Adult Mental Health

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Full Service Partnership (FSP)

Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) is court-ordered outpatient mental health treatment for individuals with serious mental illness who are unable to live safely in the community, but who refuse to participate in treatment on their own. The law that allows court-ordered treatment is sometimes called Lauras Law. SLO Behavioral Healths AOT program started in March, 2016, and is funded by the Mental Health Services Act.

AOT Program:AOT is a collaborative program between the Behavioral Health Department and Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA). AOT outreach and treatment services are provided by a Full Service Partnership (FSP) team comprised of TMHA staff. SLO Behavioral Health staff provide assessment, program support and coordination with the court. Services offered to AOT clients include:

The AOT FSP team uses a field-based, whatever it takes approach to engage with clients to create their own individualized treatment plan. Supportive FSP housing can be available as part of the clients treatment plan.

San Luis Obispo Countys Full Service Partnership for homeless individuals is a Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) program that provides outreach, assessment, and 24/7 intensive community-based wrap around services to help people achieve recovery and live independently.

Access to mental health services is the primary barrier to serving the homeless and this program focuses on outreach to unserved, difficult-to-reach populations. This will engage clients in health care, mental health treatment, and housing.

Services include:

For more information please contact our access line at 1 (800) 838-1381

The program is conducted by Transitions-Mental Health Association.

The Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) assists the community, hospitals, and law enforcement with:

IN THE CASE OF A LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY, CALL 9-1-1

The County has partnered with Sierra Mental Wellness Group as its provider of MHET services. Interventions are client oriented, and wellness and recovery-centered, to maximize the ability of the individual to manage the crisis. Additionally, this immediate stabilization response is supplemented with a next day follow-up for non-hospitalized clients to continue support and provide assistance in following through with referrals and appointments.

The Behavioral Health Department operates a 16-bed, licensed Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF). The PHF provides observation and treatment for acute mental illness under licensed psychiatric direction.

1 (800) 838-1381Psychiatric crisis emergency number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekThe Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) is an inpatient facility that treats individuals in psychiatric crisis who cannot be safely served in outpatient services.

The PHF is operated by the County under a license issued and regulated by the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) as a facility for:

Patients have a right to refuse medication unless there is a court order for medication or the patient is displaying imminently dangerous behavior toward self or others, and the doctor orders involuntary medication (W&I code 5325.2).

There are subsequent fourteen (14)day legal holds that may be enacted if the individual continues to meet medical necessity criteria.All additional holds require judicial review.Patients have rights and are provided legal representation by the Public Defenders Office.Patients also have access to a Patients Rights Advocate.The PHF is staffed by a Behavioral Health Program Supervisor, a Psychiatrist, a Registered Nurse, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Psychiatric Technicians and Mental Health Worker Aides.Contracted services include Rehabilitation Services and Dietary Services.The PHF is licensed to treat 16 patients at any point in time. The PHF serves:

The PHF is the only such facility within San Luis Obispo County.The nearest alternative 5150 facilities are located in Salinas, Santa Barbara, and Fresno/Bakersfield, and are often also at or near their licensed capacity.Approximately 340 individuals are transferred directly from our area hospitals to out-of-County alternative inpatient psychiatric treatment facilities every year.PHF admission criteria is set forth in the Welfare & Institutions Code 5150, and California Code of Regulations, Title 22.Individuals are assessed by qualified professionals for admission.Admission criteria includes:As a result of a mental disorder*, the individual is deemed to be:

*mental health conditions covered by CCR Title IX 1820.205

It is often important that individuals receive a medical clearance prior to receiving a mental health evaluation for inpatient psychiatric treatment for the following reasons:

The following regulatory criteria describe persons who may not be legally retained in the PHF:

Persons with a communicable disease that is required to be reported (per 17 CCR 2500), shall not be admitted to the facility. Examples are active treatment resistant infections (MRSA), Tuberculosis, etc.A facility shall accept and retain only those patients for whom it can provide adequate medical care.

when a patients particular injury or disease would ordinarily be treated on an outpatient basis absent the mental disorder, the facility may admit the patient only if the facility has appropriate policies, procedures and resources to ensure the safety of other patients and staff.

Examples of such medical conditions are some types of Diabetes, and patients requiring supplemental oxygen, dementia, and Alzheimers.(22 CCR 77135)The law precludes the PHF from housing patients who are non-ambulatory, meaning they are unable to transfer their own weight.(Health & Safety Code Section 1275.1)The Psychiatric Health Facility Program Supervisor can be reached at (805) 781-4752The Patients Rights Advocate can be reached at (805) 781-4738

The County of San Luis Obispo's Behavioral Health Department received a federal grant from the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to improve integration of physical and behavioral health care for individuals with severe mental illness, by providing medical services at a Behavioral Health Services site.

The goals of the grant are to:

The Health Agency, in partnership with the Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC) and Transitions- Mental Health Association (TMHA), are working together to provide the following services at the Health Campus in San Luis Obispo:

Physical health screenings and exams will take place on CHC's "Clinic On Wheels."

To enroll in the SLO Health Integration Project (SLO-HIP) please call:(805) 788- 6894 Please leave your name and phone number and a SLO-HIP staff member will return your call.

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Adult Mental Health