Kevin
August 28, 2021
Common Questions
Do you know the definition of 5150? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the police code 5150, including its definition, usage, and more!
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According to FERC, a 5150 is a police code number that refers to a 72-hour psychiatric hospitalization. This is considered an involuntary hold and refers to the number of the section of the Welfare and Institutions Code which allows a person with a mental challenge to be involuntarily detained. While this does not necessarily mean that the person will be held for the full 72 hours, it means that the psychiatric hospital has the right to do so if necessary.
In order to be held against one’s will in a psychiatric facility, they must either be a person who is a danger to others, a danger to themselves, or gravely disables as a result of mental illness. This means that the person is unable to provide for their own food, clothing or shelter as the result of a mental challenge.
The 5150 is related to the 5250, which is a 14 day extension of an involuntary psychiatric hold. When a patient reaches the end of a 5150, if they still meet one of the three above criteria, the attending psychiatrist will file a 5250. The client must receive a copy of the certification by law. The client is also entitled to a certification review hearing. This informal automatic hearing has a Rights Advocate from the Patients’ Rights Advocacy office representing the client .The client can also request a Writ of Habeas Corpus hearing at any time in order to contest being held in front of a judge.
This mental health evaluation at the end of a 5150 determined whether a person will be held in the designated facility to keep themselves and others out of harm’s way. 5150 comes from Article 1, Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code, which was first signed into law in 1967. There must be probable cause for a person to be admitted into the custody of mental health professionals for crisis intervention. This involuntary detention is not a criminal arrest, it is an inpatient placement to receive help from a professional person in mental health services to assist with the person’s condition. They can approach the person in charge of the facility or a member of the attending staff to see if they can stay on a voluntary basis if they choose to. Eddie Van Halen also wrote an album called 5150 which was named after the psychiatric hold.
A person also has other options when it comes to the result of a mental health disorder. People take into consideration the danger of imminent harm when they call in a 5150. A mental health director at the admitting facility might take away personal items. One can also turn to outpatient services, members of a mobile crisis team, a conservator or conservatorship, a phone call with a responsible relative, and more. Someone might call in a 72-hour hold if they have a hear of suicide, abuse of pills, a deadly weapon, or abuse of firearms. The mental health facility will be able to assist with the prohibitions and grave disability as a result of a mental disorder. They will meet a patient’s basic personal needs, protect their personal safety and prevent bodily harm, maintain the elements of life, prevent criminal acts, and act with consent. The professional personnel like a therapist will create a specific plan to meet a client’s basic needs after the involuntary commitment is over.
There are many different police code numbers. These are listed below from Stanford. How many do you know?
Overall, a 5150 is a police code for an involuntary 72-hour hold. A person is kept for 3 days in a psychiatric facility.
