R-6969
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CA:RMM:rcpatres
City Councll Meeting 1-29-8'7 Senta Monica, CallfornHI
RESOLUT I ON NUMBER Q 9 6 9 (cCS)
(CI ty Counc 11 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SANTA MONICA URGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE
TO ENACT LEGISLATION RELATING TO
THE MENTALLY ILL HOMELESS
WHEREAS, current provIsions of the Lanterman-Petrls-
Short Act relating to CIvil commitment of the menta Ily
disordered and gravely disabled are Inadequate for dealing
WI th the chronically menta Ily 111 who either refuse or are
reluctant to seek treatment; and
WHEREAS, Individuals are released Into the commun I ty
From state hospitals and county mental health facilities who
are Incapable of survival In the community Independently or
WI th the help of family or friends; and
WHEREAS, current provISions of the Lanterman-Petrls-
Short Act do not require a mandatory pre-discharge
determination to be made on the Issue of whether l1n IndIVidual
15 capable of survIving Independently outside an Institution
WI thout some care and superVISion; and
WHEREAS, many of the homeless people wandering the
streets of Santa Monlce and other Cities throughout the state
and crowding emergency shelters or gOIng WI thout shelter are
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chronIcally men tall y 1 11 and are In desperate need of
appropriate treatment and shelter; and
WHEREAS, InstitutIonalizatIon In state mental h05pltals
15 not a 1 ways an appropriate or necessary option In dea ling
WI th chron lCa lly me n tally 111 homeless IndIVIduals; and
WHEREAS, some homeless mentally 111 Indlvlduab; are
"Gravely DIsabled" and due to the nature of theIr mental
dIsorder are unWIllIng or Incapable of utIlizIng volunt!!lry
aS515tance or treatment In those In5tanCe:5 when It IS
avaIlable; and
WHEREAS, court!> of thIS :5tate are currently WIthout the
optIon of InItially committIng menta lly disabled or mentally
dIsordered IndIvIduals or plaCing IndIviduals dIscharged from
state hospitals and county mental hea It h faCIlItIes Into
mandatory outpatIent treatment programs; and
WHEREAS, there are Inadequate numbers and types of
commun 1 t Y mental hea I t h faCIlities :5ultable for ImplementatIon
of a mandatory outpatIent treatment program; and
WHEREAS, CIty streets and emergency shelters have become
a 1 ternat lve Institutions to house large numbers of men tall y
111 persons who are no longer beIng served by the county and
5tate mental health treatment system; and
WHEREAS, appr()xlmately 20 state5 currently permIt a
court to order mandatory outpatient treatment In place of
hospItalization for patIents In the CIVil comn'll tment process,
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NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The C I t Y Co u n c 11 of the CIty of Santa Monica
supports the enactment of leglslatlon by the California
Legislature to establish a statewIde system of court ordered
mandatory out-patient treatment, pre-discharge hearings from
state and county mental health Instltutlon5, and tighter
stand<!lrds for "gravely disabled" to ensure consIstent
statewide applIcation. These programs should Include and
encompass the follOWIng elements:
(<!l ) A funding mechanism that allows for the
Simultaneous prOVIsIon of mentel hea I t h and shelter services
WI th varied lengths of stay and IntenSItIes of Intervention
for the homeless chronIcally me n t a I 1 Y 111. These would
Include:
1. Eas I I y accessIble dormItory type emergency
shelters.
2. Structured brief stay reSIdences.
3. Intermediate stay hOUSing WI th both shared and
prIvate room5.
4. Adequate and affordable permanent hOUSing.
(b) The shelter and treatment need5 of the homeless
chronically mentally 1 I I populatIon be speCIfIcally Included
In county plannIng service priorities under the Short-Doyle
Act.
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(c) Outreach assessment and evaluatIon serVIces
desIgned to contact homeless me n tall y 111 persons In the
place!> where they tend to congregate.
(d) MedIcal care must be made avadable sInce homele!>s
mentally dIsordered IndIVIduals suf fer an extraordInarIly hIgh
rate of medIcal and hygIene problems.
(e) ASSIgnment of a case manager responSIble for each
patIent and WI th authorlty to deSignate and Implement
mandatory treatment and servIce plans. Case managers must
maintaIn enough contact WI th patIents to recognIze eVIdence of
Increased SOCIal adaptatIon or clInIcal exacerbatIon, and to
gUIde patIents to the servIces approprIate at any tIme.
( f ) Mental health staff 5paclflcally selected and
traIned to work wIth the chronIcally mentally I 11 homeless.
(g) A mandatory determInatIon be made prIor to any
IndIVIdual beIng dIscharged from a state mental hospItal or
county mental health f ac 11 It Y as to whether the IndIVIdual 15
capable of surVIval In the commun I t Y Independently or WI th the
help of f am I 1 Y or frIends.
(h) If an IndiVidual IS found Incapable of survIvIng
Independently In the communIty, the court may ut 11 U:e the
optIon of placement In an apprOprll!lte mandatory out-patIent
program untIl such t I me as the IndIVIdual 15 found to be
capable of Independent lIVIng.
SECTI ON 2. The CIty Councd of the CIty of Santa MonIca
calls upon local CIty governments and the County of Los
Angeles to brIng before the Governor and State LegIslature the
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pressing need for a mandatory outpatient program In order to
realist lcally, comprehensively, and systemat IcaIly respond to
the problem of the chronically mentally I 11 and espeCially the
homeless chronIcally mentally I Ii.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoptIon
of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same
5ha 11 be In fu II force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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ROBERT M. MYERS
Cl ty At torney
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Adopted and approved this 29th day of January, 1985.
) A JIM
V VVr"" 'u Pro Te.p~ ~
I her eby certlfy that the foregolng ResolutIon No. 6969(CCS)
was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Monica
at a meeting thereof held on January 29, 1985 by the following
CouncIl vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Conn, Epstein, Katz, Zane and
Mayor Pro Tempore Jennings
Noes: Coul"cllmembers: None
AbstaIn: CounCllmembers: None
Absent: Councllmembers: Edwards and Mayor Reed
ATTEST~
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CIty Clerk
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