(1) A facility may not administer any treatments or medications to a child admitted to the facility as a voluntary patient under section 16-2407, Idaho Code, unless the parent, guardian or custodian of the child has given informed consent to the treatment, except that emergency or medically necessary treatments may be given without informed consent, if delay in treatment may cause harm to the child, and the parent, guardian, or custodian of the child is not available.
(2)  After informed consent has been given, the parent, guardian or custodian of a child may revoke such consent at any time, by clearly communicating such revocation to facility staff. When consent has been revoked, the facility shall promptly discontinue the treatment, provided that a course of treatment may be concluded or phased out where necessary to avoid the harmful effects of abrupt withdrawal. The facility may require the parent, guardian, or custodian to sign a written revocation of consent before discontinuing the treatment.

Terms Used In Idaho Code 16-2422

  • Child: means an individual less than eighteen (18) years of age and not emancipated by either marriage or legal proceeding. See Idaho Code 16-2403
  • Emergency: means a situation in which the child’s condition, as evidenced by recent behavior, poses a significant threat to the health or safety of the child, his family or others, or poses a serious risk of substantial deterioration in the child’s condition which cannot be eliminated by the use of supportive services or intervention by the child’s parents, or mental health professionals, and treatment in the community while the child remains in his family home. See Idaho Code 16-2403
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Involuntary treatment: means treatment, services and placement of children provided without consent of the parent of a child, under the authority of a court order obtained pursuant to this chapter, as directed by an order of disposition issued by a designated employee of the department of health and welfare under section 16-2415, Idaho Code. See Idaho Code 16-2403
(3)  Except in an emergency situation, the parents of a child being treated voluntarily shall have the right to refuse any and all medications or other treatments. If appropriate medications or treatments are refused, and the facility is unable to care for the child without such treatments, the facility may then discharge the child, with due care for his safety. Neither the facility nor providers shall be held liable. If the child appears to meet the criteria for involuntary treatment as specified in section 16-2418, Idaho Code, the facility may file a petition for involuntary treatment.