You may appoint an agent, known in Connecticut as a “Health Care Representative”, to make decisions about your treatment if you become incompetent to make decisions. You may also write instructions about your health care, including your mental health care.  A helpful guide, produced by the Office of the Attorney General of Connecticut, is available here. This guide contains model forms, although the statute does not require a particular form of words.  To specify mental health instructions, it is recommended that you use the model forms, attaching extra sheets where necessary.

Although Connecticut does not currently have a specific statute for a psychiatric advance directive, you can learn more about general advance directives for health care in Connecticut at the Caring Connections website.