Mental Health America of Virginia The voice of reason in mental health advocacy

Congratulations!

You have provided the information necessary to complete a Medical Power Of Attorney with extensive provisions for psychiatric care!Many of you will want to stop at this point and have your medical power of attorney signed and finalized. Because virginia laws concerning medical powers of attorney may be more stable and less vulnerable to legislative changes there are some significant advantages to medical powers of attorney. At the same time Psychiatric Advance Directives, or "Medical Advance Directives for Psychiatric Care" as they are called in Virginia have very specific provisions for enabling your agent to make decisions over your protest during a psychiatric crisis.Your Power of Attorney document will be approximately four pages long. You can access each page individual or the entire document below. Your Power of Attorney document is accessible both as a webpage and as a PDF file.

Click on the links below to see your Power Of Attorney document.

PAGE 1 PDF

PAGE 1 Web

PAGE 2 PDF

PAGE 2 Web

PAGE 3 PDF

PAGE 3 Web

PAGE 4 PDF

PAGE 4 Web

COMBINED PDF

COMBINED Web

Once you view your document, you should review it to make sure it is correct and make any changes you want to make. Once it is complete and correct, you need to sign it in the presence of two witnesses. Your agent and alternate agents cannot be witnesses. You have to choose two people who are not already listed in the document. Virginia law does not require your medical power of attorey to be notarized, but it is a good idea if you can do so. You can generally find notaries at libraries and banks. The notary cannot be one of the two witnesses. If you choose to use a notary, then you and your two witnesses must sign the document in front of the notary and you must show some form of identification. If you want to register your Advance Directive or medical power of attorney with any Advance Directive Registry, it must be notarized. We should have such a registry in Virginia soon.

If you have given your agent the power to do anything over your objection, you will see a line for the signature of a physician or licensed psychologist. By signing the document, the physician or licensed psychologist is stating that you understand the decision to give your agent this power and you are aware of the possible consequences of this decision. Your agent will not have the power to act over your protest unless the form is signed by a physician or licensed psychologist. This signature can be obtained either before or after you and your witnesses sign it.

After all of the signatures have been obtained, you should make several copies of your Advance Directive. Either you or your agent should keep the original in a place where it can be easily found. You should give a copy to each of your alternate agents, doctors and local medical facilities. You may also choose to give copies to other family members and friends, your clergy, case manager or others. Be sure to keep track of the copies you distribute because if you ever want to make any changes, you will need to notify these people.

Your medical power of attorney for psychiatric care will be helpful only if it is available when needed. If you are unable to tell someone where it is located, how will people know you have one? There are several things you can do:

 • Make sure your Advance Directive is filed at your local hospital or hospitals.
• Put a card in your wallet with your license or ID that states that you have an Advance Directive and includes the name and phone number of your agents.
• Emergency medical personnel are trained to look in certain places for an Power of Attorney or Advance Directive if you are unconscious or cannot communicate. They may look in your wallet for a notification card as described above. They may look on or in your bedside table. They may also look in your refrigerator and freezer. These are all places that people may keep their important documents. If you are sick enough to need emergency treatment, it is important that the emergency personnel can find your documents quickly. This is no time for a game of hide-and-seek! Make your medical documents obvious or put a note on or near your bed which gives the location where it can be found.

Now that you have completed your Power of Attorney, do you wish to complete a Medical Directive to give specific instructions for your medical care?

CONTINUE to Screen 15: Medical Directive

Hint: click above to complete a "Psychiatric Advance Directive"

TUTORIAL INDEX

BACK to Screen 13: Visitation and Notification

This tutorial is a collaboration between Mental Health America of Virginia and the Virginia Office of Protection and Advocacy. It is generously funded by the Mental Health Block Grant, via the Office of Mental Health Services at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).