Texas Statutes
Subchapter A. General Care and Treatment of Children
Section 244.001. Initial Examination

Sec. 244.001. INITIAL EXAMINATION. (a) The department shall examine and make a study of each child committed to it within three business days after commitment. The study shall be made according to rules established by the board and shall include:
(1) long-term and specialized treatment planning for the child; and
(2) consideration of the child's:
(A) medical history;
(B) substance abuse;
(C) treatment history;
(D) psychiatric history;
(E) sex offender history; and
(F) violent offense history.
(a-1) As soon as possible, the department shall develop a written treatment plan for the child which outlines the specialized treatment needs identified by the study described by Subsection (a), makes recommendations for meeting the child's specialized treatment needs, and makes an individually tailored statement of treatment goals, objectives, and timelines.
(b) For a child for whom a minimum length of stay is established under Section 243.002 of one year or longer, the initial examination must include a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation unless the department had received the results of a comprehensive evaluation of the child conducted not more than 90 days before the date of the initial examination.
(c) The department shall administer comprehensive psychological assessments to a child as part of the child's initial examination, including assessments designed to identify whether a child is in need of a psychiatric evaluation. If the results of a child's psychological assessments indicate that the child is in need of a psychiatric evaluation, the department shall as soon as practicable conduct a psychiatric evaluation of the child.
(d) The board shall establish rules for the periodic review and reevaluation of the written treatment plan as described by Subsection (a-1).
Transferred, redesignated and amended from Human Resources Code, Subchapter E, Chapter 61 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 85 (S.B. 653), Sec. 1.007, eff. September 1, 2011.