TDO Process

The majority of patients are admitted to Pavilion’s Acute Care Program under a temporary detention order (TDO) issued by a local community magistrate via a community services board. A person who decides to submit to treatment voluntarily would enter our mood disorder program.

Taking away a person’s freedom and committing them to psychiatric treatment against their will is an extreme measure that it is only undertaken when all other treatment options have failed or been deemed unsuitable. A TDO is issued when a person has a mental illness and it has been determined that the person is likely to cause harm to himself/herself or to others in the near future, or that the mental illness impairs the person’s capacity to protect himself/herself from harm or to provide for his/her basic needs. Involuntary psychiatric treatment is a last resort and is only used for patients who are a danger to themselves or others.

In Virginia, a TDO allows a person to be hospitalized for 1–3 days. During that time, a hearing must be held to determine whether continued treatment is warranted. At Pavilion, hearings are held each Monday at 2:00 pm, Wednesday at 11:30 am, and Friday at 11:30 am. Following the hearing, the patient may be released, remain under care until the next hearing, or be moved to another care program, such as The Pavilion Mood Disorder Program.

For the relevant laws governing the issuance of a TDO, please see Virginia Code § 37.2-808 and § 37.2-809.