Colorado
Emergency Mental Health Holds in Colorado: What Families Should Know
By Dr. Stacey Forbes, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Key Takeaways
- Colorado law allows an emergency mental health hold of no longer than 72 hours for a person who appears to have a mental health disorder and to be an imminent danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled.
- A hold can be started by a certified peace officer with probable cause, or by an “intervening professional” — a defined list that includes advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional and addiction counselors.
- The person must be told why they are being held, and can ask to change to voluntary status.
- If longer care is recommended, facility staff can certify short-term treatment for up to three months; the court appoints an attorney immediately, and a review hearing must happen within ten days of a request.
Colorado has rewritten much of its civil mental health law in recent years, and the words families remember do not always match the ones in the statute today. What used to be described loosely as a “72-hour hold” is now formally an emergency mental health hold, with its own rules about who can start one and what the person held is entitled to. This guide walks through the current law in plain language. It is general information, not legal advice.
What a hold is for
Under C.R.S. 27-65-106, an emergency mental health hold is for a person who appears to have a mental health disorder and, as a result, appears to be an imminent danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled. Colorado defines gravely disabled as a condition in which a person, because of a mental health disorder, is incapable of making informed decisions about or providing for their essential needs without significant supervision and assistance from other people.
The word “imminent” matters. A hold is not a tool for someone who is struggling, or even refusing help, when no immediate danger exists. It is a short safety measure for a genuinely dangerous moment.
Who can start a hold
The statute names two groups. A certified peace officer who has probable cause to believe a person meets the criteria may take them into protective custody. And an intervening professional who reasonably believes a person appears to meet the criteria may cause them to be taken into protective custody.
C.R.S. 27-65-102 defines who counts as an intervening professional:
- A professional person, as defined in the statute
- A licensed physician assistant
- An advanced practice registered nurse
- A registered professional nurse with specified mental health training
- A licensed clinical social worker
- A licensed marriage and family therapist
- A licensed professional counselor
- A licensed addiction counselor
Family members are not on that list. In practice, families reach a hold by calling 911 or 988, or through a clinician who is already involved. The person is taken to a facility designated for emergency mental health holds or, if none is available, an officer may take them to an emergency medical services facility.
Inside the 72 hours
The law is clear on the outer limit: a person may not be held on an emergency mental health hold for longer than 72 hours after the hold is placed or ordered. They are to be evaluated as soon as possible after arriving at the facility. They have the right to be told the reason they are being held, and to request a change to voluntary status — which, for many people, is the fastest way to move from a crisis into care they have agreed to.
When a person is released, they receive discharge instructions. Families can help most at this point by making sure there is a follow-up appointment and a safety plan, because the days after a hold are often when support matters most.
If longer treatment is recommended
A hold itself cannot be extended past 72 hours. If, after an evaluation, the facility’s professional staff find that the person has a mental health disorder and, as a result, is a danger or gravely disabled, C.R.S. 27-65-109 allows them to certify the person for short-term treatment of not more than three months.
Certification brings court protections with it. The court must immediately appoint an attorney to represent the person. The person may ask the court to review the certification at any time, and the court must hear the matter within ten days of that request.
Before it comes to this
For most crises, a hold is not the first step. People trained in crisis response can often calm a situation and find a less restrictive path.
- 988 Colorado: call or text 988, in English or Spanish, at any hour — or find a walk-in crisis center through 988 Colorado.
- 911 if anyone is in immediate danger.
- Update saved numbers. Colorado Crisis Services now redirects to 988 Colorado; if an old crisis number is saved in your phone, replace it with 988. See 988 Colorado and public behavioral health services.
Common Questions
How long is an emergency mental health hold in Colorado?
No longer than 72 hours after the hold is placed or ordered, under C.R.S. 27-65-106. If longer treatment is recommended, it requires a separate certification for short-term treatment of up to three months, with an attorney appointed and a right to court review.
Who can put someone on a mental health hold in Colorado?
A certified peace officer with probable cause, or an intervening professional — including advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, certain registered nurses, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and professional and addiction counselors.
Can a family member start a hold?
Not directly. Family members are not among the people the statute authorizes. They can call 988 or 911, or contact a clinician who is already involved in the person’s care.
Should I call my psychiatric provider during a crisis?
Not in an emergency. Outpatient telehealth practices, including Willow & Stone, are not crisis services. Call 911 for immediate danger, or call or text 988 to reach 988 Colorado.
Sources & Further Reading
- C.R.S. 27-65-106 — Emergency Mental Health Hold
- C.R.S. 27-65-102 — Definitions
- C.R.S. 27-65-109 — Certification for Short-Term Treatment
- 988 Colorado
Care in Colorado
Dr. Stacey Forbes, DNP, PMHNP-BC, provides integrative telehealth psychiatry to patients throughout Colorado. See psychiatric care across Colorado, Colorado mental health resources, or book a consultation →
If you need help right now
Willow & Stone is an outpatient practice and is not an emergency service. If you or someone you care about is in immediate danger, call 911.
For urgent mental health support at any hour, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Both are free, confidential, and available 24/7 nationwide.
Dr. Stacey Forbes, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and founder of Willow & Stone Integrative Mental Health. Nearly two decades of clinical experience; integrative, root-cause psychiatry via telehealth. Licensed in Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Alaska, Arizona & Colorado.
About Dr. Forbes →