Planning Ahead for a Mental Health Crisis: A New Tool for California Families
Imagine your loved one is having a mental health crisis. They’re scared, confused, and unable to explain what they need. Doctors and first responders want to help—but no one knows which medications have worked before, which treatments they don’t want, or who should be called to support them.
Unfortunately, this is a common situation. And for a long time, there hasn’t been a simple or standardized way in California to plan ahead for these moments.
That’s now beginning to change.
A new effort—called the Psychiatric Advance Directives Innovation Project—is underway in several California counties. It’s part of a growing movement to help people make a plan for their mental health care before a crisis happens. The idea is simple: just like an advance directive for physical health decisions, a psychiatric advance directive (PAD) allows you to write down your preferences for mental health treatment in advance.
You can share what types of care you want (or don’t want), which medications have helped or hurt you in the past, what calms you down, and who should be involved in your care. This kind of planning can be especially helpful for people who live with mental illness and may, at times, be unable to make decisions for themselves.
This project is currently being tested in seven counties: Contra Costa, Fresno, Mariposa, Monterey, Orange, Shasta, and a partnership between Claremont, La Verne, and Pomona. These communities are developing online tools to help people create and store their PADs securely. The goal is to make these documents easy to access when they’re needed most—by emergency staff, doctors, and mental health teams.
Each county is tailoring the project to different groups, including teens, people experiencing homelessness, those coming off of conservatorships, and individuals who frequently interact with hospitals or the criminal justice system. While the program is still in its pilot phase and not yet available statewide, it’s a big step toward giving people more control over their mental health care.
There are many benefits to having a psychiatric advance directive. It gives individuals a voice, even during a time of crisis. It helps families feel more confident that their loved ones will be treated with respect and care. It can reduce unnecessary hospital visits, help avoid police involvement, and guide professionals in providing the right kind of support.
If you’d like to learn more about this growing movement or see sample PADs, we recommend visiting www.padsca.org, a helpful website with information and resources.
At Kaminski Law Group, we believe that planning isn’t just about legal documents—it’s about making sure your wishes are clear and your loved ones are supported. If you want to explore how a psychiatric advance directive could be part of your estate or health care planning, we’re here to walk you through it.
Give us a call at (916) 540-7618 or visit www.californiatrusts.law to schedule a conversation. We’re here to help you plan ahead—so that when life gets difficult, you and your family have a clear path forward.
