Louisiana Children’s Code 1420 – Admission by emergency certificate; extension
Terms Used In Louisiana Children's Code 1420
- Diagnosis: means the art and science of determining the presence of disease in an individual and distinguishing one disease from another. See Louisiana Children's Code 1404
- Patient: means any person detained and taken care of as a person with mental illness or person suffering from substance abuse. See Louisiana Children's Code 1404
- Substance abuse: means the condition of a person who uses narcotic, stimulant, depressant, soporific, tranquilizing, or hallucinogenic drugs or alcohol to the extent that it renders the person dangerous to himself or others or renders the person gravely disabled. See Louisiana Children's Code 1404
- Treatment: means an active effort to accomplish an improvement in the mental condition or behavior of a patient or to prevent deterioration in his condition or behavior. See Louisiana Children's Code 1404
- Treatment facility: means any public or private hospital, retreat, institution, mental health center, or facility licensed by the state of Louisiana in which any mentally ill minor or minor suffering from substance abuse is received or detained as a patient except a facility under the control or supervision of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections unless otherwise provided in Title VIII of this Code. See Louisiana Children's Code 1404
A. A minor with mental illness or a minor suffering from substance abuse may be admitted and detained at a treatment facility for observation, diagnosis, and treatment for a period not to exceed fifteen days under an emergency certificate.
B. A minor suffering from substance abuse may be detained at a treatment facility for one additional period, not to exceed fifteen days, provided that a second emergency certificate is executed. A second certificate may be executed only if and when a physician at the treatment facility and any other physician have examined the detained minor within seventy-two hours prior to the termination of the initial fifteen-day period and certified in writing on the second certificate that the minor remains dangerous to himself or others or gravely disabled, and that his condition is likely to improve during the extended period. The director shall inform the minor patient of the execution of the second certificate, the length of the extended period, and the specific reasons therefor, and shall also give notice of the same to the minor’s nearest relative or other designated responsible party initially notified pursuant to Article 1428.
Acts 1991, No. 235, §14, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 2014, No. 811, §33, eff. June 23, 2014.