West Virginia Code
Article 1. Words and Phrases Defined
§27-1-12. Likely to Cause Serious Harm

(a) "Likely to cause serious harm" means an individual is exhibiting behaviors consistent with a medically recognized mental disorder or addiction, excluding, however, disorders that are manifested only through antisocial or illegal behavior and as a result of the mental disorder or addiction:
(1) The individual has inflicted or attempted to inflict bodily harm on another;
(2) The individual, by threat or action, has placed others in reasonable fear of physical harm to themselves;
(3) The individual, by action or inaction, presents a danger to herself or others in his or her care;
(4) The individual has threatened or attempted suicide or serious bodily harm to himself or herself; or
(5) The individual is behaving in a manner as to indicate that he or she is unable, without supervision and the assistance of others, to satisfy his or her need for nourishment, medical care, shelter or self-protection and safety so that there is a substantial likelihood that death, serious bodily injury, serious physical debilitation, serious mental debilitation or life-threatening disease will ensue unless adequate treatment is afforded.
(b) In making the "likely to cause serious harm" determination, judicial, medical, psychological and other evaluators and decisionmakers should utilize all available information, including psychosocial, medical, hospitalization and psychiatric information and including the circumstances of any previous commitments or convalescent or conditional releases that are relevant to a current situation, in addition to the individual's current overt behavior. The rules of evidence shall be followed in making the "likely to cause serious harm" determination except that hearsay evidence not admissible thereunder may be admitted, except where precluded by statute, if it is of a type commonly relied upon by reasonably prudent persons in the conduct of their affairs.

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