Civil Commitments
People who come to a California state hospital through a civil commitment are individuals who require physically secure 24-hour care that is not available through a community programs. They have been found by the court to be a danger to themselves or others, or unable to provide for their own basic needs because of a mental illness.
In California the process by which someone is civilly committed to a state hospital is described in the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act. The act requires that the person being committed is a danger to himself or others for successive periods of time and that a judicial review is conducted.Treatment for Civil Commitments
Our treatment program provides services for adults who have been civilly committed or voluntarily committed by a guardian. Patients each have an individual treatment care plan and attend the treatment mall every weekday. The primary focus of treatment mall programs is to prepare patients to return to the community. Groups help patients learn how to manage their symptoms and medications, develop coping and recreational skills, budget and manage their money, and plan and prepare meals. Community reintegration is the focus of group trips to community settings. Separate programs provide educational support, psychotherapy and help for alcohol and drug abuse. The civil commitment treatment program has units at Department of State Hospitals-Napa in Northern California and at Department of State Hospitals-Metropolitan in Norwalk in Southern California.