The governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, signed a new law enabling hospitals to apply for a court order to hold patients experiencing mental health crises for six days, according to an Aug. 22 report from northjersey.com.
Previously, involuntary commitment times could last up to three days, which the updated law will now double if the hospital or emergency department can prove there are no available beds within the first three days.
The law allows people in need of emergency mental health treatment to be held in a hospital while a judge determines the next psychiatric treatment steps. While patients are involuntarily held in hospitals, they can see a social worker, and a psychiatrist is required to evaluate them once every 24 hours during the additional three days. The updated law is in response to the difficulty hospitals are facing when trying to find placement for crisis patients, Sen. Joseph Vitale, a primary sponsor of the bill, said in the report.
Mental health, civil rights and disability advocates oppose the new law, and nearly 50 organizations in July signed a letter to Mr. Murphy urging him to veto the bill.