Mental Health

This pub is about people who are “incompetent to stand trial.” “Incompetent to stand trial” means you cannot understand the legal proceedings or help your lawyer. This pub tells you when a court can force you to take medication. It tells you about the court process. It tells you how often a court reviews a decision to force you to take medication.

This pub tells you about advance directives for health care. You decide what to do about your health care before you cannot make your own decisions. You can say whom you want to make decisions for you. It is binding on health care workers.

This pub tells you about your rights in a “board and care.” It tells you what to do if you think the “board and care” violated your rights. It tells you about your evictions rights. It tells you what to do if you get an eviction notice from your “board and care.”

This handout outlines the methods of obtaining access to the courts for persons subject to mental health commitments under the Lanterman-PetrisShort (LPS) Act.

This pub is for people on a Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act hold. It tells you about your right to consent to medication. In an emergency, someone else decides if you have to take medication. When a court decides you are not able to consent, someone else decides for you. This pub tells you about the law.

This pub tells you about “not guilty by reason of insanity.” “Not guilty by reason of insanity” means you did not know or understand your actions when you committed a crime. It also can mean you could not tell right from wrong when you committed a crime. This pub tells you where you will live until your sanity is “restored.” It tells you about your rights.

This pub describes “Individual Mental Health Rehabilitation Services.” You can get them from Medi-Cal. They help you move out of a facility into the community. They can help you stay in the community. It tells you what to do if you cannot get a service you need.

This pub describes your right to have mental health services in the language you understand. It tells you how to get an interpreter and get your records translated. It tells you what to do if you cannot get an interpreter or translation.

This pub tells you about the process for a “Lanterman-Petris Short Act” or LPS hearing. This type of hearing decides whether you are gravely disabled and have a mental disorder. The pub helps you understand what happens in the courtroom. It tells you what to do if you lose your hearing.

This pub tells you about funding for mental health services. It tells you where the money comes from. It tells you about the services you can get.

This pub tells you about your rights when you are “incompetent to stand trial.” “Incompetent to stand trial” means you cannot understand the legal proceedings or help your lawyer. It tells you how long you will have to stay in a hospital. It tells you how often the court reviews your case.

We call people with mental health disabilities in the criminal justice system the forensic mental health population. Sometimes we treat them like civilly committed people. At other times like criminals. This publication tells you about the five main types of forensic commitments. It tells you about your rights. It is a guide for patients, advocates and lawyers.

This pub tells you about electroconvulsive treatment or ECT. The pub tells you what ECT is. It tells you when it is given and what your rights are to refuse it.