What are the legal protections for mentally ill people?

In California, mentally ill people have several legal protections in place to help ensure their rights are respected and upheld. The most important of these protections is the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act, which outlines specific criteria that must be met before someone can be involuntarily confined and treated for their mental illness. The Act also outlines the rights of those with mental illness, such as their right to access mental health treatments and supportive services, be free from discrimination, receive information about their illness and treatment, and receive support services to assist in their recovery. In addition to the LPS Act, California has laws that protect the rights of mentally ill people from being discriminated against in a number of areas including housing, employment, education, and health care. These laws also make sure that mentally ill people receive adequate accommodations, such as allowing them to take time away from work to attend therapy or other mental health appointments, and providing reasonable emergency medical treatments. Finally, California has mental health parity laws, which require health insurance companies to cover mental health care and services in the same way that they would cover any other health care service. These laws guarantee that mentally ill people are able to access the care and treatment they need without financial hardship or discrimination. Overall, California has a number of legal protections in place that help ensure mentally ill people in the state are treated with respect and dignity, and can receive the services and treatment they need.

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What are the legal protections for mentally ill people?

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