CO Code § 27-65-103 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 27 - Behavioral Health|Article 65 - Care and Treatment of Persons With Mental Health Disorders|§ 27-65-103. Voluntary Applications for Mental Health Services - Treatment of Minors

  Nothing in this article 65 in any way limits the right of any person to make voluntary application at any time to any public or private agency or professional person for mental health services, either by direct application in person or by referral from any other public or private agency or professional person. Subject to section 15-14-316 (4), a ward, as defined in section 15-14-102 (15), may be admitted to hospital or institutional care and treatment for a mental health disorder by consent of the guardian for so long as the ward agrees to such care and treatment. Within ten days after any such admission, the guardian shall notify in writing the court that appointed the guardian of the admission.    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a minor who is fifteen years of age or older, whether with or without the consent of a parent or legal guardian, may consent to receive mental health services to be rendered by a facility or by a professional person or mental health professional licensed pursuant to part 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 of article 245 of title 12 in any practice setting. Such consent shall not be subject to disaffirmance because of minority. The professional person or licensed mental health professional rendering mental health services to a minor may, with or without the consent of the minor, advise the parent or legal guardian of the minor of the services given or needed.    A minor who is fifteen years of age or older or a parent or legal guardian of a minor on the minor's behalf may make voluntary application for hospitalization. Application for hospitalization on behalf of a minor who is under fifteen years of age and who is a ward of the department of human services shall not be made unless a guardian ad litem has been appointed for the minor or a petition for the same has been filed with the court by the agency having custody of the minor; except that such an application for hospitalization may be made under emergency circumstances requiring immediate hospitalization, in which case the agency shall file a petition for appointment of a guardian ad litem within seventy-two hours after application for admission is made, and the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem forthwith. Procedures for hospitalization of such minor may proceed pursuant to this section once a petition for appointment of a guardian ad litem has been filed, if necessary. Whenever such application for hospitalization is made, an independent professional person shall interview the minor and conduct a careful investigation into the minor's background, using all available sources, including, but not limited to, the parents or legal guardian and the school and any other social agencies. Prior to admitting a minor for hospitalization, the independent professional person shall make the following findings:   That the minor has a mental health disorder and is in need of hospitalization;    That a less restrictive treatment alternative is inappropriate or unavailable; and    That hospitalization is likely to be beneficial.       An interview and investigation by an independent professional person shall not be required for a minor who is fifteen years of age or older and who, upon the recommendation of his or her treating professional person, seeks voluntary hospitalization with the consent of his or her parent or legal guardian. In order to assure that the minor's consent to such hospitalization is voluntary, the minor shall be advised, at or before the time of admission, of his or her right to refuse to sign the admission consent form and his or her right to revoke his or her consent at a later date. If a minor admitted pursuant to this subsection (4) subsequently revokes his or her consent after admission, a review of his or her need for hospitalization pursuant to subsection (5) of this section shall be initiated immediately.      The need for continuing hospitalization of all voluntary patients who are minors shall be formally reviewed at least every two months. Review pursuant to this subsection (5) shall fulfill the requirement specified in section 19-1-115 (8), C.R.S., when the minor is fifteen years of age or older and consenting to hospitalization.    The review shall be conducted by an independent professional person who is not a member of the minor's treating team; or, if the minor, his or her physician, and the minor's parent or guardian do not object to the need for continued hospitalization, the review required pursuant to this subsection (5) may be conducted internally by the hospital staff.    The independent professional person shall determine whether the minor continues to meet the criteria specified in subsection (3) of this section and whether continued hospitalization is appropriate and shall at least conduct an investigation pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.    Ten days prior to the review, the patient representative at the mental health facility shall notify the minor of the date of the review and shall assist the minor in articulating to the independent professional person his or her wishes concerning continued hospitalization.    Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a minor's right to seek release from the facility pursuant to any other provisions under the law.       Every six months the review required pursuant to subsection (5) of this section shall be conducted by an independent professional person who is not a member of the minor's treating team and who has not previously reviewed the child pursuant to subsection (5) of this section.      When a minor does not consent to or objects to continued hospitalization, the need for such continued hospitalization shall, within ten days, be reviewed pursuant to subsection (5) of this section by an independent professional person who is not a member of the minor's treating team and who has not previously reviewed the child pursuant to this subsection (7). The minor shall be informed of the results of such review within three days of completion of such review. If the conclusion reached by such professional person is that the minor no longer meets the standards for hospitalization specified in subsection (3) of this section, the minor shall be discharged.    If, twenty-four hours after being informed of the results of the review specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (7), a minor continues to affirm the objection to hospitalization, the minor shall be advised by the director of the facility or his or her duly appointed representative that the minor has the right to retain and consult with an attorney at any time and that the director or his or her duly appointed representative shall file, within three days after the request of the minor, a statement requesting an attorney for the minor or, if the minor is under fifteen years of age, a guardian ad litem. The minor, his or her attorney, if any, and his or her parent, legal guardian, or guardian ad litem, if any, shall also be given written notice that a hearing upon the recommendation for continued hospitalization may be had before the court or a jury upon written request directed to the court pursuant to paragraph (d) of this subsection (7).    Whenever the statement requesting an attorney is filed with the court, the court shall ascertain whether the minor has retained counsel, and, if he or she has not, the court shall, within three days, appoint an attorney to represent the minor, or if the minor is under fifteen years of age, a guardian ad litem. Upon receipt of a petition filed by the guardian ad litem, the court shall appoint an attorney to represent the minor under fifteen years of age.    The minor or his or her attorney or guardian ad litem may, at any time after the minor has continued to affirm his or her objection to hospitalization pursuant to subsection (7)(b) of this section, file a written request that the recommendation for continued hospitalization be reviewed by the court or that the treatment be on an outpatient basis. If review is requested, the court shall hear the matter within ten days after the request, and the court shall give notice to the minor; his or her attorney, if any; his or her parents or legal guardian; his or her guardian ad litem, if any; the independent professional person; and the minor's treating team of the time and place of the hearing. The hearing must be held in accordance with section 27-65-111; except that the court or jury shall determine that the minor is in need of care and treatment if the court or jury makes the following findings: That the minor has a mental health disorder and is in need of hospitalization, that a less restrictive treatment alternative is inappropriate or unavailable, and that hospitalization is likely to be beneficial. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court may enter an order confirming the recommendation for continued hospitalization, discharge the minor, or enter any other appropriate order.    For purposes of this subsection (7), “objects to hospitalization” means that a minor, with the necessary assistance of hospital staff, has written his or her objections to continued hospitalization and has been given an opportunity to affirm or disaffirm such objections forty-eight hours after the objections are first written.    A minor may not again object to hospitalization pursuant to this subsection (7) until ninety days after conclusion of proceedings pursuant to this subsection (7).    In addition to the rights specified under section 27-65-117 for persons receiving evaluation, care, or treatment, a written notice specifying the rights of minor children under this section shall be given to each minor upon admission to hospitalization.       A minor who no longer meets the standards for hospitalization specified in subsection (3) of this section shall be discharged.    For the purpose of this article, the treatment by prayer in the practice of the religion of any church which teaches reliance on spiritual means alone for healing shall be considered a form of treatment.    The medical and legal status of all voluntary patients receiving treatment for mental health disorders in inpatient or custodial facilities must be reviewed at least once every six months.    Voluntary patients shall be afforded all the rights and privileges customarily granted by hospitals to their patients.    If at any time during a seventy-two-hour evaluation of a person who is confined involuntarily the facility staff requests the person to sign in voluntarily and he or she elects to do so, the following advisement shall be given orally and in writing and an appropriate notation shall be made in his or her medical record by the professional person or his or her designated agent:     NOTICE   The decision to sign in voluntarily should be made by you alone and should be free from any force or pressure implied or otherwise. If you do not feel that you are able to make a truly voluntary decision, you may continue to be held at the hospital involuntarily. As an involuntary patient, you will have the right to protest your confinement and request a hearing before a judge.   History. Source: L. 2010: Entire article added with relocations,(SB 10-175), ch. 188, p. 679, § 2, effective April 29. L. 2015: (2) amended,(HB 15-1032), ch. 40, p. 100, § 1, effective March 20. L. 2017: (1), (3)(a), (7)(d), and (10) amended,(SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1340, § 234, effective May 25. L. 2019: (2) amended,(HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1713, § 198, effective October 1.    Editor's note:   This section is similar to former § 27-10-103 as it existed prior to 2010.   Cross references:   For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.   ANNOTATION   Law reviews. For article, “Commitment Procedures in Colorado”, see 29 Dicta 273 (1952). For article, “Legal But Not Fair: Legal Implications of a Mental Illness Medical Model”, see 11 Colo. Law. 1234 (1982). For article, “Legislative Update”, see 12 Colo. Law. 1251 (1983). For article, “Legislative Update”, see 13 Colo. Law. 1419 (1984). For article, “Consent to Treatment and Access to Minors' Medical Records”, see 17 Colo. Law. 1323 (1988). For article, “Nailing Jello to the Wall: Colorado Regulates Psychotherapists”, see 19 Colo. Law. 71 (1990).   No limit on right to seek voluntary treatment. This article is to be strictly construed to see that no limit is placed on a person's right to seek voluntary treatment. People v. Taylor, 618 P.2d 1127 (Colo. 1980) (decided prior to 2010 amendments to this article).   Subsection (3) unconstitutional. Subsection (3) cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny because it contains no admission standard to be applied by the hospital staff when determining whether or not to accept a minor for treatment. In re P.F. v. Walsh, 648 P.2d 1067 (Colo. 1982) (decided prior to 1983 repeal of subsection (3)).