Forensic issues in the psychiatric emergency department

The emergency department confronts the mental health practitioner with a va riety of forensic issues. The clinician must have a working knowledge of in formed consent, emergency petitions, risk assessment of violence toward sel f and others, involuntary hospitalization, patient dumping, transfer of pat ients, and seclusion and restraint. Special rules, regulations, and duties also exist for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who prov ide emergency services. Understanding legal duties and regulations that gov ern delivery of emergency psychiatric care allow the development of clinica lly based risk management that decreases defensiveness and Liability exposu re, while enabling the clinician to provide appropriate treatment.