Arizona Laws 36-521.01. Considerations for screening, evaluation and involuntary treatment
A. A person who has a substance use disorder without any co-occurring mental disorder may not be considered for involuntary treatment pursuant to article 5 of this chapter. A person who initially presents with impairments consistent with both a mental disorder and a substance use disorder is eligible for screening and evaluation pursuant to this article, and that person may be eligible for involuntary treatment pursuant to article 5 of this chapter if, after considering the person’s history, an appropriate assessment of the person’s current presentation, and a reasonable period of time to rule out substance abuse as the primary cause of the alleged behavior, the person’s presentation is consistent with a mental disorder that would benefit from treatment.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 36-521.01
- 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
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Mental disorder: means a substantial disorder of the person's emotional processes, thought, cognition or memory. 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
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
B. A person who has an intellectual disability may not be considered for involuntary treatment pursuant to article 5 of this chapter unless, in addition to the intellectual disability, the person has a mental disorder that would benefit from treatment.
C. A person who presents with declining mental abilities that directly accompany impending death may not be considered for involuntary treatment pursuant to article 5 of this chapter.
D. A person with a character or personality disorder characterized by lifelong and deeply ingrained antisocial behavior patterns, including sexual behaviors that are abnormal and prohibited by statute, may not be considered for involuntary treatment pursuant to article 5 of this chapter unless the person also has a mental disorder that would benefit from treatment.
E. This section does not affect any time frames otherwise prescribed in this chapter.