How to Do a 72-Hour Mental Evaluation

A 72-hour mental evaluation, also known as a 5150, consists of detaining a person who is a danger to himself or others, seriously disabled or seriously mentally ill for a period of 72 hours for evaluation purposes. The 5150 is so named because this procedure for an involuntary psychiatric hold is outlined in section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code. An officer or a clinician can request a 5150 by signing a written declaration. The term "5150" can refer to the declaration itself or just the process of the person being held.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine whether the person is a danger to himself or others. Make sure he is truly in danger of hurting himself, harming another person or is gravely disabled and unable to provide food or shelter for himself. If he meets one of these three conditions because of a probable mental disorder, a 5150 can then be carried out.

• 2

  Contact a mental health provider, police officer or "mobile crisis team" immediately to set the 5150 order into place. You can request the order yourself, but only a mental health professional or police officer can carry it out. The 5150 will only have enough force to get the patient to the hospital. After this, an evaluation must be done, and a 5151 must be completed for the individual to be hospitalized. This hospitalization will be involuntary, meaning the hospitalized person may not leave on his own accord and must be held for the full 72 hours for observation and possible treatment. The hospital does not have to hold a patient if it finds that after evaluation he is of no danger to himself or others and is not gravely disabled.

• 3

  Organize your reasons for placing this person under the 5150. The hospital will require an application stating why you put the 5150 into motion, what the circumstances of the event were, proof of mental illness or instability and disability, and what is the cause that led you to believe that he was a danger to himself or another person. You must have supporting facts and not just mere conclusions so the facility can determine if your reasons were valid or not. If your reasons are found not to be valid, the person may be released.