Involuntary Mental Health Hold

Your doctor has determined that, if you leave here, your thoughts and actions suggest that you may harm yourself or others. With your protection and well-being in mind, you have been placed on a legal involuntary mental health hold. Some states may call this a "72-hour hold." A specific time period is set so you can be carefully assessed by a mental healthcare specialist.

The involuntary mental health commitment law requires that you must be held for a certain amount of time for a psychiatric evaluation if a certified person, such as a doctor, police officer, or sheriff's deputy determines that you are:

• A danger to yourself or others, or
• Not able to care for yourself, or
• Gravely disabled and unable to provide for basic needs

This hold is enforced even if you don't consent.

The amount of time you may be placed on an involuntary mental health hold varies by state. Once committed, you are not left completely powerless. Each state has legal protections in place. These protections help ensure you receive a timely court hearing, representation, the right to appeal, and the ability to be present at all civil commitment hearings.

When you are released, it is critical to follow up with your doctor or mental health provider for continued mental health and medical care. This is very important for your ongoing well-being. If at any time after you are released you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, follow the instructions below for calling or texting 988.

Call or text988 if you have thoughts of harming yourself of others. You will be connected to trained crisis counselors at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. An online chat choice 988lifeline.org.chat is also available. Text HOME to 741741 to access the Crisis Text Line. Lifeline is free and available 24/7.

Contact your doctor or emergency services right away if any of the following occur:

• Symptoms gradually or suddenly return
• Medicine side effects develop
• Feeling very depressed, anxious, or angry toward yourself or others
• Feeling out of control
• Feeling that you may try to harm yourself or someone else
• Hearing voices that others don't hear
• Seeing things that others don't see
• Having extreme mood swings
• Not able to sleep or eat for 3 days in a row
• Family or friends are concerned about your well-being and behaviors and ask you to seek help

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at www.988lifeline.org. If in crisis, call or text 988. You can also call 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255).
• National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.nami.org or 800-950-6264 or text NAMI to 62640.
• Mental Health America at www.mhanational.org or 800-969-6642
• National Institute of Mental Health at www.nimh.nih.gov or 866-615-6464