HOUSE BILL No. 5925

 

March 30, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Williams, Tobocman, Accavitti, Meisner, Leland, Kolb, Anderson, Mortimer, Sheltrown, Alma Smith, Vagnozzi, Donigan, Plakas, Farrah, Cushingberry, Gleason and Zelenko and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1974 PA 258, entitled

 

"Mental health code,"

 

by amending sections 401 and 433 (MCL 330.1401 and 330.1433),

 

section 401 as amended by 2004 PA 496 and section 433 as added by

 

2004 PA 497.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 401. (1) As used in this chapter, "person requiring

 

treatment" means  (a), (b), (c), or (d) either of the following:

 

     (a) An individual who has mental illness  ,  and  who  as a

 

result of that mental illness  can reasonably be expected within

 

the near future to intentionally or unintentionally seriously

 

physically injure himself, herself, or another individual, and who

 

has engaged in an act or acts or made significant threats that are

 


substantially supportive of the expectation. represents a danger to

 

self or others, or an individual who has mental illness and without

 

treatment of the mental illness can reasonably be expected, based

 

on competent clinical opinion, to represent a threat to self or

 

others in the near future because of inability to understand the

 

need for treatment or attend to basic physical needs such as food,

 

clothing, or shelter.

 

     (b) An individual who has mental illness, and who as a result

 

of that mental illness is unable to attend to those of his or her

 

basic physical needs such as food, clothing, or shelter that must

 

be attended to in order for the individual to avoid serious harm in

 

the near future, and who has demonstrated that inability by failing

 

to attend to those basic physical needs.

 

     (c) An individual who has mental illness, whose judgment is so

 

impaired that he or she is unable to understand his or her need for

 

treatment and whose continued behavior as the result of this mental

 

illness can reasonably be expected, on the basis of competent

 

clinical opinion, to result in significant physical harm to

 

himself,  herself, or others. This individual shall receive

 

involuntary mental health treatment initially only under the

 

provisions of sections 434 through 438.

 

     (b)  (d)  An individual who has mental illness, whose

 

understanding of the need for treatment is impaired to the point

 

that he or she is unlikely to participate in treatment voluntarily,

 

who is currently noncompliant with treatment that has been

 

recommended by a mental health  ,  professional and that has been

 

determined to be necessary to prevent a relapse or harmful

 


deterioration of his or her condition and whose noncompliance with

 

treatment has been a factor in the individual's placement in a

 

psychiatric hospital, prison, or jail at least 2 times within the

 

last 48 months or whose noncompliance with treatment has been a

 

factor in the individual's committing 1 or more acts, attempts, or

 

threats of serious violent behavior within the last 48 months. An

 

individual under this subdivision is only eligible to receive

 

assisted outpatient treatment under section 433 or 469a.

 

     (2) An individual whose mental processes have been weakened or

 

impaired by a dementia, an individual with a primary diagnosis of

 

epilepsy, or an individual with alcoholism or other drug dependence

 

is not a person requiring treatment under this chapter unless the

 

individual also meets the criteria specified in subsection (1). An

 

individual described in this subsection may be hospitalized under

 

the informal or formal voluntary hospitalization provisions of this

 

chapter if he or she is considered clinically suitable for

 

hospitalization by the hospital director.

 

     Sec. 433. (1) Any individual 18 years of age or over may file

 

a petition with the court that asserts that an individual meets the

 

criteria for assisted outpatient treatment specified in section

 

401(d)  401(b). The petition shall contain the facts that are the

 

basis for the assertion, the names and addresses, if known, of any

 

witnesses to the facts, the name and address of the mental health

 

professional currently providing care to the individual who is the

 

subject of the petition, if known, and the name and address of the

 

nearest relative or guardian, if known, or, if none, a friend, if

 

known, of the individual who is the subject of the petition.

 


     (2) Upon receipt of a petition, the court shall inform the

 

subject of the petition and the community mental health services

 

program serving the community in which the subject of the petition

 

resides that the court shall hold a hearing to determine whether

 

the subject of the petition meets the criteria for assisted

 

outpatient treatment. Notice shall be provided as set forth in

 

section 453. The hearing shall be governed by sections 454 and 458

 

to 465.

 

     (3) If in the hearing, the court verifies that the subject of

 

the petition meets the criteria for assisted outpatient treatment

 

and he or she is not scheduled to begin a course of outpatient

 

mental health treatment that includes case management services or

 

assertive community treatment team services, the court shall order

 

the subject of the petition to receive assisted outpatient

 

treatment through his or her local community mental health services

 

program. The order shall include case management services. The

 

order may include 1 or more of the following:

 

     (a) Medication.

 

     (b) Blood or urinalysis tests to determine compliance with or

 

effectiveness of prescribed medications.

 

     (c) Individual or group therapy.

 

     (d) Day or partial day programs.

 

     (e) Educational and vocational training.

 

     (f) Supervised living.

 

     (g) Assertive community treatment team services.

 

     (h) Alcohol or substance abuse treatment, or both.

 

     (i) Alcohol or substance abuse testing, or both, for

 


individuals with a history of alcohol or substance abuse and for

 

whom that testing is necessary to prevent a deterioration of their

 

condition. A court order for alcohol or substance abuse testing

 

shall be subject to review every 6 months.

 

     (j) Any other services prescribed to treat the individual's

 

mental illness and to either assist the individual in living and

 

functioning in the community or to help prevent a relapse or

 

deterioration that may reasonably be predicted to result in suicide

 

or the need for hospitalization.

 

     (4) To fulfill the requirements of an assisted outpatient

 

treatment plan, the court's order may specify the service role that

 

a publicly-funded entity other than the community mental health

 

services program shall take.

 

     (5) In developing an order under this section, the court shall

 

consider any preferences and medication experiences reported by the

 

subject of the petition or his or her designated representative,

 

whether or not the subject of the petition has an existing

 

individual plan of services under section 712, and any directions

 

included in a durable power of attorney or advance directive that

 

exists. If the subject of the petition has not previously

 

designated a patient advocate or executed an advance directive, the

 

responsible community mental health services program shall, before

 

the expiration of the assisted outpatient treatment order,

 

ascertain whether the subject of the petition desires to establish

 

an advance directive. If so, the community mental health services

 

program shall direct the subject of the petition to the appropriate

 

community resources for assistance in developing an advance

 


directive.

 

     (6) If an assisted outpatient treatment order conflicts with

 

the provisions of an existing advance directive, durable power of

 

attorney, or individual plan of services developed under section

 

712, the assisted outpatient treatment order shall be reviewed for

 

possible adjustment by a psychiatrist not previously involved with

 

developing the assisted outpatient treatment order. If an assisted

 

outpatient treatment order conflicts with the provisions of an

 

existing advance directive, durable power of attorney, or

 

individual plan of services developed under section 712, the court

 

shall state the court's findings on the record or in writing if the

 

court takes the matter under advisement, including the reason for

 

the conflict.

 

     (7) Nothing in this section negates or interferes with an

 

individual's rights to appeal under any other state law or Michigan

 

court rule.