Pennsylvania Code
Title 55 - HUMAN SERVICES
Part VIII - Intellectual Disability and Autism Manual
Subpart C - Administration and Fiscal Management
Chapter 6250 - COMMITMENT AND ADMISSION PROCEDURES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
ADMISSION PROCEDURES FOR JUVENILES
Section 6250.21 - Admission procedures

(a) All juveniles 18 years of age and younger to be admitted to an institution must be referred from a recognized medical facility, intellectual disability therapist, pediatrician, general physician, or psychologist.

(b) This referral must be accomplished by a psychiatric, medical, or psychological evaluation and that report must indicate with specificity the reasons that the person requires institutional care.

(c) The director of the institution or his delegate, shall have conducted an independent examination of the proposed juvenile, and if his results disagree with the professional's opinion, the director, or his delegate shall discharge the juvenile.

(d) The telephone number and address of the juvenile's parents or the person who is requesting admission for the juvenile shall accompany the referral.

(e) Within 24 hours after the juvenile's admission, every youth who is at least 13 years of age shall receive written notification (which he signs) explaining his rights indicating that he will be given a status report periodically of his condition; that he can contact bytelephone or bymail his parents or the person who requested his admission, and that he will be furnished with the number of counsel (Public Defender's number; Legal Services) that he can call for representation. An appropriate person shall explain his notice.

(f) In the event that a juvenile whose chronological age is 13 or older objects (either orally or in writing) to remain in the institution, the director, or his delegates, if he feels it is necessary for the youth to remain, may continue the institutionalization for 2 business days during which time he shall notify the applicant and the referral unit so that either party may institute a 406 proceeding. During that same 2-day period, the director, or his delegate, shall notify the public defender's office or notify legal services readily available of the juvenile's need for legal representation. If a 406 proceeding is begun during the 2-day period, the juvenile shall remain institutionalized. If the applicant cannot be located and the director, or his delegate, feels that the juvenile does not require institutionalization, the director, or his delegate shall direct the base service unit to assume responsibility of providing for the juvenile's aftercare. However, if the director, or his delegate, feels that the juvenile requires institutionalization, he shall direct the base service unit to file a 406 proceeding within 2 days after failure to locate the applicant.

(g) The juvenile's counsel shall be furnished with the juvenile's evaluation from the referral unit, with a psychiatric evaluation from the institution, and with a written report of the reasons to institutionalize the juvenile.

(h) If the staff member of the facility giving notice to the patient determines that the patient is incapable of understanding the notification, it shall be written on the notification.