Sec. 723.

(1) A mental health professional, a person employed by or under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program, or a person employed by a provider under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program who has reasonable cause to suspect the criminal abuse of a recipient immediately shall make or cause to be made, by telephone or otherwise, an oral report of the suspected criminal abuse to the law enforcement agency for the county or city in which the criminal abuse is suspected to have occurred or to the state police.

(2) Within 72 hours after making the oral report, the reporting individual shall file a written report with the law enforcement agency to which the oral report was made, and with the chief administrator of the facility or agency responsible for the recipient.

(3) The written report required by subsection (2) shall contain the name of the recipient and a description of the criminal abuse and other information available to the reporting individual that might establish the cause of the criminal abuse and the manner in which it occurred. The report shall become a part of the recipient's clinical record. Before the report becomes part of the recipient's clinical record, the names of the reporting individual and the individual accused of committing the criminal abuse, if contained in the report, shall be deleted.

(4) The identity of an individual who makes a report under this section is confidential and is not subject to disclosure without the consent of that individual or by order or subpoena of a court of record. An individual acting in good faith who makes a report of criminal abuse against a recipient is immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred. The immunity from civil or criminal liability granted by this subsection extends only to acts done under this section and does not extend to a negligent act that causes personal injury or death.

(5) An individual who makes a report under this section in good faith shall not be dismissed or otherwise penalized by an employer or contractor for making the report.

(6) This section does not relieve an individual from the duty to report criminal abuse under other applicable law.

(7) The department, a community mental health services program, a licensed facility, and a service provider under contract with the department, community mental health services program, or licensed facility shall cooperate in the prosecution of appropriate criminal charges against those who have engaged in criminal abuse.

(8) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), this section does not preclude nor hinder the department, a licensed facility, a community mental health services program, or a service provider under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program from investigating reported claims of criminal abuse of a recipient by its employees, and from taking appropriate disciplinary action against its employees based upon that investigation.

(9) This section does not require a person to report suspected criminal abuse if either of the following applies:

(a) The individual has knowledge that the incident of suspected criminal abuse has been reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency as provided in this section.

(b) The suspected criminal abuse occurred more than 1 year before the date on which it first became known to an individual who would otherwise be required to make a report.

(10) This section does not require an individual required to report suspected criminal abuse under subsection (1) to disclose confidential information or a privileged communication except under 1 or both of the following circumstances:

(a) If the suspected criminal abuse is alleged to have been committed or caused by a mental health professional, an individual employed by or under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program, or an individual employed by a service provider under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program.

(b) If the suspected criminal abuse is alleged to have been committed in 1 of the following:

(i) A state facility or a licensed facility.

(ii) A county community mental health services program site.

(iii) The work site of an individual employed by or under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program or a provider under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program.

(iv) A place where a recipient is under the supervision of an individual employed by or under contract to the department, a licensed facility, a community mental health services program, or a provider under contract to the department, a licensed facility, or a community mental health services program.

History: Add. 1986, Act 224, Eff. Mar. 31, 1987 ;-- Am. 1988, Act 32, Imd. Eff. Feb. 25, 1988 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 290, Eff. Mar. 28, 1996