RCW 71.34.010 Purpose—Parental participation in treatment decisions concerning minor children and adolescents.

It is the purpose of this chapter to assure that minors in need of mental health care and treatment receive an appropriate continuum of culturally relevant care and treatment, including prevention and early intervention, self-directed care, parent-directed care, and involuntary treatment. To facilitate the continuum of care and treatment to minors in out-of-home placements, all divisions of the authority and the department that provide mental health services to minors shall jointly plan and deliver those services.

It is also the purpose of this chapter to protect the rights of adolescents to confidentiality and to independently seek services for mental health and substance use disorders. Mental health and chemical dependency professionals shall guard against needless hospitalization and deprivations of liberty, enable treatment decisions to be made in response to clinical needs in accordance with sound professional judgment, and encourage the use of voluntary services. Mental health and chemical dependency professionals shall, whenever clinically appropriate, offer less restrictive alternatives to inpatient treatment. Additionally, all mental health care and treatment providers shall assure that minors' parents are given an opportunity to participate in the treatment decisions for their minor children. The mental health care and treatment providers shall, to the extent possible, offer services that involve minors' parents or family.

It is also the purpose of this chapter to assure the ability of parents to exercise reasonable, compassionate care and control of their minor children when there is a medical necessity for treatment and without the requirement of filing a petition under this chapter, including the ability to request and receive medically necessary treatment for their adolescent children without the consent of the adolescent.

[ 2019 c 381 § 1; 2018 c 201 § 5001; 1998 c 296 § 7; 1992 c 205 § 302; 1985 c 354 § 1.]

NOTES:

Short title—2019 c 381: See note following RCW 71.34.500.

Findings—Intent—Effective date—2018 c 201: See notes following RCW 41.05.018.

Findings—Intent—Part headings not law—Short title—1998 c 296: See notes following RCW 74.13.025.

Part headings not law—Severability—1992 c 205: See notes following RCW 13.40.010.