Los Angeles County covers approximately 4,083 square miles which includes densely populated urban areas as well as sparsely inhabited rural communities. The County’s geographic area is larger than the combined area of the states of Delaware and Rhode Island.
The County has 163 distinct cities and communities including two island areas that are accessible only by air or water.

The mission of California's mental health system is to enable persons experiencing severe and disabling mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances to access treatment and support services. These services are tailored to help each individual to better control their illness; achieve their personal goals; and develop skills and supports leading to their living the most constructive and satisfying lives possible in the least restrictive environment. Effective services will reduce homelessness and incarceration of these individuals with serious mental illness. These accomplishments decrease the need for expensive publicly financed services and increase the ability of the individual to achieve taxpaying independence.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) develops and coordinates mental health services to address these needs through a community-based process. Primary services include case management, inpatient care, outpatient services (including crisis intervention/emergency response), and day treatment programs provided through a network of contracted and County-operated mental health clinics and hospitals. Using standards established by law and regulation, DMH reviews and monitors the clinical and fiscal performance of all service providers.

The service system for adults and older adults is targeted to a population that includes individuals who are functionally disabled by severe and persistent mental illness as well as those who are low-income, uninsured and temporarily impaired or in situational crises. The target population for services to children and youth are seriously emotionally disturbed children and adolescents who are diagnosed with a mental disorder. These children include wards or dependents of the juvenile court in need of mental health services; children in psychiatric inpatient facilities; seriously emotionally disturbed youth in the community; and, all handicapped pupils identified and referred by local educational institutions under the provisions of AB 3632 - Special Education Pupils.

The Director of Mental Health serves as Public Guardian, acting as conservator for persons gravely disabled by mental illness and, as appointed by the court, for the frail elderly. The director is also the County's Conservatorship Investigation Officer.

The Director has responsibility to assure that patients' rights are protected in all public and private hospitals and programs providing involuntary assessments, care and treatment, as well as in all community programs.