The Mental Health services are available to the public need 24 hours a day 7 days a week to help with mental health crisis situation particularly when persons are unwilling or unable to seek treatment themselves.  Access is available by dialing 911 or the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s  Office at (318) 259- 9021. Pursuant to LA R.S. 28:53.2, the office may issue an Order for Protective Custody (OPC) upon the request of a credible person who reasonably asserts that a person is a danger to themselves or others or gravely disabled.  This impairment must be a result of mental illness or substance abuse, occurring in a time frame not to exceed 48 hours, and the person is unwilling to seek treatment on their own.  False statements made on a request would make the requester liable under the law in addition to the possibility of being sued by the object of the OPC The OPC will authorize the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office to transport the subject to the nearest treatment facility for a mental state evaluation by a medical professional. The Coroner’s responsibility is to only order the subject to the facility and has no control on whether the physician will keep the subject or discharge them.  PLEASE NOTE  the subject will be billed by the hospital.  The Jackson Parish Coroner’s Office has no control over bills that are sent to the patient or any legal responsibility to pay for the treatment or evaluation. This OPC process requires a credible person to sign an affidavit and physically sign the request for an OPC, under penalty of perjury.  An Order of Protective Custody is a legal affidavit and is punishable under penalty of law provided by LA R.S. 28:73 of up to two years imprisonment, with or without hard labor, or a fine of up to $10,000.00 or both for known falsification of facts. The individual seeking an OPC must have first-hand knowledge of (to have seen and/or heard) the facts presented in the request and may not include observations by or statements made by other individuals.  The facts must reflect circumstances occurring within the previous 48 hours only.