PDFWAC 246-341-1134

Mental health inpatient servicesEvaluation and treatment services.

In addition to meeting the agency licensure, certification, administration, personnel, and clinical requirements in WAC 246-341-0100 through 246-341-0650, and the applicable inpatient services requirements in WAC 246-341-1118 through 246-341-1132 an agency providing evaluation and treatment services must ensure:
(1) Designation of a physician or other mental health professional as the professional person as defined in RCW 71.05.020 in charge of clinical services at that facility; and
(2) A policy management structure that establishes:
(a) Procedures to assure appropriate and safe transportation for persons who are not approved for admission to his or her residence or other appropriate place;
(b) Procedures to detain arrested persons who are not approved for admission for up to eight hours so that reasonable attempts can be made to notify law enforcement to return to the facility and take the person back into custody;
(c) Procedures to assure the rights of individuals to make mental health advance directives, and facility protocols for responding to individual and agent requests consistent with RCW 71.32.150;
(d) Procedures to ensure that if the facility releases the individual to the community, the facility informs the peace officer of the release within a reasonable period of time after the release if the peace officer has specifically requested notification and has provided contact information to the facility;
(e) Procedures to document that each individual has received evaluations to determine the nature of the disorder and the treatment necessary, including a psychosocial evaluation by a mental health professional; and
(f) For individuals who are being evaluated as dangerous mentally ill offenders under RCW 72.09.370(7), the professional person in charge of the evaluation and treatment facility must consider filing a petition for a ninety day less restrictive alternative in lieu of a petition for a fourteen-day commitment.
[Statutory Authority: 2018 c 201 and 2018 c 291. WSR 19-09-062, § 246-341-1134, filed 4/16/19, effective 5/17/19.]