With a Declaration for Mental Health Treatment, you name a person whom you trust to make specific mental health treatment decisions for you. This person is called an attorney-in-fact, similar to
an agent but with limited authority. Your attorney-in-fact will have the legal right and responsibility to make limited mental health treatment decisions concerning admission to a mental health
facility (for up to 17 days) and the use psychotropic medication or electroconvulsive treatment.
An agent under a Power of Attorney for Health Care may make all the decisions an attorney-in-fact may and more. A Declaration for Mental Health Treatment is for individuals with specific mental
health treatment preferences. It may also be used by those with a mental illness that makes it likely they will not to able to make competent decisions about their mental health treatment in the
future.