Mental Health Decisions Outline

Note: This work was prepared as a guide to legal practitioners, and is intended as an informational guide, not as a complete listing of all case law. Before relying on any of the information presented in this summary, users are encouraged to consult with counsel familiar with mental health law and related legal issues. Although this information is in the public domain, the Commission asks that any references to this Summary contain proper attribution.

1. Involuntary Admission
   1. Petition/certificates
      1. Timeliness
      2. Form
      3. Service of petition/notice
      4. Voluntary recipients
      5. In general
   2. Clear and convincing evidence
      1. Mental illness
      2. Harm
      3. Basic physical needs
      4. Least restrictive alternative/dispositional report
      5. In general
   3. Order for admission
2. Authorized Involuntary Treatment
   (Psychotropic medication and electro convulsive therapy)
   1. Petition
      1. Timeliness
      2. Form
      3. Service of petition/notice
      4. In general
   2. Clear and convincing evidence
      1. Mental illness
      2. Capacity
      3. Substituted judgment
      4. Benefits/risks
      5. Deterioration/suffering/threatening
      6. Least restrictive alternative/Dispositional report
      7. In general
   3. Order for treatment
   4. Other
3. Hearings
   1. Timeliness
   2. Right to counsel
      1. Timeliness of appointment
      2. Waiver
      3. Ineffective assistance
      4. In general
   3. Right to trial by jury
      1. Timeliness/form of demand
      2. Jury instructions
   4. Right to be present/Location of hearing
   5. Witnesses/testimony
   6. Independent examination
   7. Continuance
   8. In General
4. Petition for discharge
5. Appeals    
   1. Mootness
   2. Waiver/plain error/strict compliance/harmless error
   3. Jurisdiction
   4. Record on appeal
   5. Standard of Review
   6. Remedy
   7. Procedure
6. Miscellaneous
   1. Statutory Construction
   2. Administrative Agencies/Procedure
   3. Treatment/Institutional Rights
   4. Confidentiality
   5. Guardian/Ward
   6. Long Term Care
   7. Institutional Rights to IDEA
   8. Parental Rights
   9. Other