Mental health assistance, reporting
What is it?
Do you think someone needs urgent mental health care? If so, you can report it to the local government.
How does it work?
Family members or neighbors can contact the local government to report that they have serious concerns about someone. The local government will then assess what kind of assistance is needed. The person in question can then receive help as soon as possible. It’s also possible that someone poses a danger to themselves or others. We call this a crisis. In that case, that person needs immediate assistance.
What should I do?
- Call the city
- In case of an emergency, call 112
How long does it take?
- As a family member involved, you will receive the results of the investigation within 14 days.
- If you disagree with the outcome, you can request that the public prosecutor investigate the case after all.
- If you are not a close family member, you will not be given any information about the outcome.
- Following your report, mandatory mental health care may be initiated immediately in a crisis situation. This is done based on a medical statement from a psychiatrist. The mayor must take a crisis measure within 18 hours of the initiation of mandatory care.
Additional information
After you report the situation, the municipality will assess whether assistance is needed and, if so, what kind. This is done through what is known as an exploratory assessment. A staff member with psychiatric training will determine whether the person poses a danger to themselves or others. The staff member will also assess whether this is due to a psychiatric disorder.
Mandatory care
The municipality will only order compulsory care as a last resort. In such cases, the municipality asks the public prosecutor for a care order. Ultimately, a judge decides whether the person in question will receive compulsory care. A person who needs compulsory care may receive care at home or be admitted to a care facility.
Patient Advocate
Anyone who needs mental health support is entitled to assistance from a patient advocate (PVP). A patient advocate is an employee of the independent PVP Foundation. If the person wishes, the municipality will provide their contact information to this foundation.