Mental illness can affect every aspect of an individual’s life, including their day-to-day functioning. At times, the symptoms may be so severe that they may be unable to care for themselves. In such cases, a mental health guardianship or conservatorship may be required to make decisions on the person’s behalf. If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health issues, contact Harmony Hills for personalized mental health treatment programs.
Opting for a mental illness guardianship is always a challenging decision. Under mental health guardianship, the individual’s choices are limited, but it might be necessary if the person behaves irrationally or poses a danger to themselves or others. To know more about guardianship and mental health treatment, call us at 855.494.0357.
Mental Health Guardianship: Finding Treatment for Your Ward
Certain mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, can adversely affect one’s cognitive abilities. They may struggle with personal hygiene, behave erratically, or make harmful decisions. As a result, they might require full-time care and supervision.
In such cases, a mental health guardianship may be the best step forward to ensure your loved one is safe and protected.
What is a Mental Health Guardianship?
A mental illness guardianship empowers you to make legal, health, or financial decisions for your loved one. Essentially, the guardian (or conservator) is responsible for the person’s well-being, ensuring they have comfortable living arrangements and access to quality healthcare.
Under a mental health guardianship, the conservator may take some or all of the following functions:
- Arrange for suitable mental health treatment
- Make personal decisions for the ward, especially for their healthcare, hygiene, and housing
- Consent to the use of prescriptive drugs for the ward
- Agree to admit ward at a residential or locked facility (even if they object)
- Control and manage the ward’s assets, property, and finances for the ward’s benefit
Obtaining a mental illness guardianship for your loved one is a long and complicated process. But, at times, it might be the only option to ensure that your loved one doesn’t injure themselves and gets the highest levels of professional care and therapeutic support.
How Does Mental Illness Guardianship Work?
To obtain a guardianship, one must first file a petition at the local court for temporary mental health guardianship, along with the necessary evidence to prove that the person can neither care for themselves nor make independent decisions.
The judge may appoint a three-person committee to carefully examine the matter and evaluate the person, physically and psychologically. After considering the reports filed by each committee member, the judge may declare the person incapacitated and appoint a guardian for them.
The mental health guardianship may be temporary or permanent. It might also be a plenary or a limited conservatorship. In the latter, the guardian only has certain roles, but in the former, they are responsible for making all personal decisions for the ward, as well as managing their assets.
In rare cases, even before the ruling is passed, the judge may grant an emergency temporary guardianship for 90 days if there is an immediate threat to the ward’s health and safety.
Get Help for Guardianship and Mental Health Treatment at Harmony Hills
At Harmony Hills, we firmly believe that with proper medical attention and therapeutic support, clients can recover and live meaningful lives.
We offer various mental health services, including specialized treatment programs for clients struggling with schizoaffective disorder, borderline personality disorder, or even self-harm behaviors. Our state-of-the-art facility in Florida, surrounded by acres of national forests, offers a beautiful and tranquil environment so that clients can slowly heal and get better. If your loved one has severe symptoms, we can also aid with obtaining guardianship and mental health treatment.
There is always time to seek help. Call us at 855.494.0357 and embark on your healing journey today.
