involuntary hospitalization and outpatient services laws - Disability ...

Where a Person May be Involuntarily Hospitalized
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A person may be admitted involuntarily to:
State institutions: Riverview Psychiatric Center and Dorothea Dix Psychiatric
Center
Nonstate mental health institutions: a public institution, a private institution or a
mental health center, which is administered by an entity other than the state and
which is equipped to provide inpatient care and treatment for the mentally ill.
This is generally the freestanding hospitals, Spring Harbor and Acadia
Hospitals, and community hospitals with psychiatric units.
34-B MRSA §3801(6) and (9); 34-B MRSA §3861
Protective Custody
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An involuntary admission may start with protective custody. This happens
when a law enforcement officer takes a person into custody to bring the person in
for an evaluation for possible involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. A law
enforcement officer may be a policeman or an officer of the county sheriff’s
department.
34-B MRSA §3862
Protective Custody Process
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The law enforcement officer must bring the person for an evaluation by a
medical practitioner. A medical practitioner is a licensed physician, registered
physician assistant, certified psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner
or licensed clinical psychologist. Most frequently the law enforcement officer
takes the person to a hospital emergency room.
34-B MRSA §3862; 34-B MRSA §3801(4-B)
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