Mental Health
Mental health is a vital part of overall wellbeing, affecting how we think, feel, learn, work, and connect with others. Everyone deserves respect, dignity, and access to appropriate support to live, learn, work, and thrive in their communities.
P&A protects the rights of children and adults with mental health disabilities, whether they live in the community or reside in facilities.
Mental Health Advocacy
P&A believes mental health is health and individuals with mental health disabilities have the same rights to dignity, safety, and self-determination as anyone else.
Our efforts includes:
- Investigating incidents of abuse, neglect, and exploitation
- Monitoring providers and facilities
- Advocating for access to community-based services and support
- Protecting educational rights
- Ensuring the mental health–related rights of individuals involved in the justice system
Mental Health Stigma
Stigma surrounding mental health is one of the biggest barriers individuals face when seeking help, exercising their rights, or fully participating in their communities. It can appear as negative attitudes, harmful stereotypes, discrimination, or assumptions about a person’s abilities, safety, or worth. As a result, individuals may fear asking for help, experience delays in diagnosis or treatment, face discrimination in education, employment, housing, or services, and become increasingly isolated or excluded. Stigma can also lead to a loss of autonomy, voice, and decision-making power.
P&A works to reduce mental health stigma by promoting the message that mental health is health, centering lived experience and self-determination, advocating for trauma-informed and person-centered systems, challenging discriminatory policies and practices, and educating the public and professionals about mental health rights. Reducing stigma helps ensure individuals are treated with dignity, have their voices heard, and receive support that promote recovery, independence, and full community inclusion.
Mental Health Advance Directive
What Is a Mental Health Advance Directive?
During a mental health crisis or an involuntary commitment, you may temporarily lose the ability to make treatment decisions. In those situations, others may make decisions for you, such as:
- Choice of hospital;
- Types of treatment; and
- Who should be notified.
Unfortunately, at the time of crisis, you may not be able to make your wishes known. You may end up with decisions being made that you would not choose for yourself.
If you are concerned that you may be subject to involuntary psychiatric commitment or treatment in the future, you can prepare a legal document in advance to express your preferences for mental health treatment. This document is commonly referred to as a Mental Health Advance Directive (MHAD). You may also appoint an alternative decision-maker to make treatment decisions for you if you become unable to express choices on your own behalf.
How Mental Health Advance Directives Are Different
Mental Health Advance Directives differ from general health care directives. General directives often focus on extraordinary medical measures or end-of-life care situations many people have not personally experienced. In contrast, individuals with mental health conditions often live with chronic illnesses and have direct experience with treatments.
The goal of a Mental Health Advance Directive is to maximize recovery while minimizing unwanted interventions.
Benefits of a Mental Health Advance Directive
Writing a mental health advance directive can:
- Allow you to make decisions about treatment before you need it
- Enable informed decision-making when your mental health is at its best
- Clearly communicate your wishes to providers and loved ones
- Potentially shorten hospital stays
- Help prevent the need for a guardian
- Improve communication between you and your doctor
- Reduce the likelihood of unwanted treatments
Mental Health Advance Directive P&A Resources
- Mental Health Advance Directives Brochure
- Guidance for Mental Health Advance Directives
- Mental Health Advance Directives Fillable Form
Mental Health Advance Directive Resource Links
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 23-06.5 Health Care Directives
- Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law: Advance Directives
- National Resource Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives
- Psychiatry Online: Mental Health Service Users’ Perspectives on Psychiatric Advance Directives: A Systematic Review
- Psychiatry Online: The Content of Psychiatric Advance Directives: A Systematic Review
- Psychiatry Online: Advance Directives for Mental Health Treatment
- Psychiatry Online: Advance Directives for Mental Health Care: Innovation in Law, Policy, and Practice