Civil commitment
The prepetition screening program provides an impartial and in-depth clinical assessment of a person who is at risk of being committed, based on mental illness, chemical dependency, or developmental disabilities.
Guided by state law, the prepetition screening team must conduct a thorough investigation of the proposed patient’s situation before any petition for commitment can be filed.
The team includes staff from multidisciplinary backgrounds, including chemical health counselors, psychiatric social workers, clinical psychologists, and registered nurses.
The program is mandated to:
- Facilitate the commitment process by working with the patient, treatment community, county attorney’s office, and family members
- Assess whether the patient’s situation meets the criteria for commitment
- Divert patients from the commitment process by assisting in the development of a less-restrictive alternative