Section 12(a) FAQ’s

Information that will assist the Boston Police Department when service providers issue a Section 12(a) Involuntary Hospitalization Application

How should the Section 12(a) form be filled out?

• Please be sure to fill out the form completely and legibly, and with as much detail as possible, as this information aids first responders in their efforts to locate the individual and to ensure the safety all involved in these interactions

 

•  Please include a personal call-back number on the form (as opposed to a main business telephone line) so that we can contact you (the provider) directly, even after the end of the work day

 

How should the Section 12(a) form be submitted?

• • Section 12's should be faxed to BOSTON EMS OPERATIONS: 617-343-7329

 

• • Section 12’s should NOT be sent to any BPD District Station or to the BPD Operations Division

 

• • After faxing, all Section 12’s should be called in to 911. You should inform the 911 call-taker that you have an active Section 12 and that you are requesting EMS transport to a hospital.

 

• • 911 Operations will then transfer your call to EMS, whose call-taker will confirm receipt of the faxed section and/or ask you to re-send it. The EMS call-taker will also request:
    • • Name and DOB of the person requiring transport

     

    • • Information regarding the client’s current presentation

     

    • Your impression as to whether or not police presence will be required (i.e. does the client have a history of violence or aggression towards police? Is the individual aware of the Section 12 and are they willing to be transported?)
       
      • Boston EMS will determine if the Section 12(a) can be safely executed by Boston EMS alone or if a dual response of Boston EMS with BPD is appropriate
         
        • • If Boston EMS determines that a client is relatively safe (not currently engaging in behaviors to put themselves or others at risk) and agreeable to going to the hospital, an ambulance response is appropriate. Therefore, only Boston EMS will be dispatched to the scene.

         

        • • If Boston EMS deems that BPD assistance is needed (i.e., If an individual has a history of violence, is currently engaging in behaviors that put themselves or others at risk, or it can be anticipated that they can become violent when informed of the Section), both Boston EMS and the BPD will ultimately be dispatched to the scene. But first, unless exigent circumstances exist, the Section 12(a) form will be sent to the Boston Police Street Outreach Unit (SOU) for the completion of a safety assessment. This safety assessment is both for the safety of the responding officers, and also for the safety of your client.

         

  • What is included in a safety assessment?
     
    • • Review Section 12’s for validity (signatures, date, etc.)

     

    • • Log the Section 12’s into their case management system, where they will also track all related follow-up activities;

     

    • • Verify addresses and subjects’ personal information;

     

    • Conduct a review to identify any information that may be useful in determining the appropriate response with regard to the safety of the subject and first responders, including
      •  
        • Review of previous police encounters (history of violence? firearms?)

       

      • • Review of mental health background in partnership with Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST) (known diagnoses? medications? substance use? known to be agitated by police presence?)

       

      • • Contacting issuing provider for further clarification (which is why we request a direct, personal call-back number on the form)

       

  • This vetting may delay the response a bit, but it is a crucial step in that it provides BPD with a fuller picture of what the individual in question is experiencing—particularly given that information provided on the forms is sometimes incomplete or altogether missing—and what can be expected when interacting with them. This information enables the SOU and District leadership to effectively devise a strategy for executing Section 12’s in the safest way possible for all involved (e.g., # of officers needed, uniforms v. plainclothes, co-responding BEST clinician, recovery coach, etc.)

 

• • The vetting process is typically completed within 30 min to 1 hour of the SOU receiving the Section 12(a) form. If the form is received by the BPD between 8 am and 11 pm, it is typically executed immediately upon completion of the SOU’s safety assessment. Overnight, District leadership may choose to either execute the 12(a) immediately if circumstances are deemed exigent, or wait until the following morning, when circumstances are generally more conducive to ensuring the safest and fullest response possible.

 

What happens once the BPD locates the individual in question?

• • Once the individual is located, BPD officers will do everything they can to convince him/her to go to the hospital voluntarily (typically in an ambulance, as EMS is usually on-scene as well). If the person agrees to go, the BPD officer will escort the individual to the ambulance and, in many cases, escort the ambulance to the hospital.

 

• • If the individual will not go to the hospital voluntarily, the supervising officer on-scene will deem whether exigent circumstances exist to warrant officer action to ensure compliance. This discretion lies at the heart of all police interactions.

 

• • If the individual in question refuses to go to the hospital and officers believe that forcing them to do so would only escalate the situation and increase the risk of harm to the individual and/or first responders, they may stand down and leave the individual in place at that time with the permission of a supervising officer. The ultimate decision on when to execute a Section 12 will lie with the Duty Supervisor and/or the Patrol Supervisor, who will document their decision, and all reasons in support of their decision, in a 1.1 Incident Report and forward it to the SOU.

 

• • In those instances where the individual is left in place, the BPD will attempt to ensure that an officer and co-responding clinician follow up with that individual within 12 to 24 hours to assess their current status. Determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis as to whether further attempts should be made to get him/her to go to the hospital voluntarily or involuntarily, as deemed appropriate by the Duty Supervisor.

 

What happens if the BPD can’t locate the individual in question?

• Determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis as to whether further attempts to locate the individual will be made. Factors in these determinations will include Section expiration date, time of day, location, and additional information gathered—e.g., if it is determined that the person is at work and will be returning home at a certain time. Should the Section 12(a) expire and you continue to feel the identified person meets criteria, a new Section 12(a) will need to be written and faxed to Boston EMS Operations.