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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 5Pt. 1Ch. 2Art. 4§ 5251 Mental Health Certification Requirements

§ 5251 Mental Health Certification Requirements

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 5251 Mental Health Certification Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •Two people must sign a paper to say someone needs special mental health help.
  • •The first person must be a doctor or a very experienced psychologist.
  • •The second person must also be a doctor or psychologist, but if none are available, a social worker, therapist, counselor, or nurse can sign instead.

Example

If someone is acting in a way that makes others think they need mental health help, two experts must agree.

A doctor in charge of the hospital and another doctor or psychologist must sign a paper saying this person needs help. If there isn’t another doctor or psychologist, a social worker or nurse who knows the person can sign instead.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 5251 Mental Health Certification Requirements

(a) For a person to be certified under this article, a notice of certification shall be signed by two people. (1) The first person shall be the professional person, or his or her designee, in charge of the agency or facility providing evaluation services. A designee of the professional person in charge of the agency or facility shall be a physician or a licensed psychologist who has a doctoral degree in psychology and at least five years of postgraduate experience in the diagnosis and treatment of emotional and mental disorders. (2) The second person shall be a physician or psychologist who participated in the evaluation. The physician shall be, if possible, a board certified psychiatrist. The psychologist shall be licensed and have at least five years of postgraduate experience in the diagnosis and treatment of emotional and mental disorders. (b) If the professional person in charge, or his or her designee, is the physician who performed the medical evaluation or a psychologist, the second person to sign may be another physician or psychologist unless one is not available, in which case a licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional clinical counselor, or registered nurse who participated in the evaluation shall sign the notice of certification. (Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 184, Sec. 1. (AB 191) Effective January 1, 2018.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

evaluationtreatmentmotiondiagnosismarriagelicensephysicianmedical

Related Statutes

  • § 5261 Certification For Intensive Treatment
  • § 5270.20 Intensive Treatment Certification Requirements
  • § 369.5 Juvenile Court Psychotropic Medication
  • § 5256.1 Mental Health Certification Hearings
  • § 5328.04 Minor Health Care Disclosure

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 5251.
View Official Source