Arizona Laws 36-519. Discharge of voluntary patients
A. The medical director of the agency shall discharge any patient admitted voluntarily who has recovered or who is no longer benefiting from the evaluation, care or treatment available, except as provided in subsection B of this section.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 36-519
- Director: means the director of the administration. See Arizona Laws 36-501
- Evaluation: means :
(a) A professional multidisciplinary analysis that may include firsthand observations or remote observations by interactive audiovisual media and that is based on data describing the person's identity, biography and medical, psychological and social conditions carried out by a group of persons consisting of at least the following:
(i) Two licensed physicians who are qualified psychiatrists, if possible, or at least experienced in psychiatric matters, who shall examine and report their findings independently. See Arizona Laws 36-501
- Grave disability: means a condition evidenced by behavior in which a person, as a result of a mental disorder, is likely to come to serious physical harm or serious illness because the person is unable to provide for the person's own basic physical needs. See Arizona Laws 36-501
- 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.
- Patient: means any person who is undergoing examination, evaluation or behavioral or mental health treatment under this chapter. See Arizona Laws 36-501
- Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Property: includes both real and personal property. See Arizona Laws 1-215
B. Upon written request by a patient admitted pursuant to section 36-518, subsection A or by the parent, guardian or custodian of a patient admitted pursuant to section 36-518, subsection C, the patient shall be given a discharge within twenty-four hours after the request, excluding weekends or holidays unless the medical director of the agency has proceeded pursuant to section 36-531, subsections B and C and section 36-533. The costs of such proceedings shall be a charge against the county of the patient’s residence.
C. If the medical director of the agency finds that a patient admitted voluntarily is a person with a grave disability and requires the service of a guardian or conservator or both for the protection of health and property, he shall proceed pursuant to section 36-531, subsections B and C and section 36-533 unless it is appropriate to discharge the patient to suitable alternative arrangements for care, treatment and protection.