About PADs
- A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) is a legal document that documents a person’s preferences for future mental health treatment, and allows appointment of a health proxy to interpret those preferences during a crisis.
- PADs may be drafted when a person is well enough to consider preferences for future mental health treatment.
- PADs are used when a person becomes unable to make decisions during a mental health crisis.
Virginia
Overview of Virginia Advance Directives and important links
Forms – Click to see Virginia Psychiatric Advance Directives Forms.
Other Virginia links – Click to see other Virginia mental health resources
Virginia’s Commission on Mental Health Law Reform
Virginia Advance Directives Website
Ten commonly asked questions about PAD’s for Virginia
Advance Directives in Health Care: New Opportunities for Empowerment