CHAPTER 1. Voluntary Admissions to Mental Hospitals and Institutions [6000. - 6008.]

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC 1.
in effect

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6000. Section 6000.

(a) Pursuant to applicable rules and regulations established by the State Department of State Hospitals or the State Department of Developmental Services, the medical director of a state hospital may receive in that hospital, as a boarder and patient, a person who is a suitable person for care and treatment in that hospital, upon receipt of a written application for the admission of the person into the hospital for care and treatment made in accordance with the following requirements: (1) In the case of an adult, the application shall be made voluntarily by the person, at a time when he or she is in a condition of mind as to render him or her competent to make it or, if he or she is a conservatee with a conservator of the person or person and estate who was appointed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5 with the right as specified by court order under Section 5358 to place his or her conservatee in a state hospital, by his or her conservator. (2) In the case of a minor, the application shall be made by his or her parents, or by the parent, guardian, conservator, or other person entitled to his or her custody to a mental hospital as may be designated by the Director of State Hospitals or the Director of Developmental Services to admit minors on voluntary applications. If the minor has a conservator of the person, or the person and the estate, appointed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5, with the right as specified by court order under Section 5358 to place the conservatee in a state hospital the application for the minor shall be made by his or her conservator. (b) A person received in a state hospital shall be deemed a voluntary patient. (c) Upon the admission of a voluntary patient to a state hospital the medical director shall immediately forward to the office of the State Department of State Hospitals or the State Department of Developmental Services the record of the voluntary patient, showing the name, residence, age, sex, place of birth, occupation, civil condition, date of admission of the patient to the hospital, and other information as required by the rules and regulations of the department. (d) The charges for the care and keeping of a person with a mental health disorder in a state hospital shall be governed by the provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 7275) of Chapter 3 of Division 7 relating to the charges for the care and keeping of persons with mental health disorders in state hospitals. (e) A voluntary adult patient may leave the hospital or institution at any time by giving notice of his or her desire to leave to a member of the hospital staff and completing normal hospitalization departure procedures. A conservatee may leave in a like manner if notice is given by his or her conservator. (f) A minor who is a voluntary patient may leave the hospital or institution after completing normal hospitalization departure procedures after notice is given to the superintendent or person in charge by the parents, or the parent, guardian, conservator, or other person entitled to the custody of the minor, of their desire to remove him or her from the hospital. (g) No person received into a state hospital, private mental institution, or county psychiatric hospital as a voluntary patient during his or her minority shall be detained therein after he or she reaches the age of majority. A person, after attaining the age of majority, may apply for admission into the hospital or institution for care and treatment in the manner prescribed in this section for applications by an adult. (h) The State Department of State Hospitals or the State Department of Developmental Services shall establish rules and regulations necessary to carry out properly the provisions of this section. (i) Commencing July 1, 2012, the department shall not admit any person to a developmental center pursuant to this section.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6000.5. Section 6000.5.

Pursuant to Section 6000, the medical director of a state hospital for the developmentally disabled may receive in such hospital, as a boarder and patient, any developmentally disabled person as defined in Section 4512 who has been referred in accordance with Sections 4652, 4653, and 4803.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6001. Section 6001.

Admissions to the Langley Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute or to the Neuropsychiatric Institute, U.C.L.A. Medical Center, may be on a voluntary basis after approval by the medical superintendent of the clinic or institute, as the case may be.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002. Section 6002.

(a) The person in charge of a private institution, hospital, or clinic that is conducted for, or includes a department or unit conducted for, the care and treatment of persons who have mental health disorders may receive therein as a voluntary patient a person with a mental health disorder who is a suitable person for care and treatment in the institution, hospital, or clinic who voluntarily makes a written application to the person in charge for admission into the institution, hospital, or clinic and who is, at the time of making the application, mentally competent to make the application. A conservatee, with a conservator of the person, or person and estate, appointed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5, with the right as specified by court order under Section 5358 to place his conservatee, may be admitted upon written application by his or her conservator. (b) After the admission of a voluntary patient to a private institution, hospital, or clinic, the person in charge shall forward to the office of the State Department of State Hospitals a record of the voluntary patient showing all information required by rule by the department. (c) A voluntary adult patient may leave the hospital, clinic, or institution at any time by giving notice of his or her desire to leave to a member of the hospital staff and completing normal hospitalization departure procedures. A conservatee may leave in a like manner if notice is given by his or her conservator.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.10. Section 6002.10.

A facility licensed under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1250) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, to provide inpatient psychiatric treatment, excluding state hospitals and county hospitals, shall establish admission procedures for minors who meet the following criteria: (a) The minor is 14 years of age or older, and is under 18 years of age. (b) The minor is not legally emancipated. (c) The minor is not detained under Sections 5585.50 and 5585.53. (d) The minor is not voluntarily committed pursuant to Section 6552. (e) The minor has not been declared a dependent of the juvenile court pursuant to Section 300 or a ward of the court pursuant to Section 602. (f) The minor’s admitting diagnosis or condition is either of the following: (1) A mental health disorder only. Although resistance to treatment may be a product of a mental health disorder, the resistance shall not, in itself, imply the presence of a mental health disorder or constitute evidence that the minor meets the admission criteria. A minor shall not be considered to have a mental health disorder solely for exhibiting behaviors specified under Sections 601 and 602. (2) A mental health disorder and a substance abuse disorder.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.15. Section 6002.15.

(a) Prior to accepting the written authorization for treatment, the facility shall assure that a representative of the facility has given a full explanation of the treatment philosophy of the facility, including, where applicable, the use of seclusion and restraint, the use of medication, and the degree of involvement of family members in the minor’s treatment to the parent, guardian or other person entitled to the minor’s custody. This explanation shall be given orally and in writing, and shall be documented in the minor’s treatment record upon completion. (b) As part of the admission process, the professional person responsible for the minor’s admission shall affirm in writing that the minor meets the admission criteria as specified above. (c) Upon admission, a facility specified in Section 6002.10 shall do all of the following: (1) Inform the minor in writing of the availability of an independent clinical review of his or her further inpatient treatment. The notice shall be witnessed and signed by an appropriate representative of the facility. (2) Within one working day, notify the patients’ rights advocate, as defined in Article 2 (commencing with Section 5540) of Chapter 5.2, regarding the admission of the minor. (3) Provide all minors with a booklet promulgated by the State Department of Health Care Services outlining the specific rights of minors in mental health facilities. The booklet shall include the phone number of the local advocate and the hours that he or she may be reached.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.20. Section 6002.20.

(a) If the minor requests an independent clinical review of his or her continued inpatient treatment, the patients’ rights advocate shall be notified of the request, as soon as practical, but no later than one working day. The role of the advocate shall be to provide information and assistance to the minor relating to the minor’s right to obtain an independent clinical review to determine the appropriateness of placement within the facility. The advocate shall conduct his or her activities in a manner least disruptive to patient care in the facility. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, or expand, rights and responsibilities the advocate has pursuant to other provisions of law. (b) An independent review may be requested up to 10 days after admission. At any time the minor may rescind his or her request for a review.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.25. Section 6002.25.

The independent clinical review shall be conducted by a licensed psychiatrist with training and experience in treating psychiatric adolescent patients, who is a neutral party to the review, having no direct financial relationship with the treating clinician, nor a personal or financial relationship with the patient, or his or her parents or guardian. Nothing in this section shall prevent a psychiatrist affiliated with a health maintenance organization, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1373.10 of the Health and Safety Code, from providing the independent clinical review where the admitting, treating, and reviewing psychiatrists are affiliated with a health maintenance organization that predominantly serves members of a prepaid health care service plan. The independent clinical reviewer shall be assigned, on a rotating basis, from a list prepared by the facility, and submitted to the county behavioral health director prior to March 1, 1990, and annually thereafter, or more frequently when necessary. The county behavioral health director shall, on an annual basis, or at the request of the facility, review the facility’s list of independent clinical reviewers. The county behavioral health director shall approve or disapprove the list of reviewers within 30 days of submission. If there is no response from the county behavioral health director, the facility’s list shall be deemed approved. If the county behavioral health director disapproves one or more of the persons on the list of reviewers, the county behavioral health director shall notify the facility in writing of the reasons for the disapproval. The county behavioral health director, in consultation with the facility, may develop a list of one or more additional reviewers within 30 days. The final list shall be mutually agreeable to the county behavioral health director and the facility. Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, shall not be construed to prohibit the treatment of minors prior to the existence of an approved list of independent clinical reviewers. The independent clinical reviewer may be an active member of the medical staff of the facility who has no direct financial relationship, including, but not limited to, an employment or other contract arrangement with the facility except for compensation received for the service of providing clinical reviews.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.30. Section 6002.30.

(a) All reasonably available clinical information which is relevant to establishing whether the minor meets the admission criteria pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 6002.35 shall be considered by the psychiatrist conducting the review. In considering the information presented, the psychiatrist conducting the review shall privately interview the minor, and shall consult the treating clinician to review alternative treatment options which may be suitable for the minor’s mental disorder. (b) If the minor has received medication while an inpatient, the person conducting the review shall be informed of that fact and of the probable effects of the medication. The person presenting the clinical information in favor of inpatient treatment shall also inform the psychiatrist conducting the review of the proposed treatment plan for the minor, and, if known, whether the minor has had any previous independent clinical review at any facility, and the results of that service. (c) The standard of review shall be whether the minor continues to have a mental disorder, whether further inpatient treatment is reasonably likely to be beneficial to the minor’s mental disorder, or whether the placement in the facility represents the least restrictive, most appropriate available setting, within the constraints of reasonably available services, facilities, resources, and financial support, in which to treat the minor. (d) The review shall take place within five days of the request. (e) At the review, the minor shall have the right to be present, to be assisted by the advocate, and to question persons recommending inpatient treatment. If the minor is unwilling to attend, the review shall be held in his or her absence with the advocate representing the minor. (f) The location of the independent clinical review shall be compatible with, and least disruptive of, the treatment being provided to the minor. Independent clinical reviews shall be conducted at the facility where the minor is treated. The review shall be situated in a location which ensures privacy. (g) The independent clinical review shall be held in an informal setting so as to minimize the anxiety of both parents and minors and promote cooperation and communication among all interested parties. All parties shall make a reasonable effort to speak in terms the minor can understand and shall explain any terminology with which he or she may not be familiar. (h) The review may be closed to anyone other than the minor, his or her parents or legal guardian, a representative of the facility, the minor’s advocate, the psychiatrist conducting the review and the person presenting information in favor of, or opposition to, the inpatient treatment. The person conducting the review shall have discretion to limit the number of participants and shall keep participants to the minimum time necessary to relate the needed information. (i) No party shall have legal representation in the review process. (j) If any of the parties to the independent clinical review do not comprehend the language used at the independent clinical review, it shall be the responsibility of the psychiatrist conducting the independent clinical review to retain an interpreter.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.35. Section 6002.35.

(a) It shall be the responsibility of the psychiatrist conducting the independent clinical review to keep a record of the proceeding. (b) After considering all the clinical information, the psychiatrist conducting the review shall render a binding decision. If he or she determines that further inpatient treatment is reasonably likely to be beneficial to the minor’s disorder and placement in the facility represents the least restrictive, most appropriate available setting in which to treat the minor, the minor’s inpatient treatment shall be authorized. (c) If the psychiatrist conducting the review determines that the admission criteria have been met, this determination shall terminate when the minor is discharged from the facility. (d) If the psychiatrist conducting the clinical review determines that further inpatient treatment in the facility is not reasonably likely to be beneficial to the minor’s mental disorder or does not represent the least restrictive, most appropriate available setting in which to treat the minor, the minor shall be released from the facility to a custodial parent or guardian on the same day the determination was made. Except as provided in Section 43.92 of the Civil Code, upon the minor’s release, neither the attending psychiatrist, any licensed health professional providing treatment to the minor in the facility, the psychiatrist who releases the minor pursuant to this section, nor the facility in which the minor was admitted or treated shall be civilly or criminally liable for any conduct of the released minor, a parent, legal guardian, or other persons entitled to custody of the minor.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6002.40. Section 6002.40.

(a) For any insurance contracts entered into after January 1, 1990, where any private insurer, certified medical plan, or private health service plan is liable to pay or reimburse a professional provider or institutional provider for the costs of medically necessary mental health services provided to the patient, the costs of the clinical review required by Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, including, but not limited to, the costs of the interpreter, if any, and the costs of the patients’ rights advocate, shall be borne by the insurer, certified medical plan, or the health service plan. Payments to providers for the costs of the independent clinical review shall be made promptly. For Medi-Cal eligible patients placed in these private facilities, the costs of the clinical review required by Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, including the costs of the patients rights advocate, shall be borne by the county. (b) The Legislature intends that Sections 6002.10 to 6002.40, inclusive, affect only the rights of minors confined in private mental health facilities on the consent of their parents or guardians, where the costs of treatment are paid or reimbursed by a private insurer or private health service plan. (c) Mental health facilities shall summarize on an annual basis, information including, but not limited to, the number of minors admitted by diagnosis, length of stay, and source of payment, the number of requests for an independent clinical review by diagnosis, source of payment, and outcome of the independent clinical review and submit this information to the State Department of Health Care Services. The State Department of Public Health shall monitor compliance of this section during an inspection of the facility pursuant to Sections 1278 and 1279 of the Health and Safety Code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6004. Section 6004.

The superintendent or person in charge of the county psychiatric hospital may receive, care for, or treat in the hospital any person who voluntarily makes a written application to the superintendent or person in charge thereof for admission into the hospital for care, treatment, or observation, and who is a suitable person for care, treatment, or observation, and who in the case of an adult person is in such condition of mind, at the time of making application for admission, as to render him competent to make such application. In the case of a minor person, the application shall be made by his parents, or by the parent, guardian, or other person entitled to his custody. A conservatee, with a conservator of the person, or person and estate, appointed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5, with the right as specified by court order under Section 5358 to place his conservatee, may be admitted upon written application by his conservator.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6005. Section 6005.

A voluntary adult patient may leave the hospital or institution at any time by giving notice of his desire to leave to any member of the hospital staff and completing normal hospitalization departure procedures. A conservatee may leave in a like manner if notice is given by his conservator. A minor person who is a voluntary patient may leave the hospital or institution after completing normal hospitalization departure procedures after notice is given to the superintendent or person in charge by the parents, or the parent, guardian, or other person entitled to the custody of the minor, of their desire to remove him from the hospital.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6006. Section 6006.

A person admitted as a voluntary patient to a state hospital, a private mental institution, or a county psychiatric hospital shall have the following rights in addition to the right to leave such hospital as specified in this chapter: (a) He shall receive such care and treatment as his condition requires for the full period that he is a patient; (b) He shall have the full patient rights specified in Article 7 (commencing with Section 5325) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 5 of this code.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6007. Section 6007.

(a) Any person detained pursuant to this section shall be evaluated by the facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to Section 5150 as a facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation. The evaluation shall be made at the request of the person in charge of the private institution in which the person is detained or by one of the physicians who signed the certificate. If in the opinion of the professional person in charge of the evaluation and treatment facility or his or her designee, the evaluation of the person can be made by the professional person or his or her designee at the private institution in which the person is detained, the person shall not be required to be evaluated at the evaluation and treatment facility, but shall be evaluated at the private institution to determine if the person is a danger to others, himself or herself, or gravely disabled as a result of mental disorder. (b) Any person evaluated under this section shall be released from the private institution immediately upon completion of the evaluation if in the opinion of the professional person in charge of the evaluation and treatment facility, or his or her designee, the person evaluated is not a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or gravely disabled as a result of mental disorder, unless the person agrees voluntarily to remain in the private institution. (c) If in the opinion of the professional person in charge of the facility or his or her designee, the person evaluated requires intensive treatment or recommendation for conservatorship, the professional person or his or her designee shall proceed under Article 4 (commencing with Section 5250) of Chapter 2, or under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350), of Part 1 of Division 5.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 6008. Section 6008.

For the purposes of this part, a person who is a conservatee with a conservator of the person or of the person and estate appointed under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5 with the right as specified by court order under Section 5358 to place his conservatee in a hospital of the United States government, may be admitted to such a hospital upon written application made by his conservator. A conservatee so admitted to such a hospital may leave the hospital at any time after his conservator gives notice to a member of the hospital staff that the conservatee is leaving and normal hospitalization departure procedures are completed by the conservator or by the conservator and conservatee.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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