Britney is an example...

Early Thursday morning Britney Spears was involuntarily hospitalized under California’s under Section 5150 of California's Welfare and Institutions Code. Authorities say despite the paparazzi involvement, Britney’s involuntary commitment is just like the other 20 to 25 involuntary committments the LAPD has each day.

Despite Spears' celebrity, the decision to have her committed involved elements that are typical for many mental health cases in California, said Randall Hagar, head of governmental affairs for the California Psychiatric Assn.

As Spears’ again makes headlines, we hope that she gets effective treatment, and that her story will help increase public understanding of what families all across the country go through to help their loved-one get treatment.

Cases typically involve a family desperate for treatment for a loved one, a patient who appears functional one moment and severely ill the next, and an imperfect legal system struggling to mediate it all, Hagar said.

"Every family will tell you how much they fail before they can finally get a hospitalization," Hagar said.

"I sure hope the conversation shifts from the paparazzi and all of that to how many people in this state and this country need mental health services and don't receive them," said State Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento).

California needs Laura's Law

Columnist, C.W. Nevius wrote about treating severe mental illnesses and outpatient committment in a recent column in the San Francisco Chronicle.

While the issue of the beds at S.F. General is important, there is a much larger issue. Across the country, and particularly in California, we need to take an honest look at the consequences of letting mentally ill people decide whether they want to accept treatment. Remember, in these cases their own parents are begging to have them confined to a safe, secure facility where they will have to take their medication and hopefully begin to find themselves. Leaving the choice up to them, as a consequence of patient rights movement, is a recipe for failure.

As Nevius explains, the current system isn't working:

Officer Martin, who walks a beat in downtown San Francisco, estimates that "six to seven out of 10 of our contacts have mental health issues." The police have limited recourse, even in the most extreme cases. One thing they can do is file a 5150 under the California welfare and institution penal code, which is a "72-hour psychiatric hold." But Martin says even that confinement is often "a pipe dream."

"There's been times when I've 5150'd somebody," he says, "and they'd be walking out when I was getting back into my patrol car."

And yet, most counties in California still haven't implemented Laura's Law. What are we waiting for?

Interested in getting Laura's Law implemented in your county? Visit the California Treatment Advocacy Coalition (CTAC) website for resources on implementation.

A sad weekend in California

Families and police officers are two of the groups most at risk for being on the receiving end of violence by those with untreated mental illnesses

In Salinas, John Vierra, a 44-year-old man with schizophrenia fatally stabbed his mother, Maria James. Vierra had stopped taking his medication last spring.

In San Diego, Alan Kosakoff is in critical condition after he was shot by two police officers. Kosakoff, who has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, attempted to run over the two officers when they tried to arrest him for driving 114 mph. Kasakoff had not been taking his psychiatric medication.

Today, one California man faces time in prison; the other, if he survives, will also likely face the criminal justice system. Both men were not taking their prescribed medications for severe mental illnesses.

Yet most California counties still haven’t implemented Laura’s Law – a way to get court-ordered outpatient treatment for people with severe mental illnesses. Access to treatment, and to programs such as Assistant Outpatient Treatment, maintain treatment compliance, an important step in helping prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future

Perhaps it’s time to help people in California with severe mental illnesses get treatment, because without it, there are certain to be more sad weekends.

Laura's Law extended - now lets get it implemented

California's Laura's Law was extended to 2013 with a stroke of the Governor's pen on Friday. The bill (AB 2357) was overwhelmingly supported by California legislators (30-4 in the Senate and 65-5 in the Assembly).

California legislators sent a clear message about the county-determined program: California counties must help people with severe mental illnesses who are too sick to help themselves, and counties will be given more time to use a nationally proven program to do just that.

Nick and Amanda Wilcox - Laura's parents - are to be commended for their advocacy, as are the determined advocates at California Psychiatric Association, NAMI California, the California Medical Association, and a variety of supporters, from police chiefs to judges to editorial boards from the Los Angeles Times to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The California Treatment Advocacy Coalition and The Treatment Advocacy Center together produced "A Guide to Laura's Law" to help counties with implementation. We hope now that there is more time, people will get moving to bring this important treatment tool to those who need it most.

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MORE: Statement by TAC Executive Director Mary Zdanowicz: LAURA’S LAW EXTENDED TO 2013: California legislators overwhelmingly support mandating treatment to the sickest – counties have green light to help those with the most severe mental illnesses

California bill passes with overwhelming majority

An extension of California's Laura's Law has now passed the full Senate 30-4, after passing the Assembly 65-5 earlier this summer. Follow the action via the California Treatment Advocacy Coalition's website at www.lauraslaw.net.