(a)  The department shall establish a comprehensive and coordinated program for the treatment of alcoholics and intoxicated persons. The director shall divide the state into appropriate regions for the conduct of the program and establish standards for the development of the program on the regional level. In establishing the regions, consideration shall be given to city, town, and county lines and population concentrations.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 23-1.10-6

  • Approved public treatment facility: means a treatment agency operating under the direction and control of the department or providing treatment under this chapter through a contract with the department under § 23-1. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-1.10-2
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Department: means department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals;

    (5)  "Director" means the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals;

    (6)  "Incapacitated by alcohol" means a person, who as a result of the use of alcohol is intoxicated to such an extent that he or she is unconscious or has his or her judgment otherwise so impaired that he or she is incapable of realizing and making a rational decision with respect to his or her need for treatment;

    (7)  "Incompetent person" means a person who has been adjudged incompetent by the probate court of the city and town in which the person resides, or any other court of competent jurisdiction;

    (8)  "Intoxicated person" means a person whose mental or physical functioning is substantially impaired as a result of the use of alcohol;

    (9)  "Treatment" means the broad range of emergency, outpatient, intermediate, and inpatient services and care, including diagnostic evaluation, medical, psychiatric, psychological, and social service care, vocational rehabilitation and career counseling, which may be extended to alcoholics and intoxicated persons. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-1.10-2

  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  The program of the division shall include:

(1)  Emergency treatment provided by a facility affiliated with or part of the medical service of a general hospital;

(2)  Inpatient treatment;

(3)  Intermediate treatment; and

(4)  Outpatient and follow-up treatment.

(c)  The department shall provide for adequate and appropriate treatment for alcoholics and intoxicated persons admitted pursuant to § 23-1.10-11 and § 23-1.10-12. Treatment may not be provided at a correctional institution except for inmates.

(d)  The department shall maintain, supervise, and control all facilities operated by it subject to its policies. The administrator of each facility shall make an annual report of its activities to the director in the form and manner the director specifies.

(e)  All appropriate public and private resources shall be coordinated with and utilized in the program whenever possible.

(f)  The director shall prepare, publish, and distribute annually a list of all approved public and private treatment facilities.

(g)  The department may contract for the use of any facility as an approved public treatment facility if the director, subject to the policies of the department, considers this to be an effective and economical course to follow.

History of Section.
P.L. 1972, ch. 130, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 40.1-4-6; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 14, § 4.