Mental Health and Mental Retardation Branch - FAQs
When can I get assistance
for a family member who appears to be mentally ill?
Under D.C. law, before a person can be committed
and forced to accept treatment, the person must be found to
be mentally ill and dangerous to themselves and/or others
because of the mental illness.
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When is a person considered
a danger to self and/or others as a result of the mental illness?
"Danger to self" means if that person is
not able to care for him- or herself or is likely to inadvertently
place him- or herself in a position of danger or is likely
to suffer harm. "Danger to others" means if the
person is likely to perform some act or acts either intentionally
or unintentionally to others and such act or acts may be either
violent or nonviolent. Please note that drug addiction and
alcoholism do not qualify as a mental illness.
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How should I begin the process
of getting the person help?
If a loved one or someone you live with needs help
for a mental health problem, the person may go or be taken
to a community mental health center. A doctor will examine
the individual and determine if the person appears mentally
ill and dangerous to self and/or others. The doctor will decide
whether emergency hospitalization is needed.
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Where are these community
mental health centers located?
There are a number of centers. The office hours vary
from center to center. Be sure to telephone before going to
the center:
Northeast Community Mental Health Center
35 K Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-442-4215
Northwest Community Mental Health Center
1125 Spring Road N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20010
202-576-6512
Multi-Cultural Center
1250 U Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009
202-673-2058
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What happens if the doctor
at the center determines the person may be mentally ill?
If the doctor determines that the person needs hospitalization,
the person will be transported to St. Elizabeths Hospital.
At St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatrist will examine
the person and review the community mental health center's
request for hospitalization. If the doctor at St. Elizabeths
Hospital determines that the person has symptoms of a mental
illness and is likely to injure him- or herself and/or others,
the individual will be involuntarily hospitalized.
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What should I do in an emergency
situation?
In the event there is an immediate emergency, and
the mentally ill person is refusing to go to a community mental
health center, you can call the Comprehensive Psychiatric
Emergency Program (CPEP) at 202-673-9319 24 hours a day. It
is located at 1905 E Street SE. If the CPEP determines there
is an immediate emergency, an officer or agent will come to
your home and examine the alleged mentally ill person to ascertain
whether the person needs immediate involuntary hospitalization.
In extreme emergencies you may call the Metropolitan Police
Department at 202-727-4326.
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What if the person agrees
to seek help?
An individual may voluntarily admit him- or herself
to a mental health facility for treatment. To be admitted
to a private hospital, the person must have insurance or evidence
of a capacity to pay. The public mental health hospital in
the District of Columbia is:
St. Elizabeths Hospital
2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20032
202-562-4000
The admission office for St. Elizabeths Hospital is
located on the main campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital,
phone (202) 645-7522.
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Is there an alternative if
I have been unable to get the mentally ill person to a doctor
for an examination or treatment?
If you have been unsuccessful in getting a mentally
ill person to a doctor for examination and treatment and you
are a parent, spouse, or legal guardian of that person, you
may file a petition to commit with the Mental Health Clerk's
Office of the D.C. Superior Court.
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Where do I go to file a petition
to commit?
The Central Intake Center of the Family Court is located on the East Wing of the John Marshall level of the District of Columbia Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Room JM-520, Washington, D.C. 20001. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 202-879-1212.
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Is there some other place
to receive additional assistance?
After a person has been released from a mental health
facility, the individual may need continuing support. Contact
your local community mental health center for more information.
If you are looking for information on mental illnesses, you
may contact:
National Institute of Mental Health
Public Inquiry 15C17
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
301-443-4513
To receive the information guide "Getting Help for the
Mentally Ill" (Publication 97-0544 PM5), contact the
Mental Health Clerk's Office in the Moultrie Courthouse, Room
4475, telephone 202-879-1040.
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Can anyone review my mental
health case if I have been committed?
Yes. Mental health cases are not confidential and
are open to the public for review. Anyone can request to see
any case files on record.
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How do I get assistance
for a family member who is mentally retarded?
Mental retardation cases are initiated with the filing
of a "Petition for Commitment of a Mentally Retarded
Person" and supporting "Affidavit of Petitioner"
by a parent or guardian of the retarded individual or by a
representative of the Department of Human Services.
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Who do you contact first?
If you desire to initiate the process through the Department of Human Services, you may get further information by calling 202-673-4554. If you are a parent or guardian and you desire to file the petition yourself, you may contact the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Family Court, Central Intake Center at 202-879-1212 for additional information. The Central Intake Center is located at the following address:
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Family Court
Central Intake Center
500 Indiana Avenue N.W.
Room JM-520
Washington, D.C. 20001
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Can anyone review a mental
retardation jacket?
No. Mental retardation cases are confidential. All
hearings are closed to the public. Only the parties involved
may see the case file.
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