Source: http://tacreports.org/state-survey/arkansas
Timestamp: 2014-07-28 08:15:53
Document Index: 212638849

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20']

Arkansas - Treatment Advocacy Center Reports
Quality of laws Inpatient commitment Outpatient commitment (AOT) Emergency hospitalization Use of laws Obstacles to use Methodology Recommendations State Grades TACReports.org See Your State's Grade
Survey of the States- Alabama- Alaska- Arizona- Arkansas- California- Colorado- Connecticut- Delaware- District of Columbia- Florida- Georgia- Hawaii- Idaho- Illinois- Indiana- Iowa- Kansas- Kentucky- Louisiana- Maine- Maryland- Massachusetts- Michigan- Minnesota- Mississippi- Missouri- Montana- Nebraska- Nevada- New Hampshire- New Jersey- New Mexico- New York- North Carolina- North Dakota- Ohio- Oklahoma- Oregon- Pennsylvania- Rhode Island- South Carolina- South Dakota- Tennessee- Texas- Utah- Vermont- Virginia- Washington- West Virginia- Wisconsin- WyomingGo
ARKANSAS - Quality of Laws: A/Use of Laws: F
Click here to print or save a PDF version of this chart
Quality of Laws (70/80): Grade A
Inpatient commitment law (29/34: Grade A-)
Yes. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-207(c)(1)(C).
Need-for-treatment standard
Yes, but overburdened by requirement of specific history of treatment noncompliance and consequences. No need for this in the inpatient context. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-207(c)(1)(D).
Citizen's right to petition
May family member directly petition court for inpatient commitment?
Yes. “Any person having reason to believe that a person meets the criteria” ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-207(a).
May other lay adult directly petition court for inpatient commitment?
Allow initial commitment order to exceed 14 days?
Yes. 45 days. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-214
Allow initial commitment order to exceed 30 days?
Outpatient commitment law (29/34: Grade A-)
Statutory authority for outpatient commitment?
Yes. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-207
Criteria sufficiently broad to provide access?
Yes. Need-for-treatment standard works well here. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-207(c)(1)(D).
Procedures sufficiently explained to guide practice?
Yes. Covers treatment plan and effect of non-compliance. ARK CODE ANN §§ 20-47-218(d), 219.
Allow initial order to exceed 90 days?
No. 45 days. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-214.
Allow initial order to exceed 180 days?
Allow renewal to exceed 180 days?
No. 180 days. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-215.
Emergency evaluation law (12/12: Grade A+)
Criteria aligned with state commitment standard?
Yes. ARK CODE ANN § 20-47-210.
Citizens’ right to petition?
Use of Laws (0/14): Grade F
From Arkansas mental health practioner sources
Inpatient laws
In some parts of the state, inpatient commitments are sometimes pursued on grounds other than imminent risk of violence or suicide. In other parts of the state, such commitments are rarely or never pursued.
Outpatient laws
Outpatient commitment is rarely or never practiced.
Conditional release is practiced in the state, but not for both forensic and non-forensic patients.
Bed delays
6-pt penalty
Persons admitted to hospitals for mental health treatment are commonly forced to wait for hospital beds to become available. Patients waiting for beds are often held in non-clinical settings. Bed waits typically endure for one to two weeks
2-pt bonus
The delay between an involuntary inpatient’s refusal of therapeutic medication and the administration of such medication is typically less than one week.