Involuntary Rehab: Can You Force Someone Into Rehab?

Most individuals would fight tooth and nail to guide a person who means the most to them to forgo their substance addiction, and get the right help. For some of the more severe cases of substance abuse, just the act of discussing their actions and your worries can stimulate them toward treatment. Other individuals, however, need more thorough conversations about the situation, along with the adverse consequences it poses to them and the family.

This particular case is quite common. Of the 21.6 million individuals aged 12 or older who required treatment for substance abuse in 2019, only a little over 19% received any form of treatment, while only 12.2% got it at a specialized facility.
Since 1999, almost 841,000 people have died from overdose. In 2019 alone, the total number of drug overdose deaths in the United States reached 70,630.

An intervention may be necessary with your family member with an addiction problem. Trying to convince someone suffering with addiction to seek treatment may seem difficult.

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Is it Possible For Someone to be Forced Into Drug Rehabilitation?

In several states, parents have the legal right to compel their underaged children to participate in alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs, without the child’s consent. This does not apply to those whom are older than 18 years of age. Consequently, some states implemented laws of involuntary commitment that apply to adults.

Is it possible for someone to be forced into rehabilitation? Generally, yes. And there are various procedures to which this may be achieved. One procedure is through drug courts, which processes non-violent offenders who have SUD by admitting them to managed care facilities instead of prison, where punishment is the last thing the offender needs. In 2015, approximately 30% of adolescents aged 12 or older who were receiving help for alcohol and drug abuse did so via a court order or through the criminal justice system. However, for drug court eligibility, a person has to have been convicted of a crime, accepted guilt, and received a court mandated treatment plan.

An additional option for families attempting to secure treatment for a loved one who suffers from alcohol and/or substance use disorder (SUD) is involuntary commitment laws. As of now, thirty-seven states along with the District of Columbia have laws for committed treatment when SUD is involved. While each statute can be quite different based on the jurisdiction and its particulars, there are baseline criteria that must assess in order for the involuntary commitment law to be utilized.

What Steps Has One To Take Towards Involuntary Commitment?

For family members who want to place a relative into involuntary rehabilitation, each state has its own unique process. In terms of specifics, most statutes are alike in that they all need these general criteria to be satisfied, for instance:
A threat. The individual is a danger to themselves or others.
A disability. Addiction has caused physical or mental impairment.
Incapacitation. The said individual has impaired decision making.
Neglect. Your relative cannot meet their most basic needs or take care of themselves.
Totally A loss of control.
The determination of who has the right the petition the court differs from state to state (a relative, a treating physician, a psychologist). What is common among them is that the SUD suffers has to undergo a medical examination, and it needs to be documented and signed that the patient requires treatment for substance abuse disorder.

How do the States Define SUD Involuntary Commitment And Usage Laws?

The following states allow you to involuntarily commit someone into rehab due to substance use disorder:
Some disorders treated under outpatient therapy include depression, anxiety, trauma, and stress.

• Alaska
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Iowa
• Delaware
• Ohio
• Georgia
• District of Columbia
• California
• Washington
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Colorado
• Missouri
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Michigan
• Kentucky
• Indiana
• Wisconsin
• Virginia
• South Carolina
• Florida
• Maine
• Vermont
• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts
• North Dakota
• Hawaii
• Tennessee
• West Virginia
• Pennsylvania
• North Carolina
• Oklohoma
• Kansas

With regard to SUD, petitions for forward involuntary commitment protect strict civil liberties of the SUD patient by creating legal processes that include representation, the chance to challenge their detention, and several other legal powers. As such, they are entitled to attend the proceedings, attend hearings, cross-examine witnesses, and appeal any decisions.

Does Involuntary Commitment Threat Have An Impact?

There is insufficient data on the results from the application of violations of the commitment law due to the variety of specific elements changes of each enactment and the implementation patterns within the states, for instance, Florida and Massachusetts report court-ordered treatment of several thousands patients per year while other states appear not to have employed these laws.

A civil commitment analysis conducted in 2018 discovered that self reported users of opioids experienced an average relapse time of 72 days following treatment, although some individuals relapsed on the day of their discharge.18 More recent research on opioid users showed that while they supported the use of civil commitment to help with their drug and mental health issues, it was noted that civil commitment worked better for them than opioid use disorder.

It is clear from this evidence that many people believe that treatment has to be voluntary in order for it to be effective. But as the National Institute on Drug Abuse points out, treatment does not have to be voluntary in order for it to work. Sanctions and pressure from family, friends or the justice system have led to increased attendance and retention rates as well as success in drug treatment.
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Where can I get help?

At Caring Hands Recovery Treatment Center, we have better and effective treatment options that we ensure are applicable to the unique conditions of patients. Caring Hands Recovery are qualified personnel ready to respond to your questions now. You can call them on +1 760-468-3444.

At Caring Hands Recovery Treatment Center, located in scenic Corona, CA, we have highly effective treatment and recovery options, supervised by our experienced and specialized staff, that we ensure are applicable and effective to the unique conditions of our clients and patients. Our qualified and caring staff are ready to readily respond to your questions. Please call us at +1 760-468-3444.

Reach out to us today by calling: +1 760-468-3444