Essay On Civil Commitment

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Introduction
Civil commitment is defined as “a process by which a court determines whether or not to order an individual to receive treatment or care or be confined” (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2013, p.1). There are two legal principles that are part of a state’s interest in civil commitment. They are parens patrae and police power. The term ‘parens patrae’ is a philosophy that states that the government is in charge of his/her citizens when such citizens are not able to care for himself or herself (Testa & West, 2010). The term ‘police power’ is defined “as the inherent and plenary power of a sovereign to make all laws necessary and proper to preserve the public” (Lareau, 2013, p. 308).
Legal Aspects and Contours of Involuntary …show more content…

They are emergency commitment and long-term commitment (Lareau, 2013). Dr. Swanson and Mr. Petrila (2014) state that “emergency commitment may be used when someone is considered a danger to himself or herself or others while suffering from a mental illness, when he or she are gravely disabled, or when he or she is unable to meet his or her basic needs” (p. 1). The term “emergency commitment” refers to a detention in a psychiatric hospital that usually lasts between 48 and 72 hours. According to the authors, the standard for an emergency commitment is having “probable cause to believe that without inpatient mental health intervention and treatment the person would pose a serious risk to self or others” (Lareau, 2013, p. 315). Stage two is the long-term commitment which requires a commitment hearing (Lareau, 2013). During a commitment hearing, there are protections that are provided in all states. Such protections that are provided to such a person include the right to call favorable witnesses and to cross-examine unfavorable witnesses, the right to a neutral fact finder, state has the burden of proof with clear and convincing evidence, the right to a lawyer, and written notice which includes the advisement of his/her rights (Lareau, 2013; Player,

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