I think I know the answer but want your opinions. My son is paranoid sz. He has missed court twice (speeding ticket). He has another chance next Thursday but my guess is he won’t make it to actually be in front of the judge. I spoke with the crisis team and they said to go to court and ask for a court ordered mental health evaluation. They said if I called for a Mental Health eval. at the house that he likely would not qualify - because he will eat if I provide him food. Yesterday, he barricaded the doors. My fear is that if I get him a mental health eval. and they come to get him, this will make him even more fearful, even desperate and someone may get hurt. Do you think I should request a court ordered mental health evaluation or let it go and let him have a warrant for his arrest. Thoughts?
I once got a mental health warrant issued for my son. Then I worked with the CIT police in his neighborhood so they knew when he was out and about, and they were able to bring him to the hospital.
I just found out that it is a warrant so they would not come and get him at the house. It would be the next time he comes into contact with the police. They also told me to write a letter explaining that he is not able to deal with the case due to his mental health. So I will ask for the mental health eval. What is CIT Crisis…? Intervention Team?
CIT stands for Crisis Intervention Training. CIT officer means a Crisis Intervention Trained officer. ALWAYS ask that a CIT officer be sent if available when you need police intervention. They are trained to handle people experiencing a mental health crisis, and usually handle situations much better than untrained officers.
As I said, the CIT officers understood the situation, and gave me their contact information so that when I knew my son was out of his apartment, I was able to make them aware of his whereabouts.
It can cause friction with your family member, but in my case, my son was so sick at the time, it barely registered that I was involved in the process.
Can you do both? Seems like a good idea to have the warrant out there waiting for his next police encounter.
I know things would not go well if they tried to approach my son in his apartment. He has been stopped by police before while he is driving and he is pretty agreeable at those times.
I agree with everything everyone has written.
Jail is far more traumatic than a mental hospital for many people who have sz. Plus, I just do what the crisis team here tells me to do. They know the system. But we all need to make our own decisions because we know our family members best.