Commitments

Social workers within Olmsted County’s Community Services department investigate reports and screen hospitalized individuals to develop an appropriate plan of action for mentally ill and/or chemically dependent residents of the County. County staff work with the individual in an attempt to get the individual to agree to voluntary placement or treatment adequate for the illness/dependency. If an individual refuses to accept voluntary treatment and if the individual fits the necessary criteria for commitment, the matter is referred to the Olmsted County Attorney Civil Division for appropriate legal action.

There are five main types of commitment proceedings under Minnesota law

• Person who is Mentally Ill (MI) - Persons who suffer from a mental illness, and as a result pose a danger to themselves or others
• Developmentally Disabled Person (DD) - Persons that are developmentally disabled and as a result, pose a substantial likelihood of physical harm to themselves or others;
• Chemically Dependent persons (CD) - Persons that are chemically dependent and as a result, pose a danger to themselves or others;
• Persons Mentally Ill and Dangerous to the Public (MI&D) - Persons who suffer from a mental illness and have caused or attempted to cause serious physical harm to another, and are likely to take such action in the future;
• Sexual Psychopathic Personality and Sexually Dangerous Persons (SPP/SDP) - Persons who suffer from a mental illness or a mental disorder, who have engaged in acts of harmful sexual conduct, do not have the ability to control their sexual impulses, and as a result, are likely to re-offend sexually, and are therefore dangerous to others.