Insights from California on Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use

Stephen L. Weiner; Berneen Bal; Matthew E. Hirschtritt; Alex Barnard

doi:10.29158/JAAPL.240054-24

Insights from California on Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use

Stephen L. Weiner, Berneen Bal, Matthew E. Hirschtritt, Alex Barnard

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Involuntary commitment (IC) for the treatment of substance use disorders is a highly controversial and poorly understood practice, with California offering a striking example. The state’s involuntary commitment laws, known collectively as Lanterman-Petris-Short, authorized IC for grave disability related to chronic alcoholism. These provisions remain shrouded in obscurity, and data on their usage are lacking. Amid the ongoing debate over the utility of IC as a tool to treat severe substance use disorders and legislation expanding IC for substance use disorders (SUDs) in California and other states, this article highlights the need to better study the use and effectiveness of existing legislation as well as to consider upstream interventions, such as expansion of community-based treatment models.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	338-346
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
Volume	52
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.29158/JAAPL.240054-24
State	Published - Sep 1 2024

Keywords

addiction
assisted outpatient treatment
civil commitment
legal regulation of psychiatry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Psychiatry and Mental health

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10.29158/JAAPL.240054-24

Cite this

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Insights from California on Involuntary Commitment for Substance Use

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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