Compulsory treatment for serious mental health problems

Are you concerned about someone? Do you think this person urgently needs mental health care? Does the person pose a danger to themselves or others due to a psychiatric disorder? Then help is needed. Report this to the municipality. The municipality will investigate whether help is needed and, if so, what kind.

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Please note

Is there immediate danger? Call the emergency number 911 or your family doctor.

Approach

How to request compulsory assistance for someone with mental health problems:

  • Is there immediate danger? Call the emergency number 911 or your family doctor.
  • Is there no immediate danger? Then report it to the municipality:
    • via the online form or
    • By telephone. Call the social services portal at 045-5604004. Select option 2. You will be connected to someone from WMO. They will discuss your situation with you.
  • The municipality is investigating whether compulsory treatment is necessary.
  • A psychiatrist performs medical examinations.
  • If the public prosecutor also considers compulsory psychiatric treatment necessary, he will send the request to the judge.
  • The judge decides.

Description

If someone poses a danger to themselves or others due to mental health problems and refuses to cooperate with treatment, they can be forced to undergo treatment. This could include medication, therapy, or admission to a mental health institution.

Anyone can report to the municipality that someone needs compulsory assistance. You do not need to be a family member or a care provider.

In a normal procedure, the judge decides whether compulsory treatment is necessary. Is there immediate danger and is the procedure taking too long? Then the mayor can take emergency measures. This allows someone to receive treatment quickly. To do this, the mayor needs a statement from a psychiatrist.

Requirements

The Requirements compulsory assistance with mental health problems include:

  • The person is a danger to themselves or their surroundings.
  • The person refuses to be admitted or treated.
  • A psychiatrist supports the compulsory treatment.
  • In the case of a crisis measure: the danger to the person or their environment is so serious that there is no time for the normal procedure.

Term

Are you a close family member (parent/partner) or informal caregiver? If so, we will inform you of the outcome within 14 days. If you are not a close family member, we cannot inform you of the outcome. This is regulated by the GDPR—the privacy law.

Objections and appeals

You cannot appeal against the judge's decision for compulsory psychiatric treatment. However, you can appeal against a crisis measure imposed by the mayor. You can lodge an appeal within three weeks of the decision for the crisis measure. The crisis measure will not be suspended if you lodge an appeal.

More information

Information about compulsory mental health care

Information about a crisis measure

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