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- Alaska Statutes.
- Title 47. Welfare, Social Services and Institutions
- Chapter 37. Uniform Alcoholism and Intoxication Treatment Act
- Section 180. Emergency Commitment.
previous: Section 170. Treatment and Services For Intoxicated Persons and Persons Incapacitated By Alcohol or Drugs.
next: Section 190. Involuntary Commitment.
AS 47.37.180. Emergency Commitment.
- (a) An intoxicated person who (1) has threatened, attempted to inflict, or inflicted physical harm on another or is likely
to inflict physical harm on another unless committed, or (2) is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, may be committed to
an approved public treatment facility for emergency treatment. A refusal to undergo treatment does not constitute
evidence of lack of judgment as to the need for treatment.
- (b) The certifying physician, physician assistant, advanced nurse practitioner, spouse, guardian, or relative of the
person to be committed, or any other responsible person, may make a written application for commitment under this
section, directed to the administrator of the approved public treatment facility. The application must state facts to
support the need for emergency treatment and be accompanied by a physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced nurse
practitioner's certificate supporting the need for emergency treatment and stating that the physician, physician
assistant, or advanced nurse practitioner has examined the person sought to be committed within two days before the
certificate's date.
- (c) Upon approval of the application by the administrator in charge of the facility, the person may be brought to the
facility by a peace officer, a health officer, a member of the emergency service patrol, the applicant for commitment,
the patient's spouse, the patient's guardian, or any other interested person. The person shall be retained at the
facility to which the person was admitted, or transferred to another appropriate public or private treatment facility,
until discharged under (e) of this section. However, a person may not be detained under this section for more than 48
hours unless a district or superior court judge has reviewed and approved the commitment application.
- (d) The administrator in charge of an approved public treatment facility may refuse an application if in the
administrator's opinion the application and certificate fail to sustain the grounds for commitment.
- (e) When on the advice of the medical staff the administrator determines that the grounds for commitment no longer exist,
the administrator shall discharge a person committed under this section. A person committed under this section may not
be detained in a treatment facility for more than five days. If a petition for involuntary commitment under AS 47.37.190
has been filed within the five days and the administrator in charge of an approved public treatment facility finds
that grounds for emergency commitment still exist, the administrator may detain the person until the petition has been
heard and determined, but no longer than 10 days after filing the petition.
- (f) A copy of the written application for commitment and of the physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced nurse
practitioner's certificate, and a written explanation of the person's right to legal counsel, shall be given to the
person within 24 hours after commitment by the administrator, who shall provide a reasonable opportunity for the person
to consult with legal counsel.
- (g) The administrator of an approved public treatment facility may accept an application for commitment under this section
from a health facility and may authorize the health facility to hold the person who is the subject of the commitment
petition at the health facility as long as medically necessary, before transferring the person to the approved public
treatment facility. An administrator who accepts an application for commitment from a health facility shall comply with
the provisions of (c) - (f) of this section if the person being committed is held for longer than 48 hours from the
time the administrator accepts the application for commitment under this subsection. A person committed under this
subsection shall be transported from the health facility to the approved public treatment facility as soon as the
person is discharged from the health facility. If the person being committed under this subsection is physically
present at the health facility at the time an application for extension of detention is filed under (c) of this section
or is physically present at the health facility when a petition for involuntary commitment is filed under (e) of this
section, the administrator accepting the application for commitment under this subsection shall inform the court of
where the person being committed is being held and when the person being committed is expected to be capable of being
transferred to the approved public treatment facility.
Note to HTML Version:
This version of the Alaska Statutes is current through December, 2004. The Alaska Statutes were automatically converted to HTML from a plain text format. Every effort
has been made to ensure their accuracy, but this can not be guaranteed. If it is critical that the precise terms of the Alaska Statutes be known, it is recommended that more formal sources be consulted. For statutes adopted after the effective date of these statutes, see, Alaska State Legislature
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Last modified 9/3/2005