Mental Health Advance Directives            

Mental Health Advance Directives (MHAD) is a written document, which specifies treatment preferences of an adult mental health consumer, age 18 or older to healthcare providers when that person is in crisis and incapacitated to the point where he/she is unable to communicate these preferences. The MHAD can also identify an agent that the consumer appoints to make decisions on his/her behalf regarding his/her mental health treatment. Such adults must have the capacity to make decisions for themselves at the time that the MHAD is developed. It is the policy of FBH that all adult consumers, age 18 and older, receiving SCRSN contracted services must be informed in writing about their right to be informed about Mental Health Advance Directives and related processes. Further, FBH will comply with the provisions of a consumer's MHAD to the fullest extent possible, unless:

• The MHAD voilates accepted standards of care
• Requested treatment is not available at SMH or is beyond the agency's resources
• Compliance would violate applicable law or endanger anyone
• The directives are inconsistent wiht the purpose of a court order related to commitment.

FBH further agrees that the provision of care is not conditioned upon the execution of a MHAD and there shall be no discrimination against an individual based on whether or not he/she has executed a MHAD.