Building the Path to Home

Getting an emergency assessment

There are three ways to get a mental health assessment for someone who is not willing to go to the hospital:

• Any doctor who has examined the person during the past seven days and who believes that the person meets the criteria outlined on the previous page may issue an Application by Physician for Psychiatric Assessment (Form 1). This authorizes the police to bring the person to the nearest psychiatric facility for assessment. The assessment can last for a maximum of 72 hours. There is no guarantee that the person will be admitted and/or treated.
• Anyone may ask a justice of the peace to sign an Order for Examination (Form 2). A Form 2 authorizes you to take the person to a doctor, who then determines if it is appropriate to issue a Form 1.
• If a police officer has good reason to believe that the conditions for issuing a Form 2 would likely be met, and that it would be dangerous to wait for a justice of the peace to issue it, he or she can take a person to a doctor for an examination.
• Online versions of these forms are available on the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care website.

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