Institutional Rights Resources

Understanding the Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD) 

A Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD) is a document that details instructions on an individual’s psychiatric treatment in the event that individual is in crisis and lacks the capacity to make informed decisions about their care. For more information regarding PAD agreements, including how to draft one and how they can help you or a loved one in healthcare decision-making, please review the links below.

Legal Rights of Psychiatric Patients

Individuals receiving psychiatric in-patient treatment at psychiatric hospitals have legal rights. The rights of a patient depend on what legal status the individual has. There are three main legal statuses: voluntary, involuntary, and Conditional Extension Pending Placement (CEPP). Each of the pages below has information regarding what each status is, and what legal rights those individuals have when receiving psychiatric treatment. For a complete view, you may want to explore all three pages. If you have questions, please contact an advocate at Disability Rights NJ, and we would be happy to help you.