Page "Involuntary commitment" Paragraph 84

In the District of Columbia any police officer, physician, or mental health professional can request to have an individual evaluated at St. Elizabeths Hospital, where they may be detained for up to 48 hours at the direction of the physician on duty.

A family member or concerned citizen can also petition the Department of Mental Health, but the claim will be evaluated prior to the police acting upon it.

In order to be held further, a request must be filed with the Department of Mental Health.

However, this only can keep the patient involuntary admitted for up to seven days.

For further commitment, the patient is evaluated by a mental health court, part of family court, for which the public defender assists the patient.

This can result in the patient being held up to one year at which point the patient returns to mental health court.