How to Get a Loved One Off the Street: Five Lawful Paths for Families

What can I legally do if my adult child is homeless and refuses help?

You can file a CARE Court petition yourself, refer them to Laura's Law (AOT-LA) yourself, and call for a 5150 evaluation when they are a danger or gravely disabled. Those are the three doors a family can open directly.

An adult has the right to refuse treatment, which is why so many families are told there is nothing they can do. That is not the whole story. When a person is too sick to understand they are sick, the law has narrow, court-supervised ways to get them care. Each one has a time limit, a lawyer or advocate, and a judge. The person keeps their rights.

Start by writing down what you see: dates, places, what they said, whether they are eating, whether they have been hospitalized and when. Every path below asks for this history, and families who keep it move faster.

Can I put my family member on a 5150 hold?

No. A family member cannot place a 5150 hold. Only a police or peace officer, or a person approved by the LA County Department of Mental Health (an "LPS-authorized" clinician), can start one.

What you can do is call. If your loved one is in danger or dangerous, call 911. If not, call the LA County Help Line for Mental Health and Substance Use Services at (800) 854-7771, which dispatches clinician teams. Tell them plainly what you see: not eating, no shelter, untreated injuries, talking to no one there. Those details are what the person who decides is listening for. Read the full 5150 guide.

Does SB 43 let them be held for drug or alcohol addiction?

Yes, since January 2026 in LA County. SB 43 expanded "gravely disabled" to include a severe substance use disorder, alone or together with a mental health disorder, when it leaves a person unable to provide for food, clothing, shelter, personal safety or necessary medical care.

Before SB 43, a person whose addiction kept them on the street usually did not qualify unless they also had a mental illness. Now the same standard applies to severe addiction. It still takes a police officer or an LPS-authorized clinician to decide in the moment.

How do I file a CARE Court petition in LA County?

You file form CARE-100 with the Los Angeles Superior Court, and it costs nothing. CARE Court is for adults with a disorder in the schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders class, or bipolar I disorder with psychotic episodes, who are not stabilized in treatment. Addiction alone does not qualify.

Along with the petition you attach either form CARE-101, a declaration from a licensed behavioral health provider, or proof the person was held on at least two 5250 holds with the most recent within the past 60 days. Step-by-step CARE Court guide.

What is Laura's Law (AOT), and how do I refer someone?

Laura's Law is California's Assisted Outpatient Treatment program. In LA County it is called AOT-LA, and a parent, spouse, sibling, adult child or adult who lives with the person can refer them by calling 213-738-2440 or emailing the referral form to AOTLAOE@dmh.lacounty.gov.

AOT is for adults with a severe mental illness and a history of not following treatment, such as two or more hospitalizations in the last 36 months or an act, threat or attempt of serious harm in the last 48 months. A team reaches out first. If the person refuses and still meets the criteria, AOT can petition the court to order outpatient treatment. Full Laura's Law guide.

How does conservatorship work, and who can start it?

An LPS conservatorship is a court order that puts a conservator in charge of treatment for a person who is gravely disabled, and only designated treatment facilities, agencies or the courts can make the referral. Families cannot file one directly in LA County.

It usually starts in the hospital. If your loved one is hospitalized, ask the treatment team whether they will refer to the Office of the Public Guardian, and tell them everything you know about what happens after discharge. An LPS conservatorship ends after one year unless a court renews it. Conservatorship guide for families.

What if my loved one wants to come home?

Call Santa Monica's Project Homecoming at (310) 458-8953. It has reunited more than 3,200 people with family since 2006. It works when the person wants to go and family on the other end is ready to receive them. How Bring them home works.

Where can families get support?

Call NAMI Westside Los Angeles family navigation at 424-293-0645 in English or 424-293-0646 in Spanish. They help families figure out which path fits and what to say.

The LA County Help Line at (800) 854-7771 answers 24/7 for mental health and substance use, including detox beds. In a crisis, call or text 988, or text "LA" to 741741.

And take care of yourself. This is a long road, and the people who walk it with you matter.

Why one City desk for families?

Because almost nobody knows all five paths, and no single office explains them. Our plan, a resident draft, asks Santa Monica for one desk that helps families file the petition, the referral or the report, and a lawful way to learn a loved one is safe. Nothing has been submitted to City Council yet. Read the six-point plan.