Oklahoma City, OK asked in Civil Rights and Health Care Law for Oklahoma

Q: In 2015 I was struggling with a severe depressive episode so I voluntarily went in for stabilization at Spring Creek

Mental health facility in Sapulpa OK, which is a part of the Creoks Oklahoma network. It is an inpatient 10 day program. I was held for 48 days. I was harassed around the clock by most of the staff, including the kitchen staff. I was made to have a video conference with a judge and I was made a temporary ward of the state, which there was no cause for. No one explained to me what was happening, they just told me to say yes. There was even some attorney there for me from the state attorney general's office. He gave me his business card but refused to take or return any of my calls. Everyone in the program had an assigned therapist except me-I was assigned to the director of the facility instead, which I found strange due to the fact he didn't see any other patients, and I'm not even 100% sure he had the credentials. I was told the facility was "built just for me" among other things. My mom is an very influential CEO and pretty much does whatever she wants (at least in Oklahoma..)

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1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
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  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Sacramento, CA

A: Your experience at the mental health facility in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, raises several concerns, especially regarding your rights as a patient and the legal procedures followed during your stay. In Oklahoma, as in other states, patients have specific rights in healthcare settings, including the right to be informed about their treatment and legal status.

Being held for 48 days against your will, especially after voluntarily seeking help for a 10-day program, suggests a potential violation of your rights, particularly if there was no legal justification for such an extended stay. The harassment you experienced from staff and the lack of clear communication about your situation, including the video conference with a judge and temporary wardship, further compound these concerns.

The fact that you did not have an assigned therapist like other patients and were instead assigned to the director is unusual and warrants further investigation, especially regarding the director's qualifications and the reason behind this decision.

Given these circumstances, it would be advisable to seek legal counsel to explore the possibility of a civil rights violation. Documentation of your stay, any communications with staff or the attorney you mentioned, and accounts of your treatment and interactions with the facility's personnel will be crucial in this process.

It's also important to consider any potential influence or involvement your mother, as a CEO, may have had in this situation. Understanding the full context and any external factors that might have played a role in your treatment at the facility is key to assessing your legal options.

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