Every county must have an office that receives referrals from legally designated referring sources requesting that LPS conservatorship be established for referred individuals. This office must evaluate the referrals and, when finding the request appropriate, file a superior court petition for LPS conservatorship. The office then goes on to investigate the need for long term conservatorship, reporting back to the court at a formal hearing.

The purpose of LPS conservatorship is to provide legal authority to force the conservatee to receive psychiatric treatment for grave disabilities that they are unable or unwilling to consent to themselves. Such involuntary psychiatric treatment is not legally permitted beyond short-term holds of a few days unless the court appoints an LPS conservator to consent in the client's stead.

Services Provided
In Contra Costa County, we fulfill the above mandate, plus serve as temporary LPS conservator for clients while investigations are underway. If long term conservatorship is deemed necessary, it is recommended to the court and, if ordered, the Health Services Department, or a private party, if an appropriate person is available, take over as long-term conservator for the client.

Clients for whom long-term conservatorship is recommended can object in court, and demand a superior court trial. Our staff prosecute these trials, represented by County Counsel. Clients have a right to a court or jury trial, in which the county has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the client is gravely disabled by a mental disorder. If the county fails to meet this standard or proof, the conservatorship ends immediately and the client is released from further involuntary treatment.

Target Population
Clients may be of any age, although they are usually adults. They must be alleged by the referring professional to be "gravely disabled" by a mental disorder, meaning that they cannot provide for their own personal need for food, clothing or shelter as a result of the mental disorder. They must also be unable or unwilling to accept psychiatric treatment to overcome their grave disability. There must be a plan to provide treatment for the grave disability in a psychiatric treatment facility, and the facility must be unable to provide the treatment unless the client is under an LPS conservatorship.

If you want to know more about LPS conservatorship call:
Contra Costa County: (800) 510-2020
All other locations: (925) 229-8434