Civil Commitment

NOTE:

I do NOT sue doctors, police or mental health facilities.  For that you need to obtain a medical malpractice attorney.  I cannot be of help in that area.  Please do not call asking about litigating against those who caused a committment.

The ADAMHS Board

Each Ohio county has a Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board, an "ADAMHS" board.  This is pronounced "adams board".  This board has the authority, when they determine someone is mentally ill and subject to hospitalization, to force that person into a hospital for treatment.

Definition

A mental illness involves a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life.

Criteria

A mentally ill person, because of his or her illness:

• is suicidal (The person represents a serious risk of physical harm to himself as manifest by evidence of threats or attempts at suicide or serious self-inflicted bodily harm.)

• is a danger to others (The person represents a substantial risk of physical harm to others as manifested by evidence of recent homicidal or other violent behavior, evidence of recent threats that place another in reasonable fear of violent behavior and serious physical harm, or other evidence of present dangerousness.)

• is unable to care for themselves (The person represents a substantial and immediate risk of serious physical impairment or injury to himself as manifested by evidence that he is unable to provide for and is not providing for his basic physical needs because of his mental illness and that appropriate provision for such needs cannot be made immediately available in the community.)

• is a risk to the rights of others (The person would benefit from treatment in a hospital for his or her mental illness and is in need of such treatment as manifested by evidence of behavior that creates a grave and imminent risk to the substantial rights of others or him or herself.)