To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Behavioral Health
Agenda Section: Time Certain Matter
SUBJECT:
title
10:00 AM - Presentation on Department of Health and Human Services - Behavioral Health Sempervirens
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive the Providence St. Joseph Hospital Humboldt County presentation on 5150 Impacts to Local Emergency Departments;
2. Receive the Department of Health and Human Services - Behavioral Health's presentation on Sempervirens, services, structure and community mental health crisis response; and
3. Discuss potential grant funding for staff to support patients showing signs of mental health crisis in emergency departments, and options for its use.
4. Direct the Department of Health and Human Services on next steps to take regarding potential funding.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Behavioral Health Fund
DISCUSSION:
5150 is the number of the section of the Welfare and Institutions Code which allows a person with a psychiatric crisis to be involuntarily detained for a 72-hour psychiatric hospitalization. Individuals in psychiatric crisis are taken to local hospital emergency departments to be medically cleared prior to assessment and potential admission to Sempervirens, a sixteen bed, acute psychiatric hospital licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services and administered by the Department of Health and Human Services ("DHHS") Behavioral Health ("BH") Branch.
Practice changes made prior to and during COVID regarding medical clearance along with an increase in those presenting in mental health crisis and a lack of adequate placement resources statewide, have strained behavioral health crisis care, with impacts on local hospitals, law enforcement, DHHS, clients and the overall community. Presentations by Providence and DHHS on the impact of psychiatric crises/5150s on emergency departments and Sempervirens will provide background and context for your Board.
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