Unpacking Forced Hospitalization Around Suicide: The Practitioner's Dilemma

It is estimated that 9.3 million US adults experience suicidal thoughts every year.  Practitioners are often tasked with assessing imminent risk for suicide and in many cases, initiating the legal process that will result in involuntary hospitalizations. During this presentation, practitioners will examine this very complex dilemma that pits risk concerns against the rights of the individual. Case studies, media presentations, open discussion and activities will aid in critical analysis of the reverberating impact of involuntary hospitalizations. Special emphasis will be placed on unpacking issues of power when individuals are hospitalized against their will and expressed wishes.