West Virginia Code § 27-5-11

Modified procedures for temporary compliance orders for certain
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medication dependent persons with prior hospitalizations or convictions; instituting
modified mental hygiene procedures; establishing procedures; providing for forms
and reports.
(a) The Supreme Court of Appeals shall, in consultation with the Secretaries of the
Department of Human Services and Department of Health Facilities and loceal mental health
services consumers and providers, implement throughout the state modified mental hygiene
procedures that are consistent with the requirements set forth in this srection. The judicial
circuits selected for implementing the modified procedures shall be circuits in which the
Supreme Court of Appeals determines, after consultation with the Secretaries of the
Department of Human Services and Department of Health Facilities and local mental health
consumers and service providers, that adequate resources wtill be available to implement the
modified procedures. After July 1, 2012, the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Secretaries
of the Department of Human Services and Department of Health Facilities in consultation
with local mental health consumers and providers may add programs for modified mental
hygiene procedures in any judicial circuit that establishes a need for the same.
(b) The Secretaries of the Department of Human Services and Department of Health
Facilities, after consultation with the Supreme Court of Appeals and local mental health
services consumers and service providers, shall prescribe appropriate forms to implement
the modified procedures and shall annually prepare reports on the efficacy of the modified
procedures and transmit the reeport to the Legislature on or before the first day of the 2013
and 2014 regular sessions of the Legislature.
(c) The Supreme Court of Appeals may, after consultation with the Secretaries of the
Department of Human Services and Department of Health Facilities and local mental health
services consumers and providers further modify any specific modified procedures that are
implemented pursuant to this section. The modified procedures must be consistent with the
requirements of this chapter and this section. If the Secretaries of the Department of Human
SerWvices and Department of Health Facilities determines that the use of any modified
procedure in one or more judicial circuits is placing an unacceptable additional burden upon
state mental health resources, the Supreme Court of Appeals shall, in consultation with the
secretary, modify the procedures used in such a fashion as will address the concerns of the
secretary, consistent with the requirements of this chapter. The provisions of this section
and the modified procedures thereby authorized shall cease to have any force and effect on
June 30, 2014, unless extended by an act of the Legislature prior to that date.
(1) The modified procedures shall authorize that a verified petition seeking a treatment
compliance order may be filed by any person alleging:
(A) That an individual, on two or more occasions within a twenty-four month period prior to
the filing of the petition, as a result of mental illness or addiction or both, has been
hospitalized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; or that the individual has been
convicted of one or more crimes of violence against the person within a twenty-four month
period prior to the filing of the petition and the individual's failure to take prescribed
medication or follow another prescribed regimen to treat a mental illness or addiction or
both was a significant aggravating or contributing factor in the circumstances surrounding
the crime;
(B) That the individual's previous hospitalizations due to mental illness or addiction or both
or the individual's crime of violence occurred after or as a result of the indiveidual's failure to
take medication or other treatment as prescribed by a physician to treat the individual's
mental illness or addiction or both; and r
(C) That the individual, in the absence of a court order requiringu him or her to take
medication or other treatment as prescribed, is unlikely to do so and that his or her failure to
take medication or follow other regimen or treatment as pretscribed is likely to lead to
further instances in the reasonably near future in which the individual becomes likely to
cause serious harm or commit a crime of violence against the person.
(2) Upon the filing of a petition seeking a treatmenlt compliance order and the petition's
review by a circuit judge or mental hygiene cosmmissioner, counsel shall be appointed for the
individual if the individual does not already have counsel and a copy of the petition and all
supporting evidence shall be furnished to the individual and their counsel. If the circuit
judge or mental hygiene commissionger determines on the basis of the petition that it is
necessary to protect the individual or to secure their examination, a detention order may be
entered ordering that the indiveidual be taken into custody and examined by a psychiatrist or
licensed psychologist. A hearing on the allegations in the petition, which may be combined
with a hearing on a probLable cause petition conducted pursuant to the provisions of section
two of this article or a final commitment hearing conducted pursuant to the provisions of
section four of this article, shall be held before a circuit judge or mental hygiene
commissioner. If the individual is taken into custody and remains in custody as a result of a
detention order, the hearing shall be held within forty-eight hours of the time that the
individual is taken into custody.
(3) If the allegations in the petition seeking a treatment compliance order are proved by the
evidence adduced at the hearing, which must include expert testimony by a psychiatrist or
licensed psychologist, the circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner may enter a
treatment compliance order for a period not to exceed six months upon making the following
findings:
(A) That the individual is eighteen years of age or older;
(B) That on two or more occasions within a twenty-four month period prior to the filing of the
petition an individual, as a result of mental illness, has been hospitalized pursuant to the
provisions of this chapter; or that on at least one occasion within a twenty-four month period
prior to the filing of the petition has been convicted of a crime of violence against any
person;
(C) That the individual's previous hospitalizations due to mental illness or addiction or both
occurred as a result of the individual's failure to take prescribed medication or follow a
regimen or course of treatment as prescribed by a physician or psychiatrist to treat the
individual's mental illness or addiction; or that the individual has been convicted for crimes
of violence against any person and the individual's failure to take medication or follow a
prescribed regimen or course of treatment of the individual's mental illness or addiction or
both was a significant aggravating or contributing factor in the commission eof the crime;
(D) That a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist who has personally exarmined the individual
within the preceding twenty-four months has issued a written opinion that the individual,
without the aid of the medication or other prescribed treatment, is likely to cause serious
harm to himself or herself or to others;
(E) That the individual, in the absence of a court order requiring him or her to take
medication or other treatment as prescribed, is unlikely to do so and that his or her failure to
take medication or other treatment as prescribed is likely to lead to further instances in the
reasonably near future in which the individual becomes likely to cause serious harm or
commit a crime of violence against any persons;
(F) That, where necessary, a responsible entity or individual is available to assist and
monitor the individual's compliance gwith an order requiring the individual to take the
medication or follow other prescribed regimen or course of treatment;
(G) That the individual can obtain and take the prescribed medication or follow other
prescribed regimen or course of treatment without undue financial or other hardship; and
(H) That, if necessary, a medical provider is available to assess the individual within forty-
eight hours of the entry of the treatment compliance order.
(4) The order may require an individual to take medication and treatment as prescribed and
if appropriate to attend scheduled medication and treatment-related appointments:
Provided, That a treatment compliance order shall be subject to termination or modification
by a circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner if a petition is filed seeking termination or
modification of the order and it is shown in a hearing on the petition that there has been a
material change in the circumstances that led to the entry of the original order that justifies
the order's modification or termination: Provided, however, That a treatment compliance
order may be extended by a circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner for additional
periods of time not to exceed six months, upon the filing of a petition seeking an extension
and after a hearing on the petition or upon the agreement of the individual.
(5) After the entry of a treatment compliance order in accordance with the provisions of
subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection if a verified petition is filed alleging that an
individual has not complied with the terms of a medication and treatment compliance order
and if a circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner determines from the petition and any
supporting evidence that there is probable cause to believe that the allegations in the
petition are true, counsel shall be appointed for the individual and a copy of the petition and
all supporting evidence shall be furnished to the individual and his or her counsel. If the
circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner considers it necessary to protect the individual
or to secure his or her examination, a detention order may be entered to require that the
individual be examined by a psychiatrist or psychologist. (A) A hearing on the allegations in
the petition, which may be combined with a hearing on a probable cause petition conducted
pursuant to section two of this article or a final commitment hearing conduceted pursuant to
section four of this article, shall be held before a circuit judge or mental hygiene
commissioner. If the individual is taken and remains in custody as a resrult of a detention
order, the hearing shall be held within forty-eight hours of the time that the individual is
taken into custody.
(B) At a hearing on any petition filed pursuant to the provisiotns of paragraph (A) of this
subdivision, the circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner shall determine whether the
individual has complied with the terms of the medication and treatment compliance order. If
the individual has complied with the order, the petition shall be dismissed. If the evidence
presented to the circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner shows that the individual has
complied with the terms of the existing order, but the individual's prescribed medication,
dosage or course of treatment needs to be modified, then the newly modified medication and
treatment prescribed by a psychiatrist who personally examined the individual may be
properly incorporated into a modified order. If the order has not been complied with, the
circuit judge or mental hygiene commissioner, after inquiring into the reasons for
noncompliance and whether aeny aspects of the order should be modified, may continue the
individual upon the terms of the original order and direct the individual to comply with the
order or may modify theL order in light of the evidence presented at the hearing. If the
evidence shows that the individual at the time of the hearing is likely to cause serious harm
to himself or herself, herself or others as a result of the individual's mental illness, the
circuit judge oVr mental hygiene commissioner may convert the proceeding into a probable
cause proceeding and enter a probable cause order directing the involuntary admission of
the individual to a mental health facility for examination and treatment. Any procedures
conducted pursuant to this subsection must comply with and satisfy all applicable due
process and hearing requirements of sections two and three of this article.
(d) The modified procedures may authorize that upon the certification of a qualified mental
health professional, as described in subsection (e) of this section, that there is probable
cause to believe that an individual who has been hospitalized two or more times in the
previous twenty-four months because of mental illness is likely to cause serious harm to
himself or herself, herself or to others as a result of the mental illness if not immediately
restrained and that the best interests of the individual would be served by immediate
hospitalization, a circuit judge, mental hygiene commissioner or designated magistrate may
enter a temporary probable cause order directing the involuntary hospitalization of the
individual at a mental health facility for immediate examination and treatment.
(e) The modified procedures may authorize the chief judge of a judicial circuit, or circuit
judge if there is no chief judge, to enter orders authorizing specific psychiatrists or licensed
psychologists, whose qualifications and training have been reviewed and approved by the
Supreme Court of Appeals, to issue certifications that authorize and direct the involuntary
admission of an individual subject to the provisions of this section on a temporary probable
cause basis to a mental health facility for examination and treatment. The authorized
psychiatrist or licensed psychologist must conclude and certify based on personal
observation prior to certification that the individual is mentally ill and, because of such
mental illness or addiction or both, is imminently likely to cause serious harem to himself or
herself or to others if not immediately restrained and promotion of the best interests of the
individual requires immediate hospitalization. Immediately upon certifircation, the
psychiatrist or licensed psychologist shall provide notice of the certification to a circuit
judge, mental hygiene commissioner or designated magistrate in the county where the
individual resides.
(f) No involuntary hospitalization pursuant to a temporary probable cause determination
issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall continue in effect for more than forty-
eight hours without the filing of a petition for involuntary hospitalization and the occurrence
of a probable cause hearing before a circuit judge, mental hygiene commissioner or
designated magistrate. If at any time the chief medical officer of the mental health facility to
which the individual is admitted determines that the individual is not likely to cause serious
harm as a result of mental illness or addiction or both, the chief medical officer shall
discharge the individual and immediately forward a copy of the individual's discharge to the
circuit judge, mental hygiene commissioner or designated magistrate.

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