Section 125.75. Application.

  1.  Proceedings for the involuntary commitment or treatment of a person with a substance-related disorder to a facility pursuant to this chapter or for the involuntary hospitalization of a person pursuant to chapter 229 may be commenced by any interested person by filing a verified application with the clerk of the district court of the county where the respondent is presently located or which is the respondent’s place of residence. The clerk or the clerk’s designee shall assist the applicant in completing the application.

  2.  The application shall:

  a.  State the applicant’s belief that the respondent is a person who presents a danger to self or others and lacks judgmental capacity due to either of the following:

  (1)  A substance-related disorder as defined in section 125.2.

  (2)  A serious mental impairment as defined in section 229.1.

  b.  State facts in support of each belief described in paragraph “a”.

  c.  Be accompanied by one or more of the following:

  (1)  A written statement of a licensed physician in support of the application.

  (2)  One or more supporting affidavits corroborating the application.

  (3)  Corroborative information obtained and reduced to writing by the clerk or the clerk’s designee, but only when circumstances make it infeasible to obtain, or when the clerk considers it appropriate to supplement, the information under either subparagraph (1) or (2).

  3.  Prior to the filing of an application pursuant to this section, the clerk or the clerk’s designee shall inform the interested person referred to in subsection 1 about the option of requesting a preapplication screening assessment pursuant to section 125.74.

  4.  The supreme court shall prescribe rules and establish forms as necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

[C75, 77, §125.19(1, 2); C79, 81, §229.51;

82 Acts, ch 1212, §3

]

90 Acts, ch 1085, §13

; 2011 Acts, ch 121, §42, 43, 62

; 2013 Acts, ch 130, §37

Summary of involuntary commitment procedures available from clerk; see §229.45