PSYC 318 Lecture 19: Mental Health Services - Legal and Ethical Issues
Document Summary
Male with bipolar disorder, drunk, antique bandit (clocks) Female with bipolar disorder, stabbed husband (he lived), personality disorder, grandiosity. Male with bipolar disorder, manic, robbed bank wearing aloha shirt. Civil commitment laws determine the conditions under which a person may be certified legally to have a mental illness and therefore to be placed in a hospital, sometimes in conflict with the person"s own wishes. Historically, states have permitted commitment when several conditions have been met: The person has a mental illness and is in need of treatment. The person is dangerous to himself or to others. The person is unable to care for him/herself. The person is not competent to make treatment decisions. Virginia mandated emergency response service operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Provide assessment of acute mental health and substance use problems. Provide acute hospital preadmission screening, crisis counseling, outpatient referral. Primary gatekeeper to community hospitals, state hospitals, training centers.
