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Background
The California Department of Mental Health (DMH) currently operates five state hospitals that provide inpatient psychiatric care to nearly five thousand individuals committed to the hospitals civilly or in connection with criminal proceedings. Two facilities are located in southern California (Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County and Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County), one facility near the central coast (Atascadero State Hospital) and one in northern California (Napa State Hospital). A fifth facility, Coalinga State Hospital in the central valley, opened its doors in September 2005. Please use the links below for additional information about each state hospital:
State Hospitals
Hospitals Hospitals Atascadero State Hospital (ASH) Napa State Hospital (NSH) Coalinga State Hospital (CSH) Patton State Hospital (PSH) Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH)
On May 2, 2006, the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) and the State of California reached a settlement concerning civil rights violations at four California State Hospitals: Metropolitan State Hospital, Napa State Hospital, Patton State Hospital; and Atascadero State Hospital. The extensive reforms required by the five-year Consent Judgment will ensure that individuals in the hospitals are adequately protected from harm and provided adequate services to support their recovery and mental health.
The USDOJ conducted its investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980 (CRIPA). This statute allows the federal government to identify and root out systemic irregularities such as those identified in this case, rather than focus on individual civil rights violations. The State is now addressing and correcting the agreed upon violations identified by the USDOJ.
- May 2, 2006 Press Release: State Department of Mental Health, United States Department of Justice Agree on Enhancement Plan for State Hospitals
- Consent Judgment
The Consent Judgment, which is operationalized as the Enhancement Plan at the state hospitals, contains requirements for bi-annual reviews of progress towards compliance be conducted at each of the four impacted hospitals. (Coalinga State Hospital was not open at the time of the initial investigations so is not a party to the Judgment.) These reviews are conducted by a court appointed monitor and a team of clinical experts.
CURRENT STATUS
Atascadero, Napa, Patton, and Metropolitan State Hospital continue to note improvements during each review completed by the Court Monitor and his team of experts. Each hospital has adopted the Recovery Model; the belief that individuals with a mental illness can recover and lead meaningful lives, and put in place the structures to support this model of treatment and service delivery.
The DMH is committed to the implementation of the Enhancement Plan within the specified time frames and continues diligent efforts to achieve this goal.
CRIPA Compliance Reports
| Reports | Site Visit Date |
|---|---|
| Atascadero State Hospital | April 21-25, 2008  October 15-19 2007 April 23-27, 2007 November 13-17, 2006 |
| Metropolitan State Hospital |
March 10-14, 2008 August 27-31, 2007 March 19-23 2007 September 18-22, 2006 |
| Napa State Hospital | July 21-25,2008  Jan 28 - Feb 1, 2008 July 23-27, 2007 Jan 29 - Feb 2, 2007
July 24-28, 2006 |
| Patton State Hospital |
June 9-13, 2008 |
Key Indicators
| Reports | Site Visit Date |
|---|---|
| Atascadero State Hospital | April 2008 September 2007 April 2007 November 2006
|
| Metropolitan State Hospital |
March 2008 August 2007 February 2007 September 2006 |
| Napa State Hospital | July 2008 January 2008
July 2007 December 2006 July 2006
|
| Patton State Hospital |
June 2008 November 2007 May 2007 November 2006 |