225C.16 - REFERRALS FOR EVALUATION.
225C.16 REFERRALS FOR EVALUATION.
1. The chief medical officer of a state mental health institute,
or that officer's physician designee, shall advise a person residing
in that county who applies for voluntary admission, or a person
applying for the voluntary admission of another person who resides in
that county, in accordance with section 229.41, that the board of
supervisors has implemented the policy stated in section 225C.14, and
shall advise that a preliminary diagnostic evaluation of the
prospective patient be sought, if that has not already been done.
This subsection does not apply when voluntary admission is sought in
accordance with section 229.41 under circumstances which, in the
opinion of the chief medical officer or that officer's physician
designee, constitute a medical emergency.
2. The clerk of the district court in that county shall refer a
person applying for authorization for voluntary admission, or for
authorization for voluntary admission of another person, in
accordance with section 229.42, to the appropriate entity designated
through the central point of coordination process under section
225C.14 for the preliminary diagnostic evaluation unless the
applicant furnishes a written statement from the appropriate entity
which indicates that the evaluation has been performed and that the
person's admission to a state mental health institute is appropriate.
This subsection does not apply when authorization for voluntary
admission is sought under circumstances which, in the opinion of the
chief medical officer or that officer's physician designee,
constitute a medical emergency.
3. Judges of the district court in that county or the judicial
hospitalization referee appointed for that county shall so far as
possible arrange for the entity designated through the central point
of coordination process under section 225C.14 to perform a prehearing
examination of a respondent required under section 229.8, subsection
3, paragraph "b".
4. The chief medical officer of a state mental health institute
shall promptly submit to the appropriate entity designated through
the central point of coordination process under section 225C.14 a
report of the voluntary admission of a patient under the medical
emergency clauses of subsections 1 and 2. The report shall explain
the nature of the emergency which necessitated the admission of the
patient without a preliminary diagnostic evaluation by the designated
entity. Section History: Early Form
[C79, 81, § 225B.6; S81, § 225C.15; 81 Acts, ch 78, § 17, 20] Section History: Recent Form
96 Acts, ch 1183, § 16; 2004 Acts, ch 1090, §33
Referred to in § 225C.12, 225C.14, 331.382, 602.8102(39)