Atascadero State Hospital

Atascadero State Hospital, formally known as California Department of State Hospitals- Atascadero , is located on the Central Coast of California, in San Luis Obispo County, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. DSHA is an all-male, maximum-security facility, forensic institution that houses mentally ill convicts who have been committed to psychiatric facilities by California's courts. Located on a 700+ acre grounds in the city of Atascadero, California, it is the largest employer in that town. Due to security measures, DSHA and its grounds are not open to the public, and those wishing to enter the grounds must have a lawful reason to enter. DSHA does not have a medical Emergency Room; those seeking medical assistance should seek a medical hospital. Members of the general public seeking mental health assistance are referred to SLO County Mental Health. DSHA does not take voluntary admissions. The only patients admitted are those that are referred to the hospital by the Superior Court, Board of Prison Terms, or the Department of Corrections.

Atascadero State Hospital opened in 1954, as a state-run, self-contained public sector forensic psychiatric facility. It is enclosed within a security perimeter, and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations . Patients are referred to the hospital by the Superior Court, Board of Prison Terms, or the Department of Corrections.

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