Emerg. involun. commit. to hospital (psychiatric eval.) make me a ward of the court?

[kstrosnider]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina. For FASFA Purposes.

Emergency involuntary commitment to a psychiatric facility, would the patient be considered a ward of the State or otherwise?
If the person is a minor is there a difference?

 

[Shadowbunny]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? South Carolina. For FASFA Purposes.

Emergency involuntary commitment to a psychiatric facility, would the patient be considered a ward of the State or otherwise?
If the person is a minor is there a difference?

Details matter. Are you a minor who has been committed? How long was the commitment? Was there a court hearing taking away your parents' rights?

 

[Zigner]

Based only on what you said, the 72-hour hold (ie: "emergency involuntary commitment") would not make the subject a ward of the court.

 

[NIV]

I assume kstrosnider is looking at an application that includes the "ward of the court" check box. A good one from his state that provides a little description is at:
http://www.lander.edu/docs/default-source/financial-aid-forms-2013-2014/Orphan_-_Foster_Care_-_Ward_of_the_Court_Verification.pdf

Sad to say, if one does a search for the wording, few cases are out there that actually define "ward of the court". I agree with Zigner in that I believe the control of a person involuntary committed for a short time while still being the legal responsibility of the parents will not rise to making a check in the box. If I were to research it, I would go to the regulations to see where the language originates and then search for that particular regulation rather than the term.

 

[Zigner]

An involuntary (ie: 5150 hold) 72-hour commitment is not a court action, therefor, the subject of a 72-hour hold is not a ward of the court by any definition.

That's my thinking.