17yo in mental institution untill 21?

State: California

Hi everybody, I just joined because my 17 year old female friend is being held in one of the hospitals where they keep people that cut themselves and attempt to kill themselves... I'm not sure exactly what you call these places because she is just a friend of a close friend.

Anyway the deal is that she came from abusive parents, the parents have been warned by child protection people (not sure what you call these groups) a lot of times. It came to a point to where if the parents were found to be abusing the children anymore then they would have their young child taken away.

The parents abused the girl physically and sexually. And now that she is 17, and turning 18 in a week, they are trying to force her to stay in the institution until she's 21 even though their not even her legal guardians anymore. (she was in foster homes)

She cuts herself and ran away from home and went for periods of not eating. She suffered depression and stuff, but a lot of this I would have to attribute to the way her parents treated her.

So a few questions i have in mind are

1. If she escapes from the place, and turns 18 while escaped, then can she still be held their until she is 21? Her friends were planning to break her out and hide her until she waits 18, but I said they should seek legal advice first.

2. Since the parents no longer have custody of her, How much will the courts listen to her/ how much authority do they really have?

3. Witnesses can confirm abusive things parents have done, will proving the parents have been abusive discredit them and their claims of the girl being crazy.

4. Can she benefit from staying in one of these institutions until she is 21?

Sorry if I posted this in the wrong section of the forums, and I appreciate any advice at all.

Everybody involved in this is 14-21 so we are all very inexperienced legally.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

So great -- you are all looking at breaking the law when you have no clue of all the facts. You are not a psychiatrist so you cannot say that it is her parents' faults for all of her actions. You are guessing and it seems easiest to say that but there could be dozens of reasons -- some biochemical as to why she is where she is.

She could also have been sentenced there by a court which means if you break her out that would be committing a felony. Yet you don't know that. But whatever right?

People are not institutionalized without cause.

If your friend is sent there, she needs to stay there to get well.

This is akin to "breaking" someone out of the hospital before their treatment is done.

Now that I have explained it, time for Unca Jeffy's school of tough love.

You are not the Templar Knights. You do not have the legal or moral authority to make any decisions over YOURSELVES much less someone else that IS under the care of trained and educated professionals.

You watch too many movies where children know more than the "man". Your friend needs help and she is getting it. If you interfere with that treatment, you are guilty of whatever happens next..... and it sounds like her death is not out of the question.

If you want to fight injustice, clean up a park or build a habitat for humanity house. Leave psychiatric care to the pros.

Ryang said:

The parents abused the girl physically and sexually. And now that she is 17, and turning 18 in a week, they are trying to force her to stay in the institution until she's 21 even though their not even her legal guardians anymore. (she was in foster homes)

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Unless this is a voluntary placement (in which case she can leave when she wants), it will be the state that has placed her. So you know, they do not say that they want a person to stay until a specific age they want a person to stay until they are cured. Contrary to television, most people do not stay in such institutions for extended periods unless they are very ill and have been ordered to remain by a court.

She cuts herself and ran away from home and went for periods of not eating. She suffered depression and stuff, but a lot of this I would have to attribute to the way her parents treated her.

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If I had a nickel for every time I heard the parents blamed for a child's deviance ...

Sorry if I am skeptical, but I am just not so quick to blame the parents. Plus, the doctors would not recommend she remain in a facility unless a problem existed.

1. If she escapes from the place, and turns 18 while escaped, then can she still be held their until she is 21? Her friends were planning to break her out and hide her until she waits 18, but I said they should seek legal advice first.

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They can be charged, yes. If she is ordered there by a court, then they are breaking the law. If hers is a voluntary commit, then her friends can give her free room and board if they want. And if they all think they know better than trained mental health professionals, they can take that risk ... though if she does hurt herself or someone else, you can pretty much guarantee that all those friends will be sued into oblivion.

2. Since the parents no longer have custody of her, How much will the courts listen to her/ how much authority do they really have?

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With regard to mental health issues, the parents are little more than witnesses. They cannot generally commit a minor child against their will to a mental health facility on their own request.

3. Witnesses can confirm abusive things parents have done, will proving the parents have been abusive discredit them and their claims of the girl being crazy.

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I am so curious to hear what "abusive things" the parents have done. But, if the doctors who evaluated her decided she needed help - no matter why she needed it - then she needs to remain.

4. Can she benefit from staying in one of these institutions until she is 21?

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If she is truly ill, certainly. Maybe not as long ... maybe longer. It depends on the nature of her problems.

- Carl