For more information, bios, resources, and transcripts visit adalive.org/episodes/episode-144/. Individuals in mental health crisis often cannot make informed choices for themselves. Far too often, law enforcement or first responders must quickly assess a situation and make judgments about keeping the public and the individual in crisis safe and respond quickly to address their needs for mental health treatment. One tool currently being evaluated in California is Psychiatric Advanced Directives, also known as “pads” or P-A-D-S. PADs are used to protect the legal rights of people with mental health conditions.

Our host for this episode is Gary Shaheen. Gary is the Director for Mental Health Initiatives at Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. Gary will be speaking with Kiran Sahota, the founder of Concepts Forward Consulting. Kiran and Gary discuss the development and implementation of web-based psychiatric advance directives (PADs) in California. The project, involving seven counties, aims to enhance mental health crisis management by providing individuals with mental health conditions a platform to express their preferences and choices. The digital PADs platform, accessible in multiple languages, addresses issues of accessibility and usability. The project also involves training law enforcement and hospitals on utilizing PADs, which could reduce hospitalization and incarceration. The initiative highlights the importance of systems change and community engagement in mental health care.