how do you get someone in your family sectioned under the mental health act?

Question

meaning people who can't think for themselves...

Answer 1

Get your family GP to come and see the person. (S)He can then make any necessary arrangements. If they don't agree with your diagnosis then you can try A+E as a last resort, but you're more likely to get things moving through a GP who knows the patient's case history. The only problem is that not all GPs are very competent or experienced when it comes to mental illness...

Answer 2

To assess a person under the Mental Health Act requires a GP, Approved Social Worker in Mental Health & a Psychiatrist. You can access these via your local GP surgery/ Community mental Health Team/Hospital or Crisis Team. Why do you believe this person needs "sectioning"??

Answer 3

G'day Neo,

Thanks for your question.

The Mental Health Act in the UK provides for someone to be admitted to hospital against their wills if it is in their own best interests. Generally, you need two doctors one of whom is a psychiatrist and the other a doctor who knows the patient well. You also need the concurrence of a social worker or a close relative. In an emergency, one doctors recommendation can be sufficient.

If it is an emergency case, they will be sectioned under Section 4 for 72 hours. If it is more routine, they can be detained for up to 28 days under section 2. If at the end of the 28 days, further treatment is required they can be detained for a further 6 months under section 3. A patient can be discharged if doctors believe that they are no longer a threat to themselves or to others.

I have attached sources for your reference.

Best wishes to you and your family during this trying time.

Regards

Answer 4

It often depends on which state you live in. Basically, though, you can only be sectioned under the Mental Health Act if you are a danger to yourself or to others. This means that you could either harm (or kill) yourself or another person because of the mental state that you're in. You can't be sectioned just because you're delusional or acting "crazy"--only if you are at risk for harming yourself or others.

If your family member is at risk, you can take them to the nearest emergency room at your hospital for evaluation by a doctor or psychiatric nurse. If your family member won't cooperate, you could also get the police involved if it's really serious.

Hope this helps!! Good luck with this situation... I know it's a tough place to be in.

Answer 5

See your gp, or if the person is already under a CPN or member of their local Mental Health Team, call them and ask them to see that person urgently. They can arrange for a psychiatrist and social worker to attend their home and make a Mental Health Assessment. If they agree that the person is endangring themselves or others they can be sectioned. Alternatively take them to A & E and get them to see a psychiatrist there.

Answer 6

Most likely :) Interesting facts. If you have a mental issue like oh.. Bi-polar/schizophrenia/etc and need state assistance, they send you a clinic. These clinics in the states 90% of the time run by a religious group. So in a way, if your mental health is every brought into question and you say "God made me" they'll be sure to have an authority on hand to label you crazy.

Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
how do you get someone in your family sectioned under the mental health act?
meaning people who can't think for themselves...

Answer 8

If you're talking about a conservatorship, here is some information that may help:

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/health/publichealth/communityhealth/unablefinances.htm

Bear in mind that this is for California only, laws differ from state to state.

With regard to these two types of conservatorships, an LPS conservatorship is most difficult to get, and must be renewed on an annual basis. If the person under the conservatorship recovers mental capabilities, the conservatorship may be terminated.

If what you're talking about is having someone committed to a mental institution for observation or care, you need to have a psychiatrist who is willing to go before a judge of the court and convince the judge that the person needs to be hospitalized and treated. As a practical matter, the person whose commitment is being contemplated has to be a direct and immediate danger either to themselves or to someone else (i.e., suicidal or threatening harm to someone else), or has to be so badly ill as to be unable to protect themselves from harm.

The bar for taking over someone else's care is set high for a reason: past abuses of people who were under orders of commitment or conservatorships.

If a conservatorship is what you're considering, then I would advise you to seek out an attorney who specializes in conservatorships and work with him/her.

If what you are seeking is the involuntary commitment of someone to a mental hospital, you need to see if your police department can refer you to a psychiatric evaluation team, who can come out and evaluate the person if they are unable or refusing to go to a hospital for evaluation. If you can get the person to go to the ER of a hospital that has psychiatric care facilities (a mental or psych ward), they can be evaluated for involuntary admission by the hospital psychiatric admissions officer.

Either way, good luck, because it isn't that easy to obtain either a conservatorship or an involuntary commitment.

Answer 9

How To Get Someone Sectioned

Answer 10

you have to go through your doctor who will refer you to the mental health team, if it is an emergency then you contact the out of hours doc or ring your nearest mental health hospital and they will be able to give you advice.