Commitments

Mental Health

MS Code § 41-21-61 (2013)

As used in Sections 41-21-61 through 41-21-107, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms defined have the meanings ascribed to them:

(a) "Chancellor" means a chancellor or a special master in chancery.

(b) "Clerk" means the clerk of the chancery court.

(c) "Director" means the chief administrative officer of a treatment facility or other employee designated by him as his deputy.

(d) "Interested person" means an adult, including, but not limited to, a public official, and the legal guardian, spouse, parent, legal counsel, adult, child next of kin, or other person designated by a proposed patient.

(e) "Person with mental illness" means any person who has a substantial psychiatric disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory which grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or to reason or understand, which (i) is manifested by instances of grossly disturbed behavior or faulty perceptions; and (ii) poses a substantial likelihood of physical harm to himself or others as demonstrated by (A) a recent attempt or threat to physically harm himself or others, or (B) a failure to provide necessary food, clothing, shelter or medical care for himself, as a result of the impairment. "Person with mental illness" includes a person who, based on treatment history and other applicable psychiatric indicia, is in need of treatment in order to prevent further disability or deterioration which would predictably result in dangerousness to himself or others when his current mental illness limits or negates his ability to make an informed decision to seek or comply with recommended treatment. "Person with mental illness" does not include a person having only one or more of the following conditions: (1) epilepsy, (2) an intellectual disability, (3) brief periods of intoxication caused by alcohol or drugs, (4) dependence upon or addiction to any alcohol or drugs, or (5) senile dementia.

(f) "Person with an intellectual disability" means any person (i) who has been diagnosed as having substantial limitations in present functioning, manifested before age eighteen (18), characterized by significantly subaverage intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with related limitations in two (2) or more of the following applicable adaptive skill areas: communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, leisure and work, and (ii) whose recent conduct is a result of having an intellectual disability and poses a substantial likelihood of physical harm to himself or others in that there has been (A) a recent attempt or threat to physically harm himself or others, or (B) a failure and inability to provide necessary food, clothing, shelter, safety, or medical care for himself.

(g) "Physician" means any person licensed by the State of Mississippi to practice medicine in any of its branches.

(h) "Psychologist" when used in Sections 41-21-61 through 41-21-107, means a licensed psychologist who has been certified by the State Board of Psychological Examiners as qualified to perform examinations for the purpose of civil commitment.

(i) "Treatment facility" means a hospital, community mental health center, or other institution qualified to provide care and treatment for persons with mental illness, persons with an intellectual disability or chemically dependent persons.

(j) "Substantial likelihood of bodily harm" means that:

(i) The person has threatened or attempted suicide or to inflict serious bodily harm to himself; or

(ii) The person has threatened or attempted homicide or other violent behavior; or

(iii) The person has placed others in reasonable fear of violent behavior and serious physical harm to them; or

(iv) The person is unable to avoid severe impairment or injury from specific risks; and

(v) There is substantial likelihood that serious harm will occur unless the person is placed under emergency treatment.

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Intervention | Drug Court

AFFIDAVIT

The 9th Chancery Court Intervention (Drug) Court encourages drug-free living through intense supervision, accountability, family involvement, peer support or mentorship, educational navigation, and effective treatment to reduce abuse, pro-mote recovery and improve the quality of life for youth, their families, and the community. If you or someone you love can benefit from this, please contact our court.

MS Code § 41-31-1 (2013)

As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning hereinafter ascribed to them, unless the context requires a different meaning, to-wit:

(a) An "alcoholic" shall mean any person who chronically and habitually uses alcoholic beverages to the extent that he has lost the power of self-control with respect to the use of such beverages, or any person who, while chronically under the influence of alcoholic beverages, endangers public morals, health, safety or welfare.

(b) "Alcoholic beverage" shall mean and include alcoholic spirits, liquors, wines, beer, and every liquid or fluid, patented or not, containing alcoholic spirits, wine or beer, which is capable of being consumed by human beings and produces or results in intoxication in any form or degree.

(c) "Alcoholism" shall mean any condition of abnormal behavior or illness resulting directly or indirectly from the chronic and habitual use of alcoholic beverages.

(d) A "drug addict" shall mean any person who chronically and habitually uses any form of habit-forming drugs, such as opiates and the derivatives thereof, barbiturates, and every tablet, powder, substance, liquid or fluid, patented or not, containing habit-forming drugs if same is capable of being used by human beings and produces drug addiction in any form or degree.

(e) "Drug addiction" shall mean and include any condition of abnormal behavior or illness resulting directly or indirectly from the chronic and habitual use of habit-forming drugs.

(f) "Hospital" or "institution" shall mean either the Mississippi State Hospital, at Whitfield, Mississippi, or the East Mississippi State Hospital, at Meridian, Mississippi, and shall include the grounds thereof and the facilities used for the treatment of alcoholics and the drug addicts.

(g) "Medical director" shall mean the physician in charge of said Mississippi State Hospital or East Mississippi State Hospital, as the case may be.

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