Hi Diane, The 72 hour hold is a chance for doctors and social workers to see whether the person needs a longer civil commitment. Where we live, the person can be committed for up to a year, but will only be hospitalized until stable, usually from ten days to six weeks. Then the committed person will be required to show up for outpatient appointments for a year from the date of commitment.
I was just looking at that state map and am very surprised my state is so terrible. We have terrific hospitals, but they don’t accept medicaid. The clinics that we have contacted that do take my son’s insurance insist on having a therapist see him 4 times before someone can give him medication for sz.
He wants neither, but we had hoped if we get him to a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse we could at least get meds if needed.
Where we live, the private insurance company that runs Medicaid requires counseling for one month (4 visits) at a clinic (behavioral health center) before the person can see the PA or doctor. It’s an insurance thing and every state is different. A psychiatrist will prescribe on the first visit, but the wait to see one is usually pretty long.
I don’t know about where you are, but if our family member needs meds quickly, there is a free department of health and welfare meds clinic run by the state. Also, once you start to meet people in your area (NAMI if it’s there), they will help you find resources. There are a few walk-in mental health clinics here that open just a few hours a week, but they’re here and I didn’t know about them until I started really digging. Also, any hospital’s Emergency Room as last resort.