ELIGIBILITY

If you have mental illness or symptoms of mental illness and you cannot be safely treated at a lower level of care, and, because of the mental illness or symptoms of mental illness, you: 

• Represent a current danger to yourself or others, or significant property destruction 

• Are prevented from providing for or using food, clothing or shelter 

• Present a severe risk to your physical health 

• Have a recent, significant deterioration in ability to function, and 

• Need psychiatric evaluation, medication treatment, or other treatment that can only be provided in the hospital. 

 

Voluntary admission

An individual agrees to go into and/or stay in the hospital. 

 

Involuntary admission 

Hospitals may keep an individual for up to 72 hours without their permission. Hospitals can do this when the hospital thinks you are likely to harm yourself or someone else and that you are unable to take care of your own food, housing and clothing needs. The hospital will tell you in writing what they are doing and what your rights are. If doctors think you need to stay for more than 72 hours, you have the right to a lawyer and a hearing before a judge. The hospital will tell you how to ask for this. 

 

ACCESSING INPATIENT SERVICES

An emergency is a serious mental or emotional problem such as: 

• When a person is a danger to himself, herself, or others because of what seems like a mental illness, or 

• When a person cannot get or use the food, shelter, or clothing they need because of what seems like a mental illness.

 

In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or take the person to a hospital emergency room. 

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PATIENTS’ RIGHTS & PRIVACY 

Whenever an individual is involuntarily detained in a hospital setting, California law affords specific legal protections and the availability of a knowledgeable advocate to speak on behalf of the detained consumer.  A Consumers Self-Help Patients' Rights advocate will present the expressed interests of the client in Certification Review hearings and various other legal procedures which may occur routinely or which are requested by the client. Whenever a client in the local system feels their rights are being infringed upon or even denied, that consumer can request review of the instance and a thorough investigation will be done. 

 

Patient’s Rights Advocates are available for assistance in completing forms and resolving a Grievance, Appeal, and State Fair Hearing. A Patient’s Rights Advocate can also help with questions about your rights.

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For assistance: 

• Call the Sacramento County Mental Health Plan’s 24-hour, toll-free phone number (888) 881-4881. 

• You may also call the Patient’s Right Advocate (916) 333-3800. 

• If that does not solve your problem, you may call the State of California’s Ombudsman for help:

Phone

(800) 896-4042 - CA Only

(916) 654-3890 

(800) 896-2512 TTY

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Fax

(916) 653-9194

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Email

ombudsman@dmh.ca.gov