Title 37, Chapter 7, Section 85
( 37-7-85)
(a) Each individualized treatment plan for a patient receiving
involuntary inpatient treatment shall be reviewed at regular
intervals to determine the patient's progress toward the stated
goals and objectives of the plan and to determine whether the plan
should be modified because of the patient's present condition. These
reviews should be based upon relevant progress notes in the
patient's clinical record and upon other related information; and
input from the patient should be obtained and utilized where
feasible. (b) Any time a patient receiving involuntary inpatient treatment is
found by the chief medical officer, after consideration of the
recommendations of the treatment team, no longer to be an alcoholic,
a drug dependent individual, or a drug abuser requiring involuntary
inpatient treatment, the chief medical officer may: (1) Discharge the patient from involuntary outpatient or inpatient treatment, or both, subject to the conditions of Code Section 37-7-95; (2) Discharge the patient from involuntary inpatient treatment and require that the patient obtain available outpatient treatment for the remaining period the patient was to have been required to obtain inpatient treatment, as long as the patient then meets the standards for being discharged to outpatient treatment under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section 37-7-81.1 and subject to the conditions of Code Section 37-7-95; or (3) Transfer the patient to voluntary status at the patient's request, as provided in Code Section 37-7-24. (c) The chief medical officer may designate in writing another
physician, who may be the attending physician, to make these
discharge decisions. If the decision of the designee is contrary to
the recommendations of the treatment team, the issue must go to the
chief medical officer for final determination. Where the treatment
team and the designee concur, the decision of the designee will be
final. (d) Notice of the discharge or the transfer of status shall be given
to the patient and his representatives; if the patient's
hospitalization was authorized by order of a court, to the court
which entered such order; and, if the patient was under criminal
charges of which the facility received written notification, by
certified mail or statutory overnight delivery to the law
enforcement agency originally having custody of the patient. |