Tag: RT

• Required to inform people that they are being put into a psychological evaluation

• Similar to informing someone being arrested (Miranda’s law) that anything they say can be used against them

• Every 5 people in a hospital must have a non-mental health field advocate – who tries to get person out of involuntary hold, e.g.

• Cannot force people/patients out of their initial clothing

• Cannot force catheters

• Cannot use restraints on ambulances, chairs, or gurneys

• Employers cannot ask for psych history unless it is volunteered

• Hospitals, EMS, police, cannot use previous psych history against person – unless it is volunteered and wanted to be by person

• Cannot ask if previously been in a psych hospital or previously diagnosed during ER/EMS/police interactions

• Cannot force person to state previous or current medications

• Cannot Polydrug (over 2 drugs at a time) a person

• Cannot suddenly increase dosage over a certain threshold at once

• Must present withdrawal pamphlets and information

• Patients should be able to be visited at anytime (not a set time – is this a hospital or a prison?)

• Should not be forced to attend therapy sessions, activities, etc and/or not let this be used as a punishment for less cafeteria access

• Cannot have “levels” of obedient patients

• Sexual harassment and abuse training required for all “mental health” facilitators

• Patients can use their own written testimony against a professional’s testimony and also that of witnesses or advocates

• Therapy and activity session paperwork is included in medical records

• Required to present patients with regular information on school, employment opportunities, transportation opportunities, and housing opportunities

• Required to allow internet access to patients

• Cannot lock up patient’s items into lockers or away from patient unless a weapon or at higher levels of danger

• Patients should have access to their cell phones, wallets, and money at all times

• Required to work with patients to get impounded cars out of towing yards.

• Annual checks with interviews with patients (not staff) on how facilities are run and any complaints

• Should be able to deny drugging

• Cannot drug victim before a judge’s written order

• No isolation rooms

• Must be required to let patients out at least twice a day optionally outside.

• Disability, not danger criteria

• Gravely disabled criteria cannot be used to force patients beyond “danger to self or others”

• Psych records can be expunged after 3-5 years (similar to how crimes can be expunged).

• Danger to others should be separated from danger to self.

• Must be given list of side effects with each drug given.

• Patients should be able to be released to themselves (not always to another person), when they can prove economic, scholastic, or career responsibility

• No option currently to be released without a “caregiver” of some sort or relative

• Not required to open access to relatives without permission from patient.

• More protections for students who are labeled or not yet labeled.

• Cannot be kicked out of school without proving violence to others may occur otherwise

• Cannot be kicked out for danger to self

• Cannot be forcibly put into “mental health” treatment unless with reasonable idea of violence to others

• Allowed to refuse psychological evaluations and tests.

• Do not have to inform school of psych history, drugs, or records.

• No restraints in ERs

• Cannot state to patients that they must take a drug for their entire lifetime.

• Should be able to request non-mental health professional accommodations

• Alternatives

• non-MH MDs, doctors, health professionals

• Cannot force illegal drug addicted patients on to psych drugs

• No psych drugs as substitute

• Should be able to state allergies to drugs and not take drugs

• Should be able to take vitamin alternatives

• Should be able to receive mail

• Should be able to openly communicate to outside people if given permission by patient to give information to advocates → Patient not required to give name before permission given, can ask patient for permission to all or select people.

• (problematic when outside people want to help a person and unable to say anything)

• Visitors should be able to go to patient’s rooms and through facility (as in regular hospitals, or is this a prison with a visiting room?)

• Suggestions for financial advisors, not conservatorship

• Required to report numbers of Americans under conservatorship, on community treatment orders, involuntarily held, and the number of psych wards in America publicly each year.

  

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