In Re: Bingaman, O. ( 2018 )

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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION – SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P 65.37
IN RE: OLIVIA BINGAMAN : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
:
APPEAL OF: OLIVIA BINGAMAN : No. 3099 EDA 2017
Appeal from the Order Dated July 31, 2017
in the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County
Civil Division at No(s): 2017-22686, 2017-79805
BEFORE: PANELLA, LAZARUS, and STRASSBURGER,* JJ.
MEMORANDUM BY STRASSBURGER, J.: FILED JUNE 05, 2018
Olivia Bingaman appeals from the July 31, 2017 order, which denied her
petition for review challenging her involuntary commitment to a mental health
facility under section 7303 of the Mental Health Procedures Act (MHPA), 50
P.S. §§ 7101-7503. After review, we affirm.
We begin with the factual and procedural history. On June 22, 2017,
Bingaman called her primary care physician because she was depressed, and
gave that information to a nurse at the doctor’s office. During the course of
the conversation, the nurse became concerned for Bingaman’s safety. The
nurse called the police and kept Bingaman on the phone until police arrived.
[Officer Myers] responded to a 911 call and found Bingaman
sitting in the driveway hysterically crying. She handed Officer
Myers a note in which Bingaman wrote that she guessed this
would be her “final entry” and that it would be better for everyone
if “I just leave…for good.” Officer Myers interpreted this as a
suicide note.
Bingaman then told Officer Myers that [] she wanted to kill
herself and related her history of depression and anxiety. She
*Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
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said she was not taking her medication because “it ran out.” She
also informed Officer Myers that she had guns inside the house
where she was residing at the time. Officer Myers testified that
he believed Bingaman was living in that house and had access to
the place where guns were located.
Based on these circumstances, Officer Myers believed that
Bingaman was a danger to herself. He informed her that he was
going to take her to speak with a mental health doctor. Bingaman
said “okay” and went along without any problems. Bingaman was
then taken to a mental health facility identified as “MCES Building
50” at Norristown State Hospital. After arrival at the mental
health building, Officer Myers informed the staff what had
transpired, and Bingaman was taken away with staff. Officer
Myers then prepared the certification for a section 302 petition.[1]
He included the note Bingaman had written on June 22, 2017[,]
as a part of this petition[.]
Trial Court Opinion, 11/8/2017, at 2 (unnecessary capitalization omitted).
Dr. Marina Cooney, a psychiatrist, “performed the initial evaluation of
Bingaman [at the hospital] and concluded that she suffered from major
recurring depression.” Id. at 2-3.
It was her opinion that Bingaman had “greatly impaired insight
and judgment” and “would not be able to maintain herself safely
outside the hospital” at that time. Bingaman told Dr. Cooney that
she had been on several antidepressants over the years and
stated that she had become increasingly depressed since her
1 Section 302 of the MHPA provides for the involuntary examination
and treatment of a person not to exceed 120 hours if, upon
certification of a physician for examination, or upon a warrant
issued by a county administrator authorizing an examination, an
examination conducted by a physician within two hours of arrival
shows that the person is severely mentally disabled and in need of
emergency treatment.
In re J.M.Y., 179 A.3d 1140, 1144 (Pa. Super. 2018) (en banc) (citing 50
P.S. § 7302).
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grandfather died in April. She also acknowledged a prior suicide
attempt, which led to her being hospitalized at Philhaven Hospital.
… Bingaman said she was having thoughts of killing herself,
and that she owned a firearm. The day before the incident
Bingaman reported she had been staring at the bag that contained
her 40 caliber pistol. Dr. Cooney testified that Bingaman
specifically said she had a plan to shoot herself. Based on the
information she received, and her observations, Dr. Cooney
believed Bingaman presented a risk to herself if she were to be
released back to the same conditions without treatment. Based
upon Bingaman’s emotional instability and impulsivity, Dr. Cooney
was concerned that Bingaman would act out in a way that was
harmful to herself. Therefore, she recommended inpatient
psychiatric treatment for up to one hundred and twenty hours
(five days). Bingaman refused voluntary inpatient treatment,
according to Dr. Cooney.
Id. at 3 (unnecessary capitalization and footnote omitted). As a result,
Bingaman was committed to involuntary inpatient treatment under section
302 of the MHPA for five days.2 At the conclusion of this treatment, Dr.
Cooney recommended that Bingaman receive extended treatment under
section 303,3 and completed a section 303 application for extended treatment
to that effect.
2 Bingaman is not challenging her section 302 commitment on appeal.
3 Section 303 of the MHPA provides for extended involuntary
emergency treatment of any person who is being treated pursuant
to section 302 for a period not to exceed twenty days if, after an
informal conference where the patient is represented by counsel,
a judge or mental health review officer finds that the patient is
severely mentally disabled and in need of continued involuntary
treatment, and so certifies.
J.M.Y., 179 A.3d at 1144 (citing 50 P.S. § 7303(a)-(c)).
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On June 27, 2017, Bingaman appeared for a hearing before a mental
health review officer (MHRO) on the application for extended treatment under
section 303. Bingaman, represented by the public defender’s office, waived
her right to a hearing on the application for extended treatment, and
stipulated to 20 days of involuntary outpatient treatment recommended by
Dr. Cooney. A certification for treatment pursuant to section 303 was filed
that same day.
After Bingaman completed her section 303 treatment, she filed a
petition for review pursuant to 50 P.S. § 7109(b)4 challenging her section 303
commitment.5 On July 31, 2017, the trial court held a hearing on the petition
for review and a de novo hearing on the section 303 commitment. At the
conclusion of the hearing, the trial court denied Bingaman’s petition for
4 This subsection provides as follows.
In all cases in which the hearing is conducted by a mental health
review officer, a person made subject to treatment shall have the
right to petition the court of common pleas for review of the
certification. A hearing shall be held within 72 hours after the
petition is filed unless a continuance is requested by the person’s
counsel. The hearing shall include a review of the certification and
such evidence as the court may receive or require. If the court
determines that further involuntary treatment is necessary and
that the procedures prescribed by this act have been followed, it
shall deny the petition. Otherwise, the person shall be discharged.
50 P.S. § 7109(b).
5 Bingaman retained Kaitlyn S. Clarkson, Esquire as counsel for this petition
for review and the instant appeal.
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review, and affirmed the determination of the MHRO regarding the agreed-
upon involuntary outpatient treatment recommended by Dr. Cooney. N.T.,
7/31/2017, at 55. This timely-filed appeal followed.6
On appeal, Bingaman challenges her involuntary outpatient treatment
under section 303. She asks that we vacate her section 303 commitment,
and order expungement of the records of her section 303 commitment. “Our
well-settled standard of review in cases involving a motion for expunction [of
mental health records] is whether the trial court abused its discretion.”
J.M.Y., 179 A.3d at 1143 (citation and quotation marks omitted). “[W]hen
an appellant’s due process rights under the MHPA are violated, we may vacate
the certification for involuntary treatment pursuant to section [ ]303, and
direct that all records pertaining to this matter be expunged.” Id. at 1144
(quotation marks and citation omitted). For the reasons that follow, we hold
that the trial court did not abuse its discretion, and Bingaman’s due process
rights were not violated.
Bingaman first argues that her due process rights were violated because
the section 303 certification did not contain an adequate description of the
6 The trial court did not order Bingaman to file a concise statement of errors
complained of on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b), but the trial court did
file a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) opinion.
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treatment to be provided in violation of 50 P.S. § 7303(d)(2).7 Bingaman’s
Brief at 24.
That subsection provides in relevant part:
(d) Contents of Certification.--A certification for extended
involuntary treatment shall be made in writing upon a form
adopted by the department and shall include:
***
(2) a description of the treatment to be provided together
with an explanation of the adequacy and appropriateness of
such treatment, based upon the information received at the
hearing[.]
50 P.S. § 7303(d)(2). An application for extended treatment under section
303 is a four-page form document, which is divided into four parts and
contains several fill-in-the-blank boxes. Relevant to Bingaman’s claim, Parts
I-III comprise the application for treatment under section 303, and Part IV is
the certification for treatment under section 303. Here, the application was
completed on June 26, 2017, and the certification was completed on June 27,
2017.
According to Bingaman,
The certification only ordered outpatient treatment. It did not list
the type of treatment to be provided – psychotropic or other drug
therapy, group therapy, individual therapy, case management
support, or individual treatment such as peer support. Simply
checking the box for outpatient does not adhere to the
requirements of the MHPA.
7 We have reordered her claims for purposes of our disposition.
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Bingaman’s Reply Brief at 2.
In support of her argument, Bingaman cites Reproduced Record 15,
which is the third page of the section 303 application that was submitted at
Bingaman’s June 27, 2017 hearing before the MHRO. The third page contains
a portion of Part III (the last section of the application) and a portion of Part
IV (the certification). Bingaman’s Brief at 23; Bingaman’s Reply Brief at 2. In
this copy of the form, Part III is blank, but Part IV is completed. In the “details
of findings” box in Part IV, it states: “Stipulation to petition as sufficient to
enter a court order. A hearing was held wherein the doctor testified about the
need for treatment[.]” Reproduced Record 15, 44. This certification was
completed by the MHRO at the June 27, 2017 hearing. As noted in the
certification and in her brief, Bingaman stipulated to the section 303 treatment
recommended by Dr. Cooney at that time. See Appellant’s Brief at 8.
Bingaman challenged the adequacy of this certification at the July 31,
2017 hearing before the trial court. In response, the Commonwealth
submitted as an exhibit at the hearing the first three pages of the form, which
comprised the completed section 303 application. N.T., 7/31/2017, at 40-41.
On the third page of the application, the “treatment needed” section of Part
III includes a hand-written description of the treatment to be provided.
Application for Extended Involuntary Treatment, 6/27/2017, at 3. See also
Trial Court Opinion, 11/8/2017, at 4 (quoting the “treatment needed” section
of Part III: “inpatient psychiatric treatment individual, group, supportive
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therapy, milieu therapy, p/r psychotropic as needed, restraints as needed for
her safety”).
The June 27, 2017 certification (Part IV of the form) refers back to the
application (Parts I-III of the form), wherein a description of the treatment to
be provided is detailed in Part III. See Trial Court Opinion, 11/8/2017, at 5
(“The type of treatment provided was set forth in the initial application in
detail[.]”). We have held that this type of reference-back is permissible in a
section 303 application/certification. See In re L.M.P., 604 A.2d 712, 716
(Pa. Super. 1992) (holding that the requirements of the MHPA are met where
the description of the treatment in the certification references the details of
the treatment to be provided set forth in the doctor’s testimony). Thus,
contrary to Bingaman’s assertion that the certification merely had a checked
box for outpatient treatment, the description of treatment in the certification
in Part IV actually referenced the application, which detailed the type of
outpatient treatment to be provided in Part III. This satisfied the MHPA’s
requirement that the certification contain a description of the treatment to be
provided. Accordingly, Bingaman’s due process rights were not violated, and
she is not entitled to relief on this basis.
In Bingaman’s next claim, she argues that “[w]ithout an overt act in
furtherance of her suicidal ideations, [her section ]303 commitment cannot
stand and all records must be expunged.” Bingaman’s Brief at 18. “For
involuntary commitment, it is not sufficient to find only that the person is in
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need of mental health services. It must also be established that there is a
reasonable probability of death, serious injury or serious physical debilitation
to order commitment.” In re R.F., 914 A.2d 907, 913–14 (Pa. Super. 2006)
(citation omitted).
Here, following the July 31, 2017 hearing, the trial court found sufficient
evidence warranting a need for involuntary treatment.
At the hearing on [the petition for review, Bingaman’s
counsel] argued that there was insufficient evidence for Officer
Myers to conclude that Bingaman’s acts of writing what he
reasonably concluded was a suicide note, as well as saying that
she wanted to kill herself, as well as her telling him that she had
access to guns at her residence, where she was residing and
where [she was] located at the time he arrived, was insufficient
[]. This court disagrees. Bingaman told both Officer Myers and
Dr. Cooney that she had a history of depression, and was not
taking her medication. Bingaman told Dr. Cooney she had
attempted suicide previously. The known presence of guns
available to Bingaman provided ample evidence of the danger of
not proceeding with an involuntary commitment. Dr. Cooney
testified that Bingaman would not agree to a voluntary [in]patient
treatment.
Th[e trial] court found the two witnesses who testified to be
credible and to have justifiably believed Bingaman’s words, both
spoken and written, her emotional state, her prior mental history,
which was made known to them, her refusal to agree to
treatment, along with the clear availability to obtain a gun, met
the standards under the law for the actions taken.
Trial Court Opinion, 11/8/2017, at 4-5. Based on the foregoing, we agree
with the trial court that there was a reasonable probability that Bingaman
would seriously injure herself. See R.F., 914 A.2d at 914 (holding that
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evidence was sufficient to prove a reasonable probability of serious injury
where R.F. researched ways to commit suicide and called a suicide hotline).
In her third claim, Bingaman argues that she should have been offered
voluntary outpatient treatment before the section 303 application was filed,
because voluntary outpatient treatment was the “least restrictive means
adequate to treat” Bingaman. Bingaman’s Brief at 20-21. Whether or not the
outpatient treatment under section 303 was termed voluntary or involuntary,
Bingaman specifically agreed to that period of outpatient treatment at the
June 27, 2017 hearing, and finished this treatment before her July 31, 2017
de novo hearing. In that regard, the MHRO ordered the least restrictive means
adequate to treat Bingaman, given that she agreed to that treatment.
Moreover, Bingaman has failed to convince us that voluntary outpatient
treatment was required to be offered. In support of her argument, Bingaman
cites our Supreme Court for the proposition that “[t]o the extent feasible,
necessary psychiatric treatment on a voluntary basis is encouraged.”
Bingaman’s Brief at 19, quoting In re J.S., 586 A.2d 909, 914 (Pa. 1991).
Bingaman’s reliance on this proposition for relief is misplaced. Our Supreme
Court did not hold that the MHPA guarantees voluntary treatment. Rather, it
held that such treatment was to be encouraged, but only to the extent feasible
in a given situation. At the July 31, 2017 de novo hearing, Dr. Cooney testified
that she was unsure whether voluntary outpatient treatment was offered prior
to the June 27, 2017 hearing before the MHRO. Regardless, she testified that
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Bingaman refused voluntary inpatient treatment at all times, stipulated to
involuntary outpatient treatment at the June 27, 2017 hearing, and needed to
be monitored to ensure she was benefiting from her new medication. N.T.,
7/31/2017, at 33-34, 38. Thus, after a review of the record in this case, we
are unpersuaded that the trial court abused its discretion in finding that
involuntary outpatient treatment was the least restrictive means necessary.
Finally, Bingaman claims that the trial court abused its discretion in
denying her motion for a continuance at the July 31, 2017 hearing.
Bingaman’s Brief at 24. Specifically, Bingaman’s counsel requested a
continuance in order to obtain her medical records and the transcript from the
June 27, 2017 hearing. Bingaman’s Brief at 25.
“The matter of granting or denying a continuance is within the
discretion of the trial court.” Commonwealth v. Sandusky, 77 A.3d 663,
671 (Pa. Super. 2013) (citation omitted). Bingaman has not set forth any
argument as to how she would have utilized the medical records or how she
was prejudiced by not having them. Bingaman’s Brief at 24-27. Furthermore,
the medical records were available to counsel at the July 31, 2017 hearing for
the cross-examination of Dr. Cooney. As to the request for a continuance to
obtain the June 27, 2017 hearing transcript in order to raise a claim of
ineffective assistance of counsel, Bingaman stipulated to the recommended
treatment and waived her right to a hearing on the application for extended
treatment under section 303. Therefore, any transcript from that hearing, if
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it even exists, would be of limited value.8 Moreover, Bingaman received a de
novo hearing on her section 303 commitment, rendering any testimony or
ineffective assistance at that June 27, 2017 hearing moot. Simply put,
Bingaman was not prejudiced by the denial of her request for a continuance,
and she is not entitled to relief on this basis.
Accordingly, after a review of the record and Bingaman’s arguments, we
find no reason to disturb the trial court’s order.
Order affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 6/5/18
8 There is no transcript from the June 27, 2017 hearing before the MHRO in
the certified record.
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