Forced help for serious mental health problems

Are you worried about someone? Do you think this person needs urgent mental health help? Does the person pose a danger to themselves or those around them because of a psychiatric condition? Then help is needed. Report this to the municipality. The municipality will investigate whether and what help is needed.

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Note

Is there any immediate danger? Then call the emergency number 112 or the family doctor.

Approach

This is how you apply for forced help for someone with mental health problems:

  • Is there any immediate danger? Then call emergency number 112 or the family doctor.
  • Is there no immediate danger? Then pass the report on to the municipality:
    • via the online form or
    • by phone. Call the social portal 045-5604004. Choose option 2. You will get someone from WMO on the line. They will talk to you.
  • The municipality is having an investigation into whether forced treatment is necessary.
  • A psychiatrist does medical examinations.
  • If the prosecutor also finds the forced psychiatric treatment necessary, he will send the request to the judge.
  • The judge decides.
Description

If a person is a danger to themselves or others due to mental health problems and does not cooperate with treatment, they may be forced into treatment. For example, medication, therapy or admission to a mental health institution.

Anyone can report to the municipality that someone needs forced help. Thus, you do not have to be a family member or a caregiver.

In ordinary proceedings, the judge decides whether forced help is needed. Is there immediate danger and does the procedure take too long? Then the mayor can take a crisis measure. This way someone can be treated quickly. For this the mayor needs a statement from a psychiatrist.

Requirements

The Requirements for compulsory help for mental health problems include:

  • The person is a danger to himself or his surroundings.
  • The person refuses to be admitted or treated.
  • A psychiatrist supports the forced treatment.
  • In a crisis measure: the danger to the person or his surroundings is so serious that there is no time for the ordinary procedure.
Term

Are you a close family member (parent/partner) or caregiver? Then we will let you know the outcome within 14 days. If you are not a close family member we cannot inform you about the outcome. This is regulated in the AVG - the privacy law.

Objection and appeal

You cannot appeal the judge's decision for forced psychiatric treatment. In the case of a crisis measure by the mayor, you can. You can appeal within 3 weeks of the decision for the crisis measure. The crisis measure does not stop if you appeal.

Learn more

Information on forced mental health care

Information about a crisis measure

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