DATE:
June 25, 2026
03
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
ADOPT THE REVISED LANTERMAN-PETRIS-SHORT DESIGNATION GUIDELINES AND PROCESSES FOR FACILITIES WITHIN SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND AUTHORIZE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR TO UPDATE AND ADOPT FUTURE REVISIONS TO THE GUIDELINES (DISTRICT: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
The Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act establishes a procedure for the involuntary detention for evaluation and treatment of persons who, as a result of a mental disorder, constitute a danger to themselves or others, or are gravely disabled. The LPS Act also requires that persons detained be placed in facilities designated for LPS involuntary detention by a county's Board of Supervisors.
In the San Diego region, LPS-designated facilities abide by the County of San Diego's (County) LPS Designation Guidelines and Processes for Facilities (LPS Designation Guidelines), which serve as the operational framework for evaluating, designating, contracting with, and monitoring LPS facilities based on State regulations. LPS Designation Guidelines was first adopted by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) in 2013 and since then, the Board has approved various updates to revise processes to increase efficiency and reduce administrative complexity while ensuring adherence to the LPS Act. Most recently, the Board approved updates to the Guidelines on April 8, 2025 (16).
Following the enactment of Senate Bill 1238 in 2024, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) issued LPS Facility Designation Interim Regulations. These regulations supersede the historical regulatory process that required the Board, or the delegated Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Director, approval of county designation of facilities authorized to provide treatment under the LPS Act. The new regulations centralize designated facility approval authority within DHCS and require BHS to revise the LPS Designation Guidelines to ensure compliance with the updated...
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