Not quite true in California - being "gravely disabled" also justifies involuntary detainment and treatment: "A condition in which a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is unable to provide for his or her basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter."

In reality though, the lack of funding for such people means that only the most severe are treated under this category. What's required is the funding and political will to enforce it, the necessary legal structure is already in place.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySectio...

From what I’ve heard from mental health professionals, in practice simply being able to answer some very basic questions (like “Are you hungry? If so, what should you do?”) with plausible answers (“I should eat”) is sufficient to pass the “gravely disabled” test.

> "A condition in which a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is unable to provide for his or her basic personal needs for food, clothing, or shelter."

Wait a minute. Does it also apply to all these infamous unemployed college graduates who still live with parents?

This really isn’t funny or comparable. Unemploymed college graduates do not lack the capacity to do these things, they have a choice to do them or not do them.

People with mental health issues that compromise their ability to care for themselves don’t have a choice.

Not funny, indeed, but how do we tell people who "can, but don't want" from those who want, but cannot care for themselves?

In most cases, that’s fairly easy to tell by looking at their history, current living situation, and cognitive abilities.

Also, are those who are lazy really the majority case here? Or a straw man being used to justify ignoring the problem?

The difference might be that mental issues are identified and cared for much earlier, before people end up on the streets and things worsen more and more. Locking people up into wards is not the only option.

Not at all an expert in this, but it sounds like there are much more mentally ill people in the streets in the US compared to other places.

I'd bet more American families kick their problem relatives out instead of caring for them within the household. "Not my responsibility."