Mental health checks? What is it?

[DoctorSig 0]

As I wait for the Essex county mental health record fiasco to resolve, what is this check?

What are they looking for? Are they looking for inpatient hospital admissions, calling every doctor that a person has ever seen looking for psych dx or rx?

I have no psychiatric background so what records are they looking up, if none exist?

Mental illness is not a reportable condition, so if someone has a problem, I as a doctor, do not report it to anyone.

 

[mikelets456 78]

As I wait for the Essex county mental health record fiasco to resolve, what is this check?

What are they looking for? Are they looking for inpatient hospital admissions, calling every doctor that a person has ever seen looking for psych dx or rx?

I have no psychiatric background so what records are they looking up, if none exist?

Mental illness is not a reportable condition, so if someone has a problem, I as a doctor, do not report it to anyone.

 

That's a good point. HIPPA laws are in place for this very reason and can not be released unless the patient offers to volunteer this information. Meaning, the PATIENT can only give out this information not the doctor, nurse, etc.

 

Kind of like the police doing a background check and asking the bank to give him your account numbers and access to your accounts and all activity for a simple application . The bank can't do it, but you can offer this information if you'd like to..... but why?

[Howard 538]

I believe (but am not sure) it has to do with involuntary admittance to a metal hospital - things that by law are reported to the state. They are not looking to see if you went to a shrink to be hypnotized to stop smoking or stuff like that.

[jamesbod 0]

it's like checking off the box that you are not a fugitive on the run...

[scohen2002 0]

I believe it works like this.

 

Mental health professions (psychologists and psychiatrists) submit records about potentially violent and dangerous patients to the police. Each state maintains it's own database of this information. It's at the total discretion of the professional what and when to submit anything. For example if you attempted to kill yourself with a gun the attending doctor in the ER who sees you may consult the hospital's on call psychiatrist. He/She may contact the police and may file a record with them. The police will then upload this record into the state's database. Another example would be if you check yourself into rehab and tell the dr. there that you fantasize about killing your parents. That dr. may decide to file a report and submit it to the police.

 

Some states share their records with the FBI's national mental health database and some do not. New Jersey does. When you purchase a gun, the NICS check checked the federal database. In states that have their own additional procedures for NICS they also check their own state's database. If they find a match in the database they evaluate it. They look by name, by SS number, by nick name, by alias.

[carl_g 568]

It's like this.. if you were admitted to a mental hospital, you get a file.

When they do the check they look to see if you have a file. From my understanding, if you have a file, you get denied. If you don't have a file, you're approved. These records are all paper BTW... that is why there is such a mess in essex. Here's to hoping you don't have a file!

[scohen2002 0]

It's like this.. if you were admitted to a mental hospital, you get a file.

 

I think there are few more circumstances that could get you a file. I don't really know for sure, but i imagine if you were seeing a psychologist and you told them you were going to kill someone, they are required by law to call the police. This may get you a file also.

[revenger 473]

"They are not looking to see if you went to a shrink to be hypnotized to stop smoking or stuff like that." Then what is the correct way to answer question 26 without opening up a can of worms, Is there a way for the cops to check to see if you "EVER BEEN TREATED ON AN INPATIENT OR OUT PATIENT BASIS" ?

[Clintoon Eastwood 2]

All I know is that I have to effin pay $18 every damn time