Serious Mental Illness, Dependence, and Care: California’s Legal Initiatives on Grave Disability

Persons with serious mental illness who cannot independently meet their basic needs (i.e., food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment) and who rely on government-based organizations for these supports can experience homelessness, destitution, illness, and death. Recent statutory initiatives in California, along with policy and programmatic developments that address grave disability, reflect a growing recognition of state governments' responsibility to care for people who are unable to meet their basic needs. These approaches, taken together, may serve as a model for other states serving this vulnerable population.