Is it a sin to section Jesus Christ?

 

It surprises me how many people I have assessed under the Mental Health Act over the years have delusions that they are Jesus Christ, a prophet from the bible, or even God. This is the story of one such person.

Anatomy of a Mental Health Act Assessment

Even though every formal assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 is different, the actual procedure tends to follow a typical pattern.

Assessments have a similar structure, or series of steps, which have a logical sequence, and need to be followed if the assessment is to meet legal, ethical and professional standards.

The steps are as follows:

1 The Referral

2 Gathering Information

3 Organising the Assessment

4 The Interview

5 Reaching a Decision

6 Completing the application ( if one is to be made)

7 Arrangements for the Admission

8 The Admission

9 The Aftermath

In this video I illustrate these steps by referring to a real assessment I undertook: Robina, a woman in her early 80’s living alone, with steadily worsening dementia.

Section 117 Aftercare: A Brief Guide for Patients and Relatives

The Masked AMHP explains what section 117 of the Mental Health Act is all about, and what it means for sectioned patients and their relatives.

Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 lays down a duty for the local authority and the NHS to provide services for people who have been detained under, and then discharged from, certain sections of the Mental Health Act.

I quite often get emails from relatives of people with mental illness asking questions relating to Section 117.

It often appears that the regulations and guidance relating to Section 117 are not being adhered to, or patients and relatives are not being kept in the loop when arrangements for aftercare are being made. I thought therefore that it might be helpful to lay out what the rights of patients and relatives are relating to Section 117