issue regarding mental health facility, and refusal to treat?

Question

Do they have the right to not treat, based on the possibility that they feel my child will run, even though she is consenting to treatment?

Answer 1

I am a mental health RN working in in-patient hospital care. I work in a locked facility, but there are other facilities that are open. When a parent signs in their child, legal responsibility is being extended to that facility for the care and well-being of your child. It doesn't matter if the child is consenting to treatment or not...the parent gives the consent. A child can do a lot of fancy talking to say what one wants to hear, but have every plan to do the opposite of what they say. The facility is aware that a patient may want to run away, but it is the facilities duty to maintain the patients' safety, especially if it is a minor. If the patient is a harm to himself or others, it is the mental health facility's law-abiding duty to assure safety of this patient and treat them.

Answer 2

sadly you have to get a 5150 to ensure admittance to a mental health facility. She will have to be a harm to herself or others. They will keep her on a 5150 for I believe 72 hours mandatory and then maybe more if need be. The other thing found out was they had to use an ambulance as transportation to facility from emergency. Unfortunately, the expenses are huge. I mention that because that can be a big stressor for the WHOLE family. Of course getting the loved one the help they need is first and foremost.

Answer 3

I'm having a lot of problems with my 15 year old son. Nobody has refused to treat him per se ... but they have strung us along for years and haven't given him the help he needs. They've basically blown me off as some overly emotional woman that's over-reacting. He'll basically have to get into some legal trouble or become a ward of the state in order for him to get what he needs.

For example, there are programs that are offered by the state, but the only way he would be eligible for state programs is to have medical insurance provided by the state. The only way he would be eligible for state medical insurance would be for me to be on welfare. I can pay my taxes to the state to help fund these programs, but I can't utilize any of these programs because they will not take my private insurance. I could, however, pay full price ... which nobody can afford unless they are rich.

So now my son has hit rock bottom. He's run off for the 10th time in two months, he's been gone almost one week without his medications, and now the Juvenile courts, the schools, the doctors, my job, and my family are oh so concerned and finally realize that I was right all along as to the magnitude of his problems. Why weren't they concerned before he totally lost it? Wouldn't it have been better if any one of them had intervened when he was still reachable? I'm so frustrated I could spit!

Answer 4

If you are in the US and she is a danger to herself or others, they must treat her. They could get sued if she went off and did something awful and they refused to admit her.

You may want to call up your health plan. I'm not clear from your question whether this is inpatient or outpatient treatment, counseling or a doctor. I don't think anyone has an OBLIGATION to treat your child unless it is an emergency.