5978.1. (Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 640, Sec. 8.)

(a) For purposes of this section, “facility” means a facility that provides assessment, evaluation, and crisis intervention pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 5150, or a designated facility as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 5008.

(b) A facility may refer an individual treated under an involuntary hold pursuant to Articles 1 to 4.7, inclusive, and Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of this Division to the county behavioral health agency of the county in which the individual resides, or the county in which the individual is receiving involuntary treatment, if they believe that the individual meets or is likely to meet criteria to qualify for the CARE process, as described in Section 5972.

(1) Referrals pursuant to this section shall be authorized by a licensed behavioral health professional, employed, by or contracted by the facility, who has knowledge of the individual’s case and has been involved in the individual’s treatment during their involuntary hold. Documentation of the authority for a referral pursuant to this paragraph shall be signed by the licensed behavioral health professional or their designee.

(2) If the facility chooses to make a referral pursuant to subdivision (b), the facility shall make the referral pursuant to this section as soon as clinically indicated as part of the individual’s discharge planning process.

(3) The facility referral shall include contact information for the referred individual, including a telephone number and address, if available, and other information as specified by the department.

(c) Within 14 business days of the referral by the facility, the county behavioral health agency shall complete assessment of the individual referred pursuant to this section and shall file a petition pursuant to Section 5975 if the county behavioral health agency determines that the individual meets or is likely to meet criteria for the CARE process and the individual does not engage in voluntary treatment.

(d) In accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 5984, the department shall develop a referral form to be used by the facility and issue guidance regarding the following:

(1) The procedure for a facility to refer an individual to a county behavioral health agency pursuant to this section.

(2) County behavioral health agency data reporting requirements regarding referrals made pursuant to this section include, but are not limited to, total referrals, outcomes of referrals, reason for not filing a petition, length of time from referral to outcome, and services provided for those engaged voluntarily.

(e) The department shall include data regarding referrals made pursuant to this section as part of the annual CARE Act report required by Section 5985.

(f) This section does not authorize a facility to continue an involuntary hold on a referred individual who no longer meets the criteria for involuntary treatment solely for the purpose of allowing the county behavioral health agency to complete its assessment pursuant to subdivision (b).

(g) This section does not affect the ability of a facility to make a referral for assisted outpatient treatment pursuant to Section 5346.