Casey’s Law

CASEY’S LAW

Casey’s Law refers to the Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention. The law became effective in Kentucky in 2004 and was inspired by Casey Wethington’s death of a heroin overdose. The law allows the parents, relatives, or friends of an addicted person to lawfully intervene and request involuntary, court-ordered addiction treatment for their loved one. Through our Kentucky Recovery program, KMHC works with attorneys and other experts to help you utilize Casey’s Law to send your loved one to treatment — for more information, please call today to speak with one of our substance abuse professionals

HOW DOES CASEY’S LAW WORK?

If you are seeking to enter a loved one into rehab in Louisville or the surrounding Kentucky area, you may want to look into filing for the use of Casey’s Law — to do so, follow these instructions:

  • Get a copy of the petition from the District Court clerk’s office (we can also email you one — just call)
  • Fill out the petition on their behalf and file it with the District Court clerk here.
  • The court will review your claims made in the petition and will question you under oath.
  • The court will determine if there is probable cause to require treatment for your loved one.
  • If there is probable cause, a judge will appoint an attorney to represent your loved one, require your loved one to be evaluated, and schedule a hearing within 14-days.
  • Your loved one will be notified of the date and purpose of the hearing.
  • Your loved one is evaluated by two qualified health professionals, one being a physician, to determine if your loved one could benefit from treatment.
  • The court will order treatment for anywhere between 60 and 360 days and can range from detoxification to intensive treatment.

From there, the court will work with you and your loved one to select a treatment center within your price range, work with insurance companies to uncover any coverage options, and oftentimes the treatment center will arrange for pickup and transportation.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT CASEY’S LAW?

If you’re on the fence as to whether or not Casey’s Law is the right option for you to pursue, you should be aware that mandatory treatment has seen promising results. The National Institute on Drug Abuse conducted a study on the viability of mandatory treatment for inmates over a period of five years. At the end of the study, groups of men who were forced to enter rehab had the same amount of abstinence rates as the groups who were enthusiastic about entering rehab.

You should also know that Kentucky courts will allow you to file for Casey’s Law multiple times and that relapses are unfortunately a common occurrence for addicts suffering from a serious chemical dependency. Another good aspect about Casey’s Law is that the costs for treatment are legally required to be laid out before you make a decision to send your loved one somewhere. The only upfront costs associated with Casey’s Law go towards the services of the two medical professionals required to evaluate the selected person.

HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

Call our confidential admissions line at 502-233-3030 — we can often arrange for your loved one to begin treatment within a few days.

Call Now Button