candystripper
Posts: 3486
Joined: 11/1/2005 Status: offline
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quote:
Unfortunately, he or she should be careful whom she speaks with. The record of an involuntary committement will follow her for the rest of her life. I can't be certain of the rules in her state, but in my old home state of Massachusetts, mental hospitals, hit hard by the de-institutionalizing craze, had developed a neat cottage industry. They pay a bounty to police officers, nurses, doctors and even firemen who declare a person "to be a danger to himself or herself" and so can be held for ten day under what is called "Section 12 committal". Since this is paid for by the person's insurance, regardless of consent, it helps defray the money they no longer get from long term patients. (Uninsured patients are quickly found to be not dangerous and released.) JohnWarren i could not agree more. Firstly, that someone having suicidial thoughts should not call a suicide prevention hotline, talk to a therapist (or a cop) and admit to those feelings. It's like declaring bankruptcy; the pall it casts over your life is immense. i also agree we (the US) have a really lousy mental health system. i wasa there when administrators and bueracrats decided to reduce the Medicaid payment for a talk therapy session to below $30. They knew most therapists would refuse to accept Medicaid patients anymore; and the burden of providing health care to those wiley enough to get some was reduced. Psychologists were systematically being driven out of business in favor of nurse practitioners. It was premediated and it was ugly; evil, even. candystripper
< Message edited by candystripper -- 12/24/2005 3:56:09 AM >
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