Involuntary Mental Health Treatment
Involuntary Treatment
Discussion
Purpose
The purpose of the graded collaborative discussions is to engage faculty and students in an interactive dialogue to assist the student in organizing, integrating, applying, and critically appraising knowledge regarding advanced health assessment. Meaningful dialogue among faculty and students fosters the development of a learning community as ideas, perspectives, and knowledge are shared.
Course Outcomes
This discussion enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:
CO6: Apply ethical and legal principles to the healthcare needs and management of acutely ill, and complex psychiatric mental health patients across the lifespan. (PO 1)
Preparing the Assignment
Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the assignment. Contact your course faculty if you have questions.
At times, mental illness can impair a client’s capacity to make informed decisions for themselves. Their condition or choices regarding treatment may put themselves or others at risk for harm; however, ethical practice demands consideration of the client’s rights in relation to autonomy and self-determination. Examine the American Psychiatric Association position statement on an involuntary outpatient commitmentLinks to an external site.. Now, consider the position statement on involuntary mental health treatment provided by Mental Health AmericaLinks to an external site.. Address the questions below in your initial response.
Application of Course Knowledge
In what ways are the positions similar? In what ways do they differ? How do they compare to the legal requirements in your intended state of practice?
After reading the position statements, with which statement do you find yourself more philosophically aligned? Explain why.
What legal recourse do clients have if they disagree with involuntary treatment decisions in your intended state of practice?
At times, providers may experience moral distress when ordering involuntary treatment. What type of situation might create moral distress for you? What resources exist for providers experiencing moral distress?
In what ways might your perspective about involuntary psychiatric treatment impact the choices you make in practice?
Integration of Evidence
Discussion post is supported by appropriate, scholarly sources; AND
Sources are published within the last five years; AND
Reference list is provided and in-text citations match; AND
Includes a minimum of one scholarly reference in addition to the textbook.
Engagement in Meaningful Dialogue: Respond to a student peer and course faculty to further dialogue.
Substantive posts contribute new, novel perspectives to the discussion using original dialogue (not quotes from sources).
Student posts at least two responses to peers and/or faculty.
Student responds to all faculty questions posed directly to the student.
Post includes evidence from at least one scholarly resource to support interactive dialogue.
Professionalism in Communication: Present information in a logical, meaningful, and understandable sequence that is relevant to the discussion topic.
Grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation are accurate.
Good writing calls for the limited use of direct quotes. Direct quotes in discussions are to be limited to one short quotation (not to exceed 10 words). The quote must add substantively to the discussion.
Reference Citation: Provide references with complete information as required by APA (0-1 errors). Include in-text citations included for all references AND references for all in-text citations (0 errors).
Total Participation Requirement: Provide at least three substantive posts (one to the initial question or topic, one to a student peer, and one to a faculty question) on two different days during the week.
**To view the grading criteria/rubric, please click on the three (3) dots in the upper in the box at the end of the solid gray bar, above the discussion board title, and then Show Rubric.
Involuntary Treatment
Student’s Name
Institution
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name
Date
Involuntary Treatment
Both Mental Health America (MHA) (n.d.) and American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2020) believe that involuntary mental health treatment should be used as a last resort. They also state that involuntary medication administration should not be imposed on the patient unless there is a separate and independent review to establish that involuntary medication is in the patient's best interest. The APA supports involuntary outpatient treatment and believes it can be an effective approach to increase treatment adherence and prevent relapse or deterioration. It also recommends the involvement of law enforcement when patients fail to comply with involuntary treatment (APA, 2020). However, the MHA does not support involuntary outpatient treatment. It believes that such an approach could divert treatment from those seeking treatment voluntarily and, as such non-coercive means, including community treatment approaches, should be used instead (MHA, n.d.). It also believes that patients should not be re-committed or their release revoked if they fail to adhere to involuntary treatment unless they pose a danger to themselves or others. APA's position compares to the legal requirements in California in that they both believe involuntary outpatient mental health treatment can be used to prevent patient relapse or deterioration (California Legislative Information, n.d.).
I am more philosophically aligned with the APA position statement. It acknowledges the potential benefits of involuntary outpatient treatment while admitting that this approach has potential ethical implications. I find that this approach can be used to improve the mental health of patients who are unwilling to seek mental health services. I like that the APA position insists that this approach should be used to improve patient recovery and not for violence prevention (APA, 2020). The role of healthcare professionals is to promote health and reduce re-hospitalization, and the APA position supports this view. In California, clients have a right to appeal the decision for involuntary treatment (California Legislative Information, n.d.). The pati...