IMD Institute of Mental Disease

What is an IMD?

Often when your loved one has been LPS conserved, you will hear from the doctors and other care takers that they will be soon transferred to an IMD. An IMD is: Institute of Mental Disease (IMD)A 24-hour institution of more than 16 beds that is primarily engaged in providing diagnosis, treatment, and care of persons with mental disorders. IMDs are licensed as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) or a Specialized Treatment Program (STP).

​The court  in most cases will order that the conservatee be placed in a closed locked facility. Probate conservatorships do not allow for closed locked mental health treatment. Only the LPS conservatorship allows for the conservator to place the conservatee in a locked mental health treatment center.  The County of San Diego contracts with two Institution for Mental Disease (IMD) facilities, Alpine Special Treatment Center (Alpine) and Crestwood Behavioral Health Fallbrook. (Crestwood) for long-term inpatient1 treatment of the seriously mentally ill under court ordered conservatorship.

*However, some conservatees are sent Lakeside Special Care Center near Santee and Vista Knoll. 

For conservatees in San Diego there are four main facilities where conservatees are sent

Lakeside Special Care Center: 
11962 Woodside Ave, Lakeside, CA 92040
(619) 561-1222

Alpine Special Treatment Centers (ASTCI):
2120 Alpine Blvd, Alpine, CA 91901
(619) 445-2644

Crestwood Fallbrook 
624 E Elder St, Fallbrook, CA 92028
(760) 451-4165

Vista Knoll Specialized Care
2000 Westwood Rd, Vista, CA 92083

Conservatees can be sent anywhere but generally in the hospital patients will hear these places listed first. 


There are other ones but these are the primary four where conservatees can be placed. The waiting time can range from weeks to a month or so. The conservatee upon establishment of permanent conservatorship will be placed on a waitlist and whichever facility has an opening first will be the one to receive the conservatee.




What are the laws that permits placement of the LPS Conservatee in a closed locked facility?

The primary special power of an LPS conservator is the right of placement, in re. Welf & I C §5358(a).

(A) Pursuant to Welf & IC. § 5008, the conservator and court shall place them in the least restrictive placement. This can range from the lockdown state hospital and closed IMDs to halfway homes or outpatient residential. Most conservatees start out in state licensed IMDs or some form of acute care. However, should they be able to follow the program they can transition to lower level placements. There are conservatees who move from locked treatment  to unlocked placements within 6 months of conservatorship. It all depends on the conservatee's needs and prognosis.


If a conservatee believes that they have improved or disagree with the level of placement, they can request a rehearing on the matter of placement. This hearing is separate and distinct from the right to a rehearing on one's status as a conservatee under Welf & I C §5364. Welf & I C §5358.3.


However, the conservatee can only request a rehearing on placement every 6 months. Technically under the law conservatees may challenge placement by filing a writ of habeas corpus. However, conservatees and counsel should remember that writ of habeas corpus is an extraordinary writ meaning that the often counsel will refuse to file.


*Note: If the conservatee leaves the IMD without the approval of the conservator, the conservator may take the conservatee into custody and return the conservatee to the facility. The conservator may request that an officer detain the conservatee and return him or her to the facility Welf & I C §5358.5. 





Want to learn more about IMDs in San Diego... click on each one

Crestwood Fallbrook IMD

ALPINE SPECIAL TREATMENT CENTERS (ASTCI)

Lakeside Special Care Center