- Last edited on February 9, 2024
Form 6 (British Columbia - Renewal Certificate for Involuntary Admission)
Primer
A Form 6 (Medical Report on Examination of Involuntary Patient Renewal Certificate) also known as a Renewal Certificate, is a form under the British Columbia Mental Health Act that allows a person's involuntary hospitalization to be extended beyond the first month (i.e. - after two Form 4s have been issued).
Download Form 6
Renewal Criteria
The criteria for involuntary admission renewal are the same as those for original certification. When considering renewal of an involuntary status for a patient, the physician must directly examine the patient and all available information regarding:
- The patient's mental disorder
- The patient’s hospitalizations for psychiatric treatment
- Whether they have followed treatment plans after leaving hospital, and
- Be of the opinion that if discharged, due to their mental disorder, the patient is likely to experience significant risk as a result of not following treatment plans and will be involuntarily admitted again.
When To Examine For Renewal
- Section 24(1) of the MHA states the patient must be examined by a physician to determine eligibility for renewal of the involuntary admission:
- (1) Toward the end of the 1st and 2nd months of involuntary hospitalization (i.e., the Form 4s and initial Form 6), and
- (2) During the last month of the 3rd month and 6th month periods (i.e., subsequent Form 6s).[1]
- In other words, within 1 month of the end of each period of hospitalization, the patient must be examined by a physician on whether or not they meet the involuntary admission criteria.
- The MHA itself offers no guidance regarding how many days prior to the end of the last month of a period the examination must be completed, however, it is recommended this be done reasonably close to the end of the period.
- Different practitioners may interpret this “reasonably close” definition as between 2 weeks to 1 month.
Form 13
- A new Form 13 must be issued to the patient for each Form 6 that is issued.
Involuntary Admission Length
If an involuntary patient requires continued hospitalization beyond the first 1-month period authorized by the two medical certificates (i.e. - two Form 4s), a Form 6 is completed, which adds an additional 1-month of involuntary admission. If hospitalization is required beyond this second 1-month period, the length of the next Form 6 is 3 months. Beyond this 3 month period, all successive periods of involuntary hospitalization are 6 months in length.
What's a Month in BC?
It is important not to interpret a ‘month’ as being 30 days or 31 days. This is because the provincial Interpretation Act provides direction on how to calculate periods in terms of months. The basic rule is that a “month” means the corresponding day of the next month less a day.[2]Tips
Example
Example
| Action | Form to Fill | Length of Involuntary Admission | Form to Give to Patient | Begins | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Involuntary Hospitalization Date | - | - | - | March 15, 2020 (AKA - involuntary hospitalization date) | - |
| 1st Medical Certificate | Form 4 | 48 hours | Form 13 | March 15, 2020 | 48 hours after March 15, 2020 |
| 2nd Medical Certificate | Form 4 | 1 month from involuntary hospitalization date (minus 1 day) | Form 13 | March 15, 2020 | April 14, 2020 @11:59pm |
| 1st Renewal | Form 6 | 1 month (minus 1 day) | Form 13 | April 15, 2020 | May 14, 2020 @11:59pm |
| 2nd Renewal | Form 6 | 3 months (minus 1 day) | Form 13 | May 15, 2020 | August 14, 2020 @11:59pm |
| 3rd Renewal and Additional Renewals | Form 6 | 6 months (minus 1 day) | Form 13 | August 15, 2020 | Feb 14, 2021 @11:59pm |
When There Is No Corresponding Renewal Date
- When there is no corresponding date in the month the certificate/renewal ends, the Interpretation Act in BC directs that the last day of that month be used.
- For example, if two Form 4s are completed for an involuntary admission beginning on January 31, 2021, there is no February 31st, 2021!
- In these cases, the last day of the following month will be used
- Thus, the 1 month period of hospitalization will end at midnight on February 28, 2021 (or 29 in a leap year), following the “last day of the month” rule.
- If the patient continues to require involuntary hospitalization, the subsequent first renewal (Form 6) will begin on March 1, 2021, and will end on on March 31, 2021 (i.e. - one month less a day)
- From that point on, all future renewals take effect from the 1st of the month in perpetuity (e.g. - second renewal (Form 6), will start April 1, 2021, and ends June 30, 2021).
- For further clarity and a detailed table of dates, refer to Table 1: Renewing Involuntary Status, Guide to the Mental Health Act (pg. 83)