• jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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    1 year ago

    Regardless of the quality of an individual facility, it’s a myth that people are held long term. Also, the quality of the worst facilities today are still a far cry from the 70s. There’s a large amount of legal protections around people being involuntary held. Nothing is comparable to legitimate torture.

    To be clear, you can ONLY be held if you continue to be a threat to yourself or others. The only rights you can lose are those that involve stopping damage, violence, suicide, homicide, etc. and the more extreme the case, the more extreme the intervention. I’m not going to lie and say that people who are physically violent and attempt to harm staff don’t get chemically sedated.

    • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It is absolutely not a myth, long term involuntary holds do continue to this day. In my state, you get a 72 hour hold to determine if you're a danger to yourself or others, followed by up to 3 month holds which can be repeated indefinitely. I can quote exact laws if that will help you grasp what I'm saying. I just got done with clinicals in a psychiatric hospital, I can assure you what you're saying is categorically incorrect.

      • jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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        1 year ago

        Sure, I’d love to see a quote from a state law where the 90 day hold is authorized after 72 hours. Never heard of such a model in any state I’ve lived in

        • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Here's a summary with the referenced law.

          However, the psychologist providing treatment can recommend further care. If they think you are gravely disabled or are a threat to yourself or others, they can certify you for more treatment. If you do not agree to this treatment, it will trigger a court process under CRS 27-65-107. If you get certified for more care, it can last up to 3 months.

          • jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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            1 year ago

            Pretty wild, never seen a state where they do 90 days right out of the gate. Still, in reviewing Colorado’s own data, it seems like it’s rarely invoked (roughly 3-4K times per year). Definitely not a good model for involuntary commitments, but it also sounds like the holds rarely extend for the full 90 days, although I don’t see data on that