Get Help Following a Loved One’s Hospitalization at Icarus in Vegas
In most cases, 72-hour holds in Nevada provide safety for a limited time when someone is in a mental health crisis. For an involuntary admission, the person must be at the point of causing imminent, serious bodily harm to themselves or others.
Imagine being caught in a sever story with high winds sweeping across the desert – you take shelter to prevent harm. That’s the intent of the 72-hour psychiatric hold, although it may be an involuntary hold.
Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada is not a destination for a psychiatric hold situation. However, we are fully licensed mental health professionals, providing inpatient or outpatient treatment on a voluntary basis. We accept emergency admission and can provide follow-up care after the end of your loved one’s 72-hour hold.
Keep reading to learn more about the Nevada 72-hour hold and how to get appropriate care for yourself or a loved one after the common 72-hour time frame expires.
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The History of Nevada’s 72-Hour Hold for a Mental Health Crisis
Nevada developed its involuntary admission holds similar to California’s Lanterman-Petris-Short Act. The California law mandates the end of forced, involuntary admission of people with mental illness; that clearly distinguishes that mental illnesses are not the same as a mental health crisis.
It also sets a legal process for the involuntary commitment of people in crisis at 72 hours. In the California mandates, the person must be a danger to self or others or have a grave disability.
The Nevada State Legislature patterned its state laws regarding involuntary hospitalization on the California program, ensuring the rights of those held involuntarily. The person at risk of serious injury must be held in the least restrictive setting during the 72-hour hold period.
Mental Illness Versus Mental Health Crisis
Before the enactment of laws that ensured the rights of those placed on 72-hour holds, some were unfairly committed by family members who simply did not know how to cope with a family member’s mental illness.
Here are the differences between mental illnesses and a mental health crisis:
Mental Illness Requires Ongoing Treatment
A mental illness is a long-term condition, such as:
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Depression and related disorders
- Behavioral disorders
Most people can live with persistent symptoms without a crisis. With therapy and treatment, people who have a mental illness can almost always meet their basic needs and live productive lives.
A Mental Health Crisis Can be Brief But Urgent
Conversely, a mental health crisis comes on like a sudden storm. The person in crisis may or may not had a diagnosed mental illness. A crisis could be thinking about or attempting suicide or severe psychotic episodes.
They sometimes require psychiatric holds to get the care they urgently need, especially if there’s a substantial likelihood they are in distress or can’t exercise self-control.
What Mental Health Professionals Can Refer Patients for a 72-Hour Hold?
Only certain approved medical professionals can refer someone for hold at a psychiatric hospital:
- A psychiatrist or physicians with specialized training in psychiatry
- Licensed clinical psychologists
- A credentialed, licensed social worker
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with psychiatric specialty training
The medical professionals mentioned above can refer a patient at serious risk of bodily injury.
What Is Nevada’s Court-Ordered Involuntary Admission Process?
Sometimes, the courts can order an involuntary hold, usually called a civil commitment.
The legal process or the court-ordered admission can occur in circumstances similar to those of the mental health crisis – the criteria dictates that they must have a substantial likelihood of causing serious harm to themselves or others.
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How the Civil Commitment Process Works
Here’s what happens during the hearing process that will determine a court ordered admission:
Someone Must Petition the Court Requesting Involuntary Hospitalization
The process starts when someone other than one of the medical professionals listed above asks that the person be held involuntarily. This person can be:
- A treatment team member who deals with an at-risk patient but is not an approved professional to start a 72-hour medical hold. An example could be a physician assistant or nurse who knows a patient can’t meet their basic needs and is in grave danger due to complete neglect of their well-being.
- A family member or loved one who believes the person is in a grave mental health crisis. For instance, a mother of an adult child knows they are demonstrating the signs of psychiatric distress. They might even worry about the possibility of death resulting from suicide.
- A law enforcement officer or district attorney can request a person meeting the criteria of posing a serious risk of danger or death to themselves or the public can request the patient be admitted for stabilization. This can happen in the case of severe intoxication (although they typically just hold them in lockup for 24 hours in most instances).
The information they present in this process will only move forward if their conduct shows that they are an immediate danger to themselves or others.
An Evaluation Occurs to Ensure the Person Meets the Criteria Before Setting a Hearing
Before court-ordered psychiatric holds can proceed, the judge will ensure that the person meets the criteria of a psychiatric hold. Mental health professionals will assess and determine the necessity of the hold.
A Court Hearing (Officer of Court or Judge Presides)
In the court hearing step of this process, a judge or hearing officer reviews the petition and the evaluation.
They review the evidence that proves whether the person can meet the criteria for involuntary hospitalization. They may look into whether they are not functioning well on their own or if they’re unable to care for themselves. The hearing officer will also inquire whether they have a grave disability such as a major depressive disorder preventing them from doing so.
The hearing officer will use this information to determine the next steps.
The Court Issues a Decision Based on Evidence at the Hearing
The judge will decide if the petition for psychiatric holds is within the scope of the law and necessary to get the person immediate support. They will often also order the person to be hospitalized for a specific time frame, usually a 72-hour stabilization period.
The most common limit on the court order is 72 hours in this situation, the same as with a mental health crisis. However, the person who initiated the petition can request an extension through certain legal processes if the patient continues to meet the criteria for involuntary admission.
For instance, that extension can happen if a combative patient continues to threaten to hurt people even after hours of treatment at the hospital.
Our Treatment Team Will Provide Support After the Hospital
Most know us as a drug and alcohol rehab facility. However, we are also a licensed Nevada mental health treatment center and have worked with many patients and clients to overcome everything from depression to anxiety to mood disorders.
In our experience, unmet mental health needs can leave you or your family member at risk of serious harm, even after being hospitalized. If you have met the criteria for a 72-hour hold and are ready for follow-up care outside of the hospital setting, our team can help.
Our treatment team has helped many clients who have been admitted to a hospital but as the patient continues to improve will require a less intensive setting. We have the experience to improve your mental health in our inpatient and outpatient settings.
In-patients receive around-the-clock supervision, ensuring they have the most structured setting as they continue to heal. Out-patients also receive therapy in a structured environment. However, they go home to their families at night.
Whether inpatient or outpatient, all clients at Icarus Behavioral Health in Nevada receive a customized treatment program that will include psychotherapy, holistic therapies, and new coping skills to help prevent these circumstances in the future.
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Call Icarus in Nevada for Same-Day or Emergency Admission Today
We can often accommodate same-day admissions, especially those that meet certain criteria and have urgency. If you need information on how to get help today, we recommend you call us asap. Spaces are limited, but we will do everything we can to help you or your family member into our facility.
The peace of mind you desire is here at Icarus Nevada – let’s connect confidentially today.