Representation of Consumers at Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitals

Patients’ Rights Advocates meet with consumers at psychiatric hospitals within Shasta County and represent patients who are involuntarily detained on mental health holds. The Advocate interviews and prepares consumers for their certification review hearings. The Patients’ Rights Advocate’s role is to represent the expressed interests of the consumer at the certification review hearings. The certification review hearings determine if the psychiatric hospital has sufficient cause to hold the consumer without the consumer’s consent. Patients’ Rights Advocates also provide information about the legal rights of the consumer while they are on an involuntary hold at inpatient psychiatric hospitals.

Patients in mental health facilities are guaranteed the following rights:

Undeniable Rights

• Right to least restrictive treatment services
• Right to dignity, privacy, and humane care
• Right to be free from harm
• Right to prompt medical treatment
• Right to religious freedom
• Right to education
• Right to social interaction
• Right to physical exercise and recreation
• Right to be free from seclusion and restraint unless behavior becomes dangerous to the patient or others
• Right to see and receive the services of an advocate.

The following rights can be denied with good cause. Good cause exists when exercising a right could cause injury, serious infringement to the rights of others, or serious damage to the facility, and there is no less restrictive alternative.

• Right to wear one's own clothing
• Right to personal possessions
• Right to keep and spend money
• Right to reasonable access to individual storage space
• Right to see visitors each day
• Right to reasonable access to the phone
• Right to access letter-writing materials
• Right to mail and receive unopened mail.

Public Hearing

Under Welfare & Institutions Code 5118, all hearings are private and confidential unless the consumer requests a public hearing. Hearings are held Monday/Thursday at 1:00 pm and Tuesday/Friday at 11:00 am. If the consumer elects to have a public hearing, the meeting information below will be utilized to allow for the hearing to be open to the public. Recordings of these proceedings are prohibited under the California Rules of Court.

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

https://meet.goto.com/798100205

You can also dial in using your phone.

Access Code: 798-100-205

United States: +1 (669) 224-3412

Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://meet.goto.com/install