Section 135-C:1 Purpose and Policy. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. The purpose of this chapter is to enable the department of health and human services to:
      (a) Establish, maintain, and coordinate a comprehensive, effective, and efficient system of services for persons with mental illness.
      (b) Reduce the occurrence, severity and duration of mental, emotional, and behavioral disabilities.
      (c) Prevent mentally ill persons from harming themselves or others.
   II. It is the policy of this state to provide to persons who are severely mentally disabled adequate and humane care which, to the extent possible while meeting the purposes of habilitation and treatment, is:
      (a) Within each person's own community.
      (b) Least restrictive of the person's freedom of movement and ability to function normally in society while being appropriate to the person's individual capacity.
      (c) Directed toward eliminating the need for services and promoting the person's independence.
   III. It is the policy of this state that mental illness in and of itself is insufficient to involuntarily admit any person into the mental health services system.

Source. 1986, 212:1. 1995, 310:181, eff. Nov. 1, 1995.