Illegitimate 5150
On June 4, 2024, my sister Tracy drove herself to the ER at Stanford Hospital due to chest pain and was afraid she was experiencing a heart attack. Shortly after, she felt better and was ready to leave. Her fiancée was there to take her home and take care of her, and I arrived within soon after to be there for her.
She was then interviewed by doctors/nurses/social workers there and was issued a 5150, which is up to a 72-hour legal psychiatric hold in the county of Santa Clara, forcing her to stay against her will. In the county of Santa Clara, you must be licensed and have a certification number to issue 5150. The physician that issued it to my sister did not have the certification. I have this in writing from the board and it is easily searchable online.
The 5150 my sister was issued also was incomplete and missing critical information, including the required phone number of the patient advocate hotline, making it invalid. The social worker told me to contact the patient advocate, and when I pointed out the number was missing, she gave me a number. I called about a dozen times and asked the hospital, doctors, and nurses to have a patient advocate come see us multiple times. But we never saw one or heard back from one.
On June 5, my sister was transferred from Stanford to Fremont Hospital despite my objection that there was no CT scan done and a medical cause for the chest pain was not ruled out. The doctor told me they wanted to do one but never got around to it.
Fremont Hospital is in Alameda county where my sister was held for the 5150 for extra holding. Then they turned the 5150 into a 5250 which allows them to hold her for up to 14 more days. The law in California is cut and dry regarding mental health holds. A 5150 and 5250 can only be held if they are 1.) A danger to themselves, 2.) A danger to others, or 3.) gravely disabled, meaning they cannot provide for their own food, shelter, and basic needs.
None of these apply, as my sister was not and is not a danger to herself or others, she lives in San Carlos, has ample access to funds, and can care for herself and also her dog. She is far from disabled.
However, even if patients are considered gravely disabled (which is what they are citing as the reason for my sister’s hold), assistance from friends or family members to provide food, shelter and basic personal needs is enough to qualify patients for release. My sister has a fiancée who will care for her, and I’m willing to care for her as well. She also has a brother nearby and her father and mother, who are all willing to help.
On June 6, we communicated this via email, via fax (three numbers), in person, via phone, and via a couriered letter delivered to the facility (with video evidence of receipt). The physician that wrote the 5250 is disregarding our statement and is illegally issuing a 5250.
I have observed and documented several infringements of basic rights, blatant disregard for the letter of the law, as well as an egregious misuse of professional trust. I have evidence, testimony, legal recordings, and am ready to provide more information.
TLDR: Illegitimate 5150 issued at Stanford leading to boarding at Fremont hospital with intention to force medication against religious beliefs.
Yeni Melchiore
Fremont
