[Dion]

Originally Posted by 8 Ball

And what can they do about it?

Guidelines for involuntary admisssion

Typically, individuals are admitted to a psychiatric or mental health facility when they pose a threat to the personal safety of themselves or others.

Involuntary admission

The Mental Health Act sets out several reasons that a person may be held as an involuntary patient. The two most common reasons are:

1. The person is a danger to themselves, another person, or may unintentionally injure themselves, or
2. The person’s condition is deteriorating and they require hospitalization.

To become an involuntary patient, a doctor must decide that the person meets one of the requirements of the Act and then sign a Certificate of Involuntary Admission. If the person was an involuntary patient already, and the term of the Certificate was expiring, the doctor can keep the person in the facility involuntarily by signing a Certificate of Renewal.

A person may also be admitted as a patient involuntarily upon recommendation of a physician. In Ontario, any doctor may make an application for a psychiatric assessment of an individual and the public authorities (police, hospital officials, etc.) are obliged to detain the person. The physician must give that person written notice of the application and cite reasons.

The detention may be for no more than 72 hours. In that time, a different physician must assess the condition of the patient. Any patient detained involuntarily is entitled to a hearing before the province's Consent and Capacity Board. The patient has a right to retain counsel.

Two opinions are needed to maintain the detention. A first psychiatric assessment must be performed within 24 hours of admittance and a second assessment must be performed within 96 hours.

http://www.legalline.ca/legal-answer...ength-of-stay/