Julia Wong of The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed Teri Hardy, Valley Cities Director of Recovery Place Kent, one of four facilities in Washington state that provides involuntary treatment under Ricky’s Law. Ricky’s law allows for detainment of people with addictions that are deemed to be a risk to themselves or others. The following are excerpts from that story by Wong with the client’s name removed.
Patients are initially held for 120 hours, or five days, and a court can decide to hold them for another 14 days, then potentially an additional 90 days. The hope is, once they are discharged, that they will voluntarily choose treatment.
“When a person is in crisis, they really need someone to step in … and get them help that they need when they’re not able to,” said director Teri Hardy, who herself has been in recovery for 22 years.
One Recovery Place Kent client, interviewed by Wong, had long struggled with alcohol, and woke up in hospital. “I was practically dead when I went to the hospital and the doctors were like, dude, if you keep drinking, you’re going to die. And your nostrils are inflamed from all the cocaine and your liver or your kidneys are failing because of the pills,” the client said.
When he learned that he had been civilly committed for substance use and was being sent to Recovery Place Kent, the client was upset. He spent the first week in his room, angry that he was there and going through withdrawal. By the second week, he started to participate in sessions and by his fourth week, he said he began thinking about working there.
When asked if he would have come to a point where he voluntarily sought treatment, he said he doesn’t think so, and he is clear that involuntary treatment saved his life. The client ultimately spent 30 days at the facility and is now sober.
To learn more about Ricky’s Law in Washington State, click here, or follow the link below.
Ricky’s Law: Involuntary Treatment Act | Washington State Health Care Authority
