Montana Code Annotated
Part 1. Treatment of the Seriously Mentally Ill
53-21-195. Rehospitalization of patient conditionally released from inpatient treatment facilities -- petition

53-21-195. Rehospitalization of patient conditionally released from inpatient treatment facilities -- petition. (1) A proceeding for the rehospitalization of a patient conditionally released from an inpatient mental health facility pursuant to 53-21-182 or 53-21-183 is commenced by the filing of a written petition in any district court by the county attorney, the professional person in charge of the patient's case, or the patient's next of kin. Upon the filing of a petition under this subsection, the clerk of court shall notify each district court that committed the patient for the period of the patient's present hospitalization under 53-21-127 or 53-21-128 and request that the file of the earlier proceeding or proceedings be forwarded to the clerk. The file or files must be promptly forwarded.
(2) The patient has the rights set forth in 53-21-115 in a proceeding under this section.
(3) The petition must state:
(a) the patient's name and last-known address;
(b) the name and address of the patient's spouse, next of kin, attorney, or the friend of respondent appointed by the court, if any and if this information is reasonably ascertainable;
(c) that the patient has been determined by the district court to be suffering from a mental disorder and requiring commitment within the meaning of this part and is presently under a valid order of commitment pursuant to 53-21-127 or 53-21-128;
(d) a simple and precise statement of the facts showing that the patient has violated a condition of the release, that the violation has caused a deterioration of the patient's mental disorder, and that as a result of this deterioration, the patient can no longer be appropriately served by outpatient care; and
(e) a statement of the rights of the respondent, including those set forth in 53-21-115, which must be in conspicuous print and identified by a suitable heading.
(4) The petition must be filed with the clerk of court, who shall immediately notify the judge.
(5) The judge shall issue notice of the time and place of the hearing on the petition. The hearing must be held no more than 5 days after the date that the petition is filed, including weekends and holidays, unless the fifth day falls upon a weekend or holiday or unless additional time is requested by the patient. Further, the judge shall ensure that the notice and copy of the petition are immediately hand-delivered to the patient, to the patient's friend of respondent, if any, and to the patient's counsel.
History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 541, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 32, Ch. 490, L. 1997.

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