Physician
• Licensed Clinical Psychologist
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Marriage Family Therapist
• Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP)
• Registered Nurse, recognized by the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) with the designation Psychiatric/Mental Health (RN, PMH)
• BCDBH mobile crisis team members/supervisors
• Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) staff “Professional Persons in Charge”: Individuals in identified classifications in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 9, sections 623, 624, 625, 626, and 627, that includes: psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, & registered nurses.

Revocation of the 5150 designation is at the discretion of the Director, or his designee. Authority to write 5150 applications may be revoked for any reason deemed appropriate by the Director, including but not limited to circumstances where the privilege is used inappropriately or contrary to the standards provided in the training or by California law.

The County Board of Supervisors has authorized the following persons and organizations to involuntarily detain individuals:

• All sworn peace officers for the County and cities within Madera County, including the California Highway Patrol. (These folks automatically have authority under the law).
• Licensed and/or designated crisis response personnel of Madera County Behavioral Health Services.

Evaluation Requests: Madera County Behavioral Health Services will respond to requests for crisis evaluations to designated medical and correctional facilities within one hour of request of evaluation. Non-adherence to this standard might occur based on Madera County Behavioral Health staff being currently engaged in a crisis evaluation. Madera County Behavioral Health Services will track compliance to this standard and will work to ameliorate impediments as possible.

• During traditional business hours (8am –5pm), Madera County Behavioral Health Services can be contacted directly for requests for crisis evaluations.
• During non-traditional hours (after 5pm, weekends, and holidays), Madera County Behavioral Health Services will maintain, through a contractual agreement, a Crisis Response hot line.

Evaluation Requests: Crisis staff are required to be at the Emergency Room within forty-five (45) minutes of receiving a call for evaluation.