What is a Psychiatric Advance Directive (PAD)?
Also known as a mental health advance directive, a Psychiatric Advance Directive is a written document that describes how you want your mental health care to be given if in the future you are judged unable to tell your care provider those decisions for yourself.
The PAD can let others know about what treatments you want or don’t want from psychiatrists or other mental health professionals, and it can identify a person who will be able to make decisions on your behalf.
Who Should Create One?
Any mentally competent person who lives with a mental illness should consider creating a PAD to outline his/her mental health treatment preferences in case they are not able to make their wishes known.
Click here for a sample PAD.