Key Takeaways
- Washington’s emergency hold is part of the Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA), RCW 71.05.
- A Designated Crisis Responder (DCR) — not just any clinician — evaluates and can initiate a hold.
- An initial ITA detention can last up to 120 hours for evaluation and treatment.
- The standard: due to a behavioral health disorder, an imminent likelihood of serious harm, or imminent danger from being gravely disabled.
- A peace officer can bring a person in; the facility may hold them up to 12 hours pending the DCR evaluation.
What Is the ITA?
The Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) is Washington’s law (RCW Chapter 71.05) governing when a person can receive mental health or substance-use treatment without consent. A hold under the ITA is sometimes called an “ITA detention” or a “DCR detention.”
What Are the Criteria?
The ITA applies when, as the result of a behavioral health disorder, a person presents an imminent likelihood of serious harm to themselves, others, or property, or is in imminent danger because of being gravely disabled — meaning they cannot care for their essential health and safety needs.
Who Initiates an ITA Hold? (The DCR)
Washington is distinctive in using a Designated Crisis Responder (DCR) — a specially trained mental health professional — to evaluate whether someone meets ITA criteria and to authorize an involuntary detention. A peace officer can also take a person into custody and bring them to an evaluation and treatment facility, where they may be held up to 12 hours while a DCR is contacted.
How Long Does an ITA Hold Last?
An initial ITA detention can last up to 120 hours for evaluation and treatment. Within that time, the person must be examined promptly, and the facility decides whether to release them or seek a court order for continued treatment.
What Happens After the Initial Hold?
Before the 120 hours runs out, the facility can petition a court for an additional period of involuntary treatment. Subsequent commitments require further court hearings, and the person has the right to an attorney. These longer steps are time-limited and subject to judicial review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is an ITA hold in Washington?
An initial involuntary detention under the ITA can last up to 120 hours for evaluation and treatment, after which the person is released or the facility petitions a court for continued treatment.
What is a DCR in Washington?
A Designated Crisis Responder — a specially trained mental health professional authorized to evaluate someone in crisis and decide whether they meet the legal criteria for an involuntary ITA hold.
What are the criteria for an ITA hold?
Due to a behavioral health disorder, the person presents an imminent likelihood of serious harm to self, others, or property, or is in imminent danger because of being gravely disabled.
Can a family member start an ITA hold?
Not directly, but family can contact the county’s Designated Crisis Responder system or call for a crisis evaluation, and the DCR decides whether the criteria are met.
What happens after an ITA detention?
The person is released or the facility petitions a court for further involuntary treatment, with hearings and the right to an attorney; longer commitments are time-limited and reviewed.
This article is for general education and is not legal or medical advice; laws change and details vary by county and facility. Related: Involuntary hold by state · California 5150. Sources: Wash. Rev. Code Ch. 71.05 (Involuntary Treatment Act), incl. RCW 71.05.153