Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 5122 | Hospitalization of Mentally Ill
Section 5122.10 | Emergency Hospitalization.

Effective: September 28, 2018
Latest Legislation: House Bill 111 - 132nd General Assembly
(A)(1) Any of the following who has reason to believe that a person is a mentally ill person subject to court order and represents a substantial risk of physical harm to self or others if allowed to remain at liberty pending examination may take the person into custody and may immediately transport the person to a hospital or, notwithstanding section 5119.33 of the Revised Code, to a general hospital not licensed by the department of mental health and addiction services where the person may be held for the period prescribed in this section:
(a) A psychiatrist;
(b) A licensed physician;
(c) A licensed clinical psychologist;
(d) A clinical nurse specialist who is certified as a psychiatric-mental health CNS by the American nurses credentialing center;
(e) A certified nurse practitioner who is certified as a psychiatric-mental health NP by the American nurses credentialing center;
(f) A health officer;
(g) A parole officer;
(h) A police officer;
(i) A sheriff.
(2) If the chief of the adult parole authority or a parole or probation officer with the approval of the chief of the authority has reason to believe that a parolee, an offender under a community control sanction or post-release control sanction, or an offender under transitional control is a mentally ill person subject to court order and represents a substantial risk of physical harm to self or others if allowed to remain at liberty pending examination, the chief or officer may take the parolee or offender into custody and may immediately transport the parolee or offender to a hospital or, notwithstanding section 5119.33 of the Revised Code, to a general hospital not licensed by the department of mental health and addiction services where the parolee or offender may be held for the period prescribed in this section.
(B) A written statement shall be given to the hospital by the individual authorized under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section to transport the person. The statement shall specify the circumstances under which such person was taken into custody and the reasons for the belief that the person is a mentally ill person subject to court order and represents a substantial risk of physical harm to self or others if allowed to remain at liberty pending examination. This statement shall be made available to the respondent or the respondent's attorney upon request of either.
(C) Every reasonable and appropriate effort shall be made to take persons into custody in the least conspicuous manner possible. A person taking the respondent into custody pursuant to this section shall explain to the respondent: the name and professional designation and affiliation of the person taking the respondent into custody; that the custody-taking is not a criminal arrest; and that the person is being taken for examination by mental health professionals at a specified mental health facility identified by name.
(D) If a person taken into custody under this section is transported to a general hospital, the general hospital may admit the person, or provide care and treatment for the person, or both, notwithstanding section 5119.33 of the Revised Code, but by the end of twenty-four hours after arrival at the general hospital, the person shall be transferred to a hospital as defined in section 5122.01 of the Revised Code.
(E) A person transported or transferred to a hospital or community mental health services provider under this section shall be examined by the staff of the hospital or services provider within twenty-four hours after arrival at the hospital or services provider. If to conduct the examination requires that the person remain overnight, the hospital or services provider shall admit the person in an unclassified status until making a disposition under this section. After the examination, if the chief clinical officer of the hospital or services provider believes that the person is not a mentally ill person subject to court order, the chief clinical officer shall release or discharge the person immediately unless a court has issued a temporary order of detention applicable to the person under section 5122.11 of the Revised Code. After the examination, if the chief clinical officer believes that the person is a mentally ill person subject to court order, the chief clinical officer may detain the person for not more than three court days following the day of the examination and during such period admit the person as a voluntary patient under section 5122.02 of the Revised Code or file an affidavit under section 5122.11 of the Revised Code. If neither action is taken and a court has not otherwise issued a temporary order of detention applicable to the person under section 5122.11 of the Revised Code, the chief clinical officer shall discharge the person at the end of the three-day period unless the person has been sentenced to the department of rehabilitation and correction and has not been released from the person's sentence, in which case the person shall be returned to that department.

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