In North Carolina, an advance instruction for mental health treatment is a legal document that tells doctors and healthcare providers what mental health treatments you would want, and what treatments you would not want, if you later become unable to decide yourself. With this document, you can also choose someone to make these decisions for you when you are unable to make them. This person is called your attorney-in-fact. This person does not have to be a lawyer.
When deciding who your attorney-in-fact should be, make sure to choose an adult you trust and discuss your wishes with that person beforehand. This person needs to sign the advance instruction for mental health treatment, agreeing to make these decisions for you.
Forms can be found at the NC Department of the Secretary of State web site.
