Anyone can come into contact with psychiatric patient law. Mental or psychiatric problems can happen to yourself, your loved ones or family members. If someone becomes so confused as a result of these problems, they can become dangerous to themselves or to others. Sometimes compulsory mental health care becomes necessary, for example in the form of a crisis measure or care authorization imposed by the court. This is done under the Compulsory Mental Health Care Act (‘WVGGZ’) and the Care and Compulsion Act (‘WZD’). When compulsory mental health care is imminent, the patient has the right to have a specialized lawyer to assist him. This legal assistance is free for the patient.
Compulsory mental health care intervenes deeply in the lives of the patient and his loved ones. Therefore, all kinds of conflicts and disputes can arise in this process. So it is important that the patient has an experienced lawyer to assist him. For example, the lawyer can try to influence the various forms of compulsory care and/or its duration, and can examine whether there are alternatives to compulsory care and/or whether this care is effective. If there is a crisis measure or care authorization, conflicts may also arise with the medical director or the psychiatric treatment officer about the necessity of the treatment, the way in which the treatment is carried out or about the coercive medication.
For questions about psychiatric patient law, please contact Dick Poot, Y.M. Bérénos en Geeta Nandoe Tewarie.
For questions on Psychiatric patient law, please contact us.
