The staff members of Atascadero State Hospital (ASH) proudly serve the people of the State of California by providing protection for the community, expert evaluations for the courts, and state-of-the-science psychiatric recovery services for individuals referred to us from across the state.

The mission of ASH is three-fold: Protection, Recovery, and Evaluation.

• Protection:  In emphasizing public safety, we provide a secure environment within which individuals referred to our care can recover from the effects of their psychiatric conditions.  This secure environment protects the community as well as the people within the hospital and enables and supports the therapeutic milieu.
• Recovery:  We provide up-to-date treatment and rehabilitation services to the individuals in our care and ensure that community standards of practice and care are provided in our facility.  We recognize that recovery is most effectively achieved when services are person oriented, empirically based, and arise out of a diverse theoretical and multidisciplinary foundation.
• Evaluation:  We provide consumer-specific objective evaluations and recommendations to the courts and other agencies using the most up-to-date instruments and risk assessment models.

Atascadero State Hospital leads in developing and providing state-of-the-art, dispositionally relevant, mental health care for forensic patients. We provide our patients with biopsychosocial rehabilitation opportunities that prepare them to reintegrate successfully into their communities.

We provide our staff with rewarding work experiences and empower them to design, measure, evaluate, and continuously improve the programs and services they provide. Quality is fostered by encouraging all staff and patients to identify opportunities for improvement and to participate in creating solutions.

We create for our staff and patients a safe working environment in which conflicts are resolved in an atmosphere of mutual respect and dignity.

We believe that mental disorders arise out of and affect physical, psychological, and social functioning, and cause disruption of the person's life. We believe that mental disorders are treatable. We strive to assist our patients in becoming and remaining healthy, so that they may return to their community, as stable and as independent as possible.

We believe that the process of providing expert clinical evaluation and treatment for mentally ill forensic patients takes place most effectively in an environment which fosters innovation, creative problem-solving, mutual respect, and a dynamic, therapeutic milieu, characterized by collaboration between staff, patients, and external agencies.

As a public sector forensic psychiatric facility whose mission is vitally linked to public policy and community concerns, we believe that our patients are best served in an environment that balances security with each individual's treatment needs. All members of the Atascadero State Hospital community are personally responsible for the safety and security of the hospital environment both in interpersonal relationships and in control and identification of environmental security risks. As we maintain security, we provide the structure, support, validation and interactions that promote self-responsibility, well being, and health.

Located on California's Central coast, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Atascadero State Hospital (ASH) is an all-male, maximum security, forensic facility serving the entire state of California. ASH opened in 1954 and is a completely self-contained psychiatric hospital constructed within a security perimeter. ASH has a licensed capacity of 1,239 beds, and employs over 1,800 staff. Patients are referred to the hospital by Superior Courts, the Department of Corrections, Board of Prison Terms, and other state hospitals.

As a public sector facility, ASH's mission is linked to public policy. ASH has undergone a number of changes due to shifting public, professional, and legislative attitudes regarding the relationship between crime and mental disorders. The hospital's current mission includes public protection, evaluation, and psychiatric treatment.

Atascadero State Hospital offers unparalleled potential for research of the human personality and provides undergraduate and post-graduate programs for physicians through affiliations with four of America's major universities - the University of California, San Francisco; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Southern California; and Stanford University. The treatment programs at the hospital are designed to provide activities and care to groups of patients who have similar problems and needs. A broad overview of these programs includes focus upon admissions evaluation, community planning, intensive psychiatric care, cognitive restructuring, family interaction skills, self-governing skills, neurobehavioral evaluation and treatment, self-assertiveness, interpersonal communications and social orientation.

Atascadero State Hospital offers a vocational rehabilitation program which provides patients the opportunity to learn an increasing number of work trades and job skills under the direction of trained vocational counselors. Through the broadly based Aztec School curriculum the patient can achieve minimum educational competencies, receive a GED or pursue advanced independent studies. The hospital athletic program offers opportunity for intramural competition in basketball and softball and hosts community-based athletic teams during seasonal sports events. Atascadero State Hospital employs over 1800 people and has a volunteer organization in excess of 190 contributing over 3200 service hours per year. The majority of its human resources are involved in the provision of direct patient care following the Interdisciplinary Treatment Team concept. Members of the Interdisciplinary Team include the psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation therapists and nursing personnel.

The Long Beach State University School of Nurses Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program, American Psychological Association-approved Clinical Psychology Internship Program, and Cuesta College Psychiatric Technician Training Program are operated on-site as well.

ASH is a fully state licensed and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (J.C.A.H.O.) accredited facility. In 1993 and 1996, A.S.H. received "Accreditation with Commendation", the highest level of accreditation awarded by the Joint Commission.

ASH is located in a region that encompasses 100 miles of pristine coastline, a rapidly growing wine industry, agricultural lands, ranches and a carefully preserved rural quality. An unpolluted environment spiced with charm and friendliness, the central coast offers the amenities of an urban area in a serene country setting.

The area is host to five state parks, part of the Los Padres National Forest, four lakes, scenic mountains and snug hills and valleys, each contributing to a wide selection of outdoor recreational activities. Among its many activities, San Luis Obispo County boasts its own Mozart Festival and is host to the Mid-State Fair, one of the largest in the State.

The climate is as varied as the terrain with coastal moderation and inland areas experiencing four distinct seasonal changes. Pleasant small communities with excellent schools, California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, Cuesta Community College, and access to land and air transportation are all readily available.

The seaside communities of Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, and Cambria offer ocean breezes, beautiful beaches, fine dining and entertainment. San Simeon and Hearst Castle are less than an hour's drive to the north along California's spectacular coastline winding its way north to Big Sur. Within a two-hour drive to the north are Pebble Beach, Carmel by the Sea and the world famous Cannery Row on the Monterey Peninsula. Two hours to the south lies Santa Barbara and its famous beaches, the Santa Barbara Zoo and many historical landmarks.