JEFFERSON CITY - The system the McBride Commission recommended, approved by Missouri lawmakers, would change several provisions in current laws on involuntary commitment.
Among the changes, the bill before the governor would:
Remove the requirement for proof of "physical" harm or a "physical" threat to commit.
Allow the court to look at a person's past history of behavior, rather than the immediate situation.
Allow commitment to out-patient programs, rather than just hospital-type institutions.
Increase the crime of patient abuse from a misdemeanor to a class D felony.
Allow notification of family members of a person with mental illness of their treatment and whereabouts.
Set up a 24 hour crisis hot line funded by the Department of Mental Health.
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