A Mental Health Advance Directive (MHAD) is a document that allows you to make your choices known regarding mental health treatment in the event that your mental illness makes you unable to make decisions. In effect, you are making decisions about treatment before the time that you may need it. An MHAD will ensure that that your doctor, relatives, and friends understand your mental health treatment decisions. An MHAD may help you receive better treatment faster because you can include valuable information about what treatments have worked and what treatments have not worked for you in the past. Pennsylvania law allows you to make an MHAD that is a declaration, a power of attorney, or a combination of both.

At MHAAC, we have staff available to answer your questions, connect you with workshops on Mental Health Advance Directives, provide you with one-on-one assistance, and mail you the MHAD forms. Call the Mental Health Advance Directive Hotline at 1-877-868-2159 for more information.

Click to view a Mental Health Advanced Directive PowerPoint Presentation to learn more.

Click to view a printable handout version of the MHAD Presentation.

Click for a checklist to help you or someone else make an MHAD.

If you want to make all of your own mental health treatment decisions without having anyone else involved or you do not have anyone that you trust to make the same decisions for you that you would make, then you should complete the Declaration Form.

If you want someone else to make mental health treatment decisions on your behalf AND you have someone you trust to make the same decisions for you that you would make for yourself AND that person is willing to serve as your agent, then you should complete a Power of Attorney form.

If you want to make some decisions AND you want someone else to make other decisions about new treatments that may come up AND you have someone you trust to make the same decisions for you that you would make for yourself AND you have someone willing to serve as your agent, then your should complete a Combination Declaration and Power of Attorney Form.

Be sure to discuss your mental health care treatment decisions with your agent, if you have one. Click for the Guide for Agents.

Click for  instructions on how to make changes to your Mental Health Advance Directive.

Click for a Glossary of Terms for Mental Health Advance Directives.