The Treatment Advocacy Center publishes excerpts and summaries of US civil commitment laws and standards as a service to lawmakers, mental health agencies, advocates, families, journalists and others seeking information about involuntary treatment for acute or chronic severe mental illness.
The following charts provide critical information for each state and the District of Columbia.
For court-ordered inpatient and outpatient treatment standards by state, use the drop-down menu on the US map on this page to navigate to your state's page.
- "Emergency Hospitalization for Evaluation: Assisted Psychiatric Treatment Standards by State" - essential information about criteria for emergency hospitalization for psychiatric evaluation (also called "hold," "pick-up," "detention," "provisional hospitalization," "72-hour emergency admission" or other)
- "Initiating Court-Ordered Assisted Treatment: Inpatient, Outpatient and Emergency Hospitalization Standards by State"- essential information about who may initiate proceedings leading to court-ordered treatment for an individual with symptoms of severe mental illness
- “State Standards for Assisted Treatment – Civil Commitment Criteria for Psychiatric Inpatient or Outpatient Intervention by State” - statutory language of each state’s civil commitment standards and criteria
