What is the difference between civil commitment and involuntary commitment?

The difference between civil commitment and involuntary commitment in North Dakota is based on the nature of the patient’s mental health issues and the court’s decision on how to best serve the patient’s immediate needs. Civil commitment is when a court issues an order to confine an individual with a mental illness into a psychiatric facility, based on a court’s determination that the person is a potential threat to themselves or to others. On the other hand, involuntary commitment is a court order confining a person with a mental illness into a psychiatric facility, based on the court’s determination that the individual is in need of care and treatment in order to protect them from harm or to prevent them from behaving dangerously. In civil commitment the court focuses on protecting the public from the danger an individual may pose by their mental illness. In involuntary commitment, the court is trying to protect the person suffering from mental illness, and to see that they get the care and treatment they need. The court must decide that the patient needs acute treatment in order to be placed in a psychiatric facility. Civil commitment and involuntary commitment both require the approval of a court to be initiated, with the court issuing orders to take necessary steps to ensure the patient is being taken care of and protected. Both processes are based on the individual’s need for treatment in a psychiatric facility and the court’s decision on how to best ensure the safety of the individual and society.

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What is the difference between civil commitment and involuntary commitment?

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