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NB Form 12: First Certificate of Detention (MHA)

When a tribunal's one-month involuntary admission order is ending and the patient still meets the criteria, the attending psychiatrist completes this certificate under section 13(1)(a) of the Mental Health Act. It continues the detention for not more than one month after the period authorized by the tribunal order, with the start and end dates written on the form.

Who completes it

The attending psychiatrist completes and signs the whole certificate after personally examining the patient, recording the psychiatric facility where the patient is detained and the date of examination. No second psychiatrist is needed at this stage.

Submitting and payment

How to submit it
The form directs that it be sent immediately to Psychiatric Patient Advocate Services once signed. Under the Act, the psychiatrist tells the patient the certificate was completed and about the right to apply to the review board, and the administrator notifies the nearest relative in writing.
Who pays
The April 2026 New Brunswick Physicians' Manual lists Medicare service code 9386 for completing Mental Health Act forms other than Form 1, at most once per patient per day.

Good to know

  • The psychiatrist must hold the same four opinions required for admission: serious mental illness, likely serious harm or substantial deterioration, unsuitability as a voluntary patient, and less restrictive alternatives being inappropriate.
  • If no certificate continues the detention when the authorized period ends, section 13(8) deems the patient a voluntary patient, and the patient and nearest relative are notified in writing.
  • The administrator must notify the psychiatric patient advocate service of each certificate of detention completed, and the patient may apply to the review board under section 31.
  • If detention must continue after this certificate, the next step is Form 13, a second certificate signed by two psychiatrists that may run for up to two months.

Get the official form

Download the current version from the source each time; forms change without notice.

Form 12 - First Certificate of Detention

Formule 12 - Premier certificat de détention

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A form is listed only after its name and number were confirmed on the issuing agency’s or insurer’s own website, or in the form itself. Each entry links to that source. The list was last checked in October 2026. Forms and their requirements change without notice, so check the official page for the current version before you complete one.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does a first certificate of detention last in New Brunswick?

Form 12 may continue detention for not more than one month after the period of detention authorized by the tribunal's order under section 8.1. The psychiatrist writes the exact start and end dates of the continued detention period on the certificate and dates it.

Who signs Form 12?

Only the attending psychiatrist signs Form 12, after personally examining the patient. This differs from Form 13, the second certificate, which needs the attending psychiatrist and a second psychiatrist, and from Form 14, which the review board issues on the psychiatrist's recommendation.

Can the patient challenge a Form 12?

Yes. When a first certificate is completed, the psychiatrist must tell the patient about the right to apply to the review board under section 31 of the Act, and the administrator must send the same information to the nearest relative in writing.