As used in this chapter, the term:
(3.1) “Available outpatient treatment” means outpatient treatment, either public or private, available in the patient’s community, including but not limited to supervision and support of the patient by family, friends, or other responsible persons in that community. Outpatient treatment at state expense shall be available only within the limits of state funds specifically appropriated therefor.
(14.1) “Inpatient” means a person who is an alcoholic, a drug dependent individual, or a drug abuser and:
(14.2) “Inpatient treatment” or “hospitalization” means a program of treatment for alcoholics, drug dependent individuals, or drug abusers within a hospital facility setting.
(14.3) “Involuntary treatment” means inpatient or outpatient treatment which a patient is required to obtain pursuant to this chapter.
(15.1) “Outpatient” means a person who is an alcoholic, drug dependent individual, or drug abuser and:
(15.2) “Outpatient treatment” means a program of treatment for alcoholics, drug dependent individuals, or drug abusers outside a hospital facility setting which includes, without being limited to, medication and prescription monitoring, individual or group therapy, day or partial programming activities, case management services, and other services to alleviate or treat the patient’s lack of self-control regarding the use of alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substances listed in paragraph (8) of this Code section so as to maintain the patient’s semi-independent functioning and to prevent the patient’s becoming an inpatient.
(17.1) “Psychologist” means a licensed psychologist who meets the criteria of training and experience as a health service provider psychologist as provided in Code Section 31-7-162.
(17.2) “Regional state hospital administrator” means the chief administrative officer of a state owned or state operated hospital and the state owned or operated community programs in a region. The regional state hospital administrator has overall management responsibility for the regional state hospital and manages services provided by employees of the regional state hospital and employees of state owned or operated community programs within a mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases region established in accordance with Code Section 37-2-3.
History. Code 1933, § 88-401, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 1856, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 744, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 37; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 28; Ga. L. 1986, p. 1098, § 6; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1059, § 27; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 37; Ga. L. 1992, p. 1902, § 15; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1445, § 17.7; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1324, § 1-15; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 3-19/HB 228; Ga. L. 2022, p. 26, § 3-5/HB 1013.
The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, rewrote subparagraphs (15.1)(A) through (15.1)(C), which read: “(A) Who is not an inpatient but who, based on the person's treatment history or recurrent lack of self-control regarding the use of alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substances listed in paragraph (8) of this Code section, will require outpatient treatment in order to avoid predictably and imminently becoming an inpatient;
“(B) Who because of the person's current mental state and recurrent lack of self-control regarding the use of alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substances listed in paragraph (8) of this Code section or nature of the person's alcoholic behavior or drug dependency or drug abuse is unable voluntarily to seek or comply with outpatient treatment; and
“(C) Who is in need of involuntary treatment.”
Code Commission notes.
Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1987, the second “alcoholic” was substituted for “alcholic” in paragraph (13).
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 1993, p. 1445, § 18.1, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to repeal any provision of Chapter 5 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the ‘Community Services Act for the Mentally Retarded.’ ”
Ga. L. 1993, p. 1445, § 19, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall become effective on July 1, 1994; provided, however, that provisions relating to the establishment of regional and community service board boundaries and the appointments of regional boards and community service boards shall become effective on July 1, 1993, or upon whatever date is stipulated in the Act and provided, further, that the provisions authorizing a county board of health to agree to serve as the lead county board of health for only that county shall become effective upon the approval of this Act by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.” The Act was approved by the Governor on April 27, 1993.
Ga. L. 1993, p. 1445, which amends this Code section, provides, in § 19.1, not codified by the General Assembly, that the amendment is repealed on June 30, 1999; however, Ga. L. 1998, p. 870, § 1, struck § 19.1 of Ga. L. 1993, p. 1445, which would have repealed the 1993 amendment to this Code section.
Law reviews.
For comment on City of Macon v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 89 Ga. App. 252 , 79 S.E.2d 265 (1953), see 17 Ga. B.J. 117 (1954).
For comment on Burger v. State, 118 Ga. App. 328 , 163 S.E.2d 333 (1968), see 5 Ga. St. B.J. 384 (1969).
For comment, “1986 Amendments to Georgia’s Mental Health Statutes: The Latest Attempt to Provide a Solution to the Problem of the Chronically Mentally Ill,” see 36 Emory L.J. 1313 (1987).
For annual survey of law on labor and employment law, see 62 Mercer L. Rev. 181 (2010).