Who initiates emergency commitments?
Florida's Mental Health Act was amended in 2005 and 2006 to include licensed mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists, respectively, to the list of professionals authorized to initiate emergency commitments. The present study evaluates the volume of involuntary emergency commitments by type of initiator for a 5 year period. The results indicate that allowing licensed mental health counselors and licensed marriage and family therapist to initiate emergency commitments has not been related to increased numbers of emergency commitments or a higher proportion of emergency commitments being initiated by mental health professionals. Potential policy and fiscal implications, as well as future directions for research, are discussed.
Christy
Annette
A
Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, USA. achristy@fmhi.usf.edu
Handelsman
Jessica B
JB
Hanson
Ardis
A
Ochshorn
Ezra
E
D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D010820:Physicians; D016495:Police; D000078329:Workforce