Washington State Department of Social & Health Services, et al., Joint Motion To Stay Issuance Of Mandate In re Detention of DW

On August 7, 2014, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the practice of "psychiatric boarding" for individuals under civil commitment violates state law. The ruling arose from a 2013 Pierce County case, In re Detention of DW. The court found that the government’s authority to use involuntary civil commitment for mental health treatment purposes carries with it the obligation to meet patients’ constitutional rights to receive individualized treatment. Approximately 200 individuals under civil commitment are currently detained outside certified evaluation and treatment facilities. The Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) said it was creating additional psychiatric . . .