2. Understand when you can get a Form 2 

You can ask a Justice of the Peace (JP) to sign a Form 2 – Order for Examination. A JP is like a judge.

To get a JP to sign a Form 2, you must explain your loved one's situation to them in a Form 2. Tell the JP why you think your loved one is a danger to themselves, you, or someone else, and show that your loved one has a mental disorder.

You can also ask the JP to sign a Form 2 if your loved one's not able to make their own health-care decisions. Or if their mental or physical condition has got a lot worse.

If your loved one has a mental disorder, there are 2 situations when you can get a Form 2. On the Form 2, these situations are referred to as “Box A” and “Box B”.

Your loved one's situation has to fit either Box A or Box B.

Box A to prevent serious harm

Box A is used to avoid serious harm to your loved one or to someone else, including you.

To use Box A, at least one of these things must have already happened:

• your loved one tried or threatened to hurt themselves or someone else
• your loved one was violent to someone or did something that made you think they'll hurt someone
• there are signs that your loved one cannot care for themselves

You also have to show that this will happen: Your loved one or someone else is likely to be seriously hurt because of your loved one's mental disorder.

Box B for substitute decision-maker

Box B is used if your loved one cannot understand their own health situation and they need someone else to make their health-care decisions for them.

To use Box B, all of these things must have already happened:

• your loved one's been treated in the past for a mental disorder that they still have
• the previous treatment helped your loved one your loved one cannot understand what it means to get treatment in a psychiatric facility, and someone else, called a substitute decision-maker, is responsible for making decisions about their health care
• your loved one's substitute decision-maker has given permission for your loved one to get treatment at a psychiatric facility

You also have to show that at least one of these things will happen:

• Your loved one or someone else is likely to be seriously hurt because of your loved one's mental disorder.
• Your loved one's mental or physical condition is likely going to get much worse.