Overview
Healing Minds NOLA is excited to announce a new initiative to provide legal services on a sliding scale for Judicial Commitments, Interdictions, Assisted Outpatient Petitions, and Advanced Psychiatric Directives for people living with varying degrees of serious mental illnesses. Notably, unlike some of our clients who have resources, others are hand-cuffed to help loved ones needing judicial commitments because they cannot afford attorney fees. This barrier often results in incarceration, homelessness, and never-ending acute psychiatric hospitalizations.
Project Scope
The most significant expense is fees to pay contracted attorneys for the services they provide, including filing petitions, representing the respondent in court, collecting material data, other court-related work, filing paperwork and other administrative burdens, and coordinating with the evaluating psychiatrist. The funds will be used primarily to cover the cost of judicial commitments. On average, we estimate a judicial commitment to cost $1500 and we expect families to be able to cover $500 in fees. We are currently in the process of fundraising and accepting donations for this initiative.
What We Offer
- Judicial Commitments: A petition that allows a doctor to treat a person for up to 6 months if suffering from a mental illness which contributes or causes that person to be a danger to self/others or gravely disabled.
- Interdictions: A petition that allows the court to appoint a person to make decisions for someone unable, due to a mental or physical disability, to consistently make decisions regarding his person and/or his property.
- Assistive Outpatient Treatment: A petition for civil involuntary outpatient treatment that addresses medication non-adherence resulting in repeated hospitalizations, homelessness, jail stays.
- Advanced Psychiatric Directive: Legal document that allows people with mental illness to state their preferences for treatment in advance of a psychiatric crisis
How To Donate
We are currently accepting checks only. Check back soon for more ways to donate!
Mail In Your Donation To:
Healing Minds NOLA Legal Services
PO Box 15114,
2000 Louisiana Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115-9998
“Kindness is giving hope to those who think they are all alone in this world.”
“Kindness is seeing the best in others when they cannot see it in themselves.”
“Kindness is something anyone can give without losing anything themselves.”
“Kindness is not what you do, but who you are.” Normandy D. Picc
