Mental Health Planning
By the time most families call us, they have already tried to get help for their loved one. They have called doctors, clinics, county programs, crisis lines, and hospitals. They have been told their loved one does not qualify, is not sick enough, or must want help first. Meanwhile, things get worse.
We help families and individuals understand what can legally be done, what treatment options realistically exist, and how to move forward in a system that too often turns people away.
No single plan works for everyone. The right approach depends on diagnosis, treatment history, family relationships, culture, past trauma, safety concerns, finances, and which services are actually available. We build the plan around your situation, not a template.
When Planning May Help
- A loved one's condition is worsening
- Repeated efforts to get treatment have gone nowhere
- There is family conflict regarding what to do
- Legal, criminal, or safety problems are developing or getting worse
- Several providers, agencies, or family members are involved and no one is coordinating
- You need to understand your legal options before something happens
How We Help
Planning starts with listening and ends with a strategy you can act on.
We listen first. In a comprehensive consultation, we learn what is happening now, what led here, and what you hope to achieve. This is a real conversation, not an intake form.
We build an effective Mental Health Summary. California law mandates that those who decide whether to detain your loved one, extend a hold, or refer them for an LPS conservatorship must consider the historical course of the mental disorder, including relevant information from family. We organize what you already have — treatment records, provider letters, police reports, court paperwork, text messages, timelines, and what you have witnessed (even without formal documentation)— into a clear, well-documented Mental Health Summary (also called a Behavioral Health Summary). This is no template form. It speaks the system's language and gives you a voice with the people who can act: doctors, treatment facilities, law enforcement, county agencies, and the court. Having an effective Mental Health Summary matters most when your loved one is too ill to accept treatment voluntarily and the decision rests in someone else's hands.
We map out what can be done. Drawing on our experience with local providers, courts, and county systems, we explain the legal options step by step, including which ones are likely and unlikely to work, and why.
We bring in the right people. Legal options are only part of the picture. When it helps, we work alongside mental health professionals, case managers, intervention specialists, and treatment programs so that the legal strategy and the treatment plan fit together. When family conflict is getting in the way, we can assist with mediation. And when a loved one is refusing care and other approaches have repeatedly failed, we can connect you with professionals who specialize in outreach and intensive case management — people whose job is to keep showing up when everyone else has stopped.
Timing and Availability. Planning works best when there is time to gather information and develop a strategy. If there is an immediate safety concern, a psychiatric hold, or an urgent hearing, our Crisis Legal Services may be the better fit. We accept representation only after a legal consultation in which we assess the circumstances, determine whether we can help, and confirm our availability.
This page provides general information, not legal advice. Laws, court procedures, eligibility rules, and available services change, and legal options depend on current law and the circumstances of each case.
We're Here to Help
If you or someone you care about is struggling and you're unsure where to turn, reach out to Blumen & Tauro, Treatment Law℠. We'll listen and tell you whether we can help.