N.Y. Mental Hygiene Law § 9.23: Voluntary and informal admissions; conversion to

§ 9.23 Voluntary and informal admissions; conversion to.

(a) Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to prohibit

any director from converting, and it shall be his duty to convert, the

admission of any involuntary patient suitable and willing to apply

therefor to a voluntary status. The mental hygiene legal service shall

be given notice of every conversion from an involuntary status to a

voluntary status.

(b) Any patient converted from an involuntary status to a voluntary

status shall have the right to a judicial hearing before the supreme

court or a county court on the questions of his suitability for such

conversion and on his willingness to be so converted. The procedure for

requesting such a hearing, except as to time limitations and questions

to be determined, shall be pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of

section 9.31 of this article.