When the court finds a minor to be a person described by Section 602 and believes the minor may need specialized mental health treatment while the minor is unable to reside in his or her natural home, the court shall notify the director of the county mental health department in the county where the minor resides. The county mental health department shall perform the duties required under Section 5697.5 for all those minors.
Nothing in this section shall restrict the provision of emergency psychiatric services to those minors who have not yet reached the point of adjudication or disposition, nor shall it operate to restrict evaluations at an earlier stage of the proceedings or to restrict the use of Sections 4011.6 and 4011.8 of the Penal Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 854, Sec. 74. Effective January 1, 2002.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018