INVOLUNTARY ADMISSION-CONNECTICUT

The material provided on the 211 eLibrary is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice.

Under Connecticut law, an individual may be committed for psychiatric treatment against their will under certain specific circumstances. The following questions relate to the issues and legal requirements involved in an involuntary commitment:
• When can a doctor send me to a hospital involuntarily?
• How long can I be kept in a hospital involuntarily under an emergency certificate?
• What can I do if I have been hospitalized even though I do not need to be?
• What is civil commitment?
• Who can apply to have me civilly committed?
• Can I be hospitalized as soon as an application for civil commitment is filed?
• How does a probate judge decide whether or not to commit me to the hospital?
• What rights do I have at a civil commitment hearing?
• What are the criteria for civil commitment?
• Can I voluntarily go to a hospital after a civil commitment application has been filed?
• How can I get a new hearing after I've been committed?

For answers to these questions and more information on the legal rights of people with mental illness, see the link to The Rights of People with Mental Illness in Connecticut, from Advocacy Unlimited. Advocacy Unlimited is an organization which offers support, information, and education for people with psychiatric disabilities to enable them to advocate for themselves. 

For more informaton, see the Connecticut Judicial Law Libraries: Connecticut Law About Rights of Mental Health Consumers.

TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
Search by program name: Mental Health Consumers Advocacy Training

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SOURCES: Connecticut. General Assembly Office of Legislative Research Report # 2002-R-0848; The Rights of People with Mental Illness in Connecticut, by Advocacy Unlimited
PREPARED BY: 211/kq
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: March2012