This came up in my health care forum.
Right now, you can legally detain someone medically when they are a danger to themselves or others for up to 72hrs. The details vary by state, but this is how we lock down individuals trying to suicide or someone mentally off the rails making threats of violence.
This variation on that law would also make opposition to Trump qualify.
Civil commitment can follow as with individuals who have profound mental illness and are not safe to be out in the world.
This is the loudest scream that democracy is dead short of hauling people out into the street and shooting them.
It’s important to note the police are currently the people who bring individuals in for the 72hr mental health holds.
Psychiatric hospitals are also allowed to lie to you. You can go in voluntarily, and be upgraded to “involuntary” with no recourse.
Mental health techs will lie - cause problems? Guess what, your notes now say that you are “paranoid” and “hear voices.” You’re “paranoid” because a tech beat the shit out of you two hours ago - you don’t hear voices, but you are “crazy” so obviously lying.
Check what rights institutionalized people have in your state. I can tell you where I live, there are none.
Was a mental health tech at a psych hospital. Ditto this, when it’s the nurse’s word against yours and the Ombudsman is already overworked and overwhelmed, you’re cooked.
I tried to go to bat for my patients so often, but once the nurses and the aides burn out, they stop doing the job because they care and start doing the job because it’s a job. I had nurses who told me to overchart patients so their insurance would pay more and they’d stay longer. Shady, shady shit.