Concerning the accountability of mental health professionals employed by an evaluation and treatment facility for communicating with a parent or guardian about the option of parent-initiated mental health treatment.
Summary
Requires evaluation and treatment facilities, hospital emergency rooms, inpatient facilities licensed under the chapters governing public and private facilities for the mentally ill, and inpatient facilities licensed under the chapters governing hospitals and private treatment facilities that operate inpatient psychiatric beds for minors to provide written and verbal notice of statutorily available treatment options to parents who bring minor children to facilities seeking mental health treatment or evaluation.
Provides that evaluation and treatment facilities not licensed as a hospital or psychiatric hospital are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 for failure to provide notice under the act.
Authorizes the Department of Health to enforce notice requirements in facilities that are licensed under the chapters governing hospitals and private treatment facilities.
Requires facilities covered under the act to adopt policies and protocols regarding the notice requirement by December 1, 2011.
Requires the Department of Social and Health Services, in collaboration with the Department of Health, to report to the Legislature by December 1, 2012, regarding the facilities' compliance with the provisions of the act.
From the Substitute House Bill Report (SSB 5187), written by the Legislature's nonpartisan staff. Read the full report ↗
AN ACT Relating to the accountability of mental health professionals employed by an evaluation and treatment facility for communicating with a parent or guardian about the option of parent- initiated mental health treatment;