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While news over Britney Spears\u2019s 13-year conservatorship turned what was a largely unfamiliar term into one most Americans now know, involuntary care over adults with certain types of disabilities or severe mental illness is nothing new in the United States. In fact, the contentious battle between civil rights and health care needs goes back decades. Professor Alex V. Barnard explained the history of conservatorships in the state of California, examined the government\u2019s role in overseeing involuntary care, and proposed ways the conservatorship system can be improved for those it seeks to help.

For more on this topic:

Check out Barnard\u2019s recently published book, Conservatorship: Inside California\u2019s System of Coercion and Care for Mental Illness.\xa0

Read his OpEd on this topic: California needs new rules as it forces more mentally ill people into treatment.