Ask me about working in a psychiatric hospital

[FlyWf]

I got put in on a Sunday, so there were no doctors there. They allegedly made me stay so I could talk to one of them, but then they just let me go after I woke up on Monday. I didn't have to pay for anything, though, this was some sort of government run detox/psych ward thing.

I signed all the paperwork they gave me, should I have not done that?

I ended up needing to waste a sick day at work over that [censored].

[Ben Young]

I take it this wasn't in Western Psych?
I was there for ten days and saw some crazy stuff.

[swingdoc]

[ QUOTE ]
I once got held in a mental health facility overnight thanks to a crazy ex telling the police I was a suicide risk.

OP, what could I have done(as an objectively uncrazy guy) to get out earlier? Was there any way I was going home the same day?

It really sucked, in case anyone wondered. The other people in there were crazy as [censored], I spent the entire time trying to sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, this sounds really wrong. Maybe I was just lucky always working in a university hospital (or prison hospital) but NOBODY got admitted without seeing a psychiatrist (at least a resident). Even if the police brought the patient in, a doctor had to be willing to admit them in order for the patient to stay. Basically, nowhere I worked would have admitted you on the say-so of some random 3rd party. I did see patients involuntarily committed by a judge after relatives called the cops and filled out the appropriate forms, but I think they had to have 2 witnesses to the craziness sign some legal paperwork to do this. Obviously you could sue your crazy ex for this, but I'm sure it's not worth the effort.

[jackflashdrive]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I once got held in a mental health facility overnight thanks to a crazy ex telling the police I was a suicide risk.

OP, what could I have done(as an objectively uncrazy guy) to get out earlier? Was there any way I was going home the same day?

It really sucked, in case anyone wondered. The other people in there were crazy as [censored], I spent the entire time trying to sleep.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, this sounds really wrong. Maybe I was just lucky always working in a university hospital (or prison hospital) but NOBODY got admitted without seeing a psychiatrist (at least a resident). Even if the police brought the patient in, a doctor had to be willing to admit them in order for the patient to stay. Basically, nowhere I worked would have admitted you on the say-so of some random 3rd party. I did see patients involuntarily committed by a judge after relatives called the cops and filled out the appropriate forms, but I think they had to have 2 witnesses to the craziness sign some legal paperwork to do this. Obviously you could sue your crazy ex for this, but I'm sure it's not worth the effort.

[/ QUOTE ]

In Florida a police officer can sign the paperwork to admit someone involuntarily to a psych facility if that person made statements or behaved in such a way that the officer believes the individual is a danger to themselves or others. It's all supposed to be done IN FRONT OF THE OFFICER, so the testimony of a third party to the cop wouldn't be sufficient. Once admitted you have to see a doctor within 24 hours unless you sign in voluntarily.

On that point:

[ QUOTE ]
I signed all the paperwork they gave me, should I have not done that?

[/ QUOTE ]

I probably wouldn't sign any papers at all if I was admitted and didn't think I should be there. Not much advantage to signing, except avoiding the implied threat that they will keep you longer that I spoke about earlier. You can still file a writ of habeus corpos even if you sign in voluntarily, though.