Section 6924 Of Chapter 3. Consent By Minor From California Family Law Code >> Division 11. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 3.
6924
. (a) As used in this section:
(1) "Mental health treatment or counseling services" means the
provision of mental health treatment or counseling on an outpatient
basis by any of the following:
(A) A governmental agency.
(B) A person or agency having a contract with a governmental
agency to provide the services.
(C) An agency that receives funding from community united funds.
(D) A runaway house or crisis resolution center.
(E) A professional person, as defined in paragraph (2).
(2) "Professional person" means any of the following:
(A) A person designated as a mental health professional in
Sections 622 to 626, inclusive, of Article 8 of Subchapter 3 of
Chapter 1 of Title 9 of the California Code of Regulations.
(B) A marriage and family therapist as defined in Chapter 13
(commencing with Section 4980) of Division 2 of the Business and
Professions Code.
(C) A licensed educational psychologist as defined in Article 5
(commencing with Section 4986) of Chapter 13 of Division 2 of the
Business and Professions Code.
(D) A credentialed school psychologist as described in Section
49424 of the Education Code.
(E) A clinical psychologist as defined in Section 1316.5 of the
Health and Safety Code.
(F) The chief administrator of an agency referred to in paragraph
(1) or (3).
(G) A person registered as a marriage and family therapist intern,
as defined in Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980) of Division
2 of the Business and Professions Code, while working under the
supervision of a licensed professional specified in subdivision (g)
of Section 4980.03 of the Business and Professions Code.
(H) A licensed professional clinical counselor, as defined in
Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) of Division 2 of the
Business and Professions Code.
(I) A person registered as a clinical counselor intern, as defined
in Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) of Division 2 of the
Business and Professions Code, while working under the supervision
of a licensed professional specified in subdivision (h) of Section
4999.12 of the Business and Professions Code.
(3) "Residential shelter services" means any of the following:
(A) The provision of residential and other support services to
minors on a temporary or emergency basis in a facility that services
only minors by a governmental agency, a person or agency having a
contract with a governmental agency to provide these services, an
agency that receives funding from community funds, or a licensed
community care facility or crisis resolution center.
(B) The provision of other support services on a temporary or
emergency basis by any professional person as defined in paragraph
(2).
(b) A minor who is 12 years of age or older may consent to mental
health treatment or counseling on an outpatient basis, or to
residential shelter services, if both of the following requirements
are satisfied:
(1) The minor, in the opinion of the attending professional
person, is mature enough to participate intelligently in the
outpatient services or residential shelter services.
(2) The minor (A) would present a danger of serious physical or
mental harm to self or to others without the mental health treatment
or counseling or residential shelter services, or (B) is the alleged
victim of incest or child abuse.
(c) A professional person offering residential shelter services,
whether as an individual or as a representative of an entity
specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), shall make his or her
best efforts to notify the parent or guardian of the provision of
services.
(d) The mental health treatment or counseling of a minor
authorized by this section shall include involvement of the minor's
parent or guardian unless, in the opinion of the professional person
who is treating or counseling the minor, the involvement would be
inappropriate. The professional person who is treating or counseling
the minor shall state in the client record whether and when the
person attempted to contact the minor's parent or guardian, and
whether the attempt to contact was successful or unsuccessful, or the
reason why, in the professional person's opinion, it would be
inappropriate to contact the minor's parent or guardian.
(e) The minor's parents or guardian are not liable for payment for
mental health treatment or counseling services provided pursuant to
this section unless the parent or guardian participates in the mental
health treatment or counseling, and then only for services rendered
with the participation of the parent or guardian. The minor's parents
or guardian are not liable for payment for any residential shelter
services provided pursuant to this section unless the parent or
guardian consented to the provision of those services.
(f) This section does not authorize a minor to receive convulsive
therapy or psychosurgery as defined in subdivisions (f) and (g) of
Section 5325 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or psychotropic
drugs without the consent of the minor's parent or guardian.