3.18.1 Introduction
3.18.2 References
3.18.3 Scope
3.18.4 Did you know…?
3.18.5 Definitions
3.18.6 Objectives
3.18.7 Procedures
3.18.7-A. Licensure Requirements
3.18.7-B. Pre-Petition Screening
3.18.7-C. Court-Ordered Evaluation
3.18.7-D. Court-Ordered Treatment
3.18.7-E. Court-Ordered Treatment for persons charged with, or convicted of, a crime

3.18.1 Introduction
This section is applicable only to behavioral health providers under contract with Gila River Behavioral Health Services, the Tribal Regional Behavioral Health Authority (TRBHA) for the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC). The following information is specific to Court-Ordered Evaluation and Court Ordered Treatment initiated within the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC). Should this process be initiated outside of the GRIC for a behavioral health recipient enrolled with Gila River Behavioral Health Services, the process to be followed is described in the ADHS/DBHS Provider Manual Template and/or the Regional Behavioral Health Authority Provider Manual specific to the geographic service area in which the client is located. For any such court order to be recognized by GRIC, it must first be accepted (domesticated) by the GRIC courts which should be facilitated through the behavioral health recipient’s assigned case manager.

In order to ensure the safety of a person (or the safety of others) due to a person’s mental disorder, it may be necessary to initiate civil commitment proceedings when that person is unable or unwilling to participate in mental health treatment. Per GRIC law, any licensed physician or behavioral health worker employed by Gila River Health Care (GRHC) may (in conjunction with legal counsel for the GRIC) petition the GRIC court for a Court Ordered Mental Health Evaluation (COE) when a person, as a result of a mental disorder, is alleged to be:

• a danger to self (DTS);
• a danger to others (DTO);
• persistently or acutely disabled (PAD); or
• gravely disabled (GD).

A pre-petition screening is the responsibility of a behavioral health worker employed by the GRHC’s Behavioral Health Services (BHS). It includes an examination of the person’s mental status and/or other relevant circumstances. The findings of the pre-petition screening and triage are reviewed with a psychiatrist to determine if the person (as the result of a mental disorder) meets the criteria for DTS, DTO, PAD, or GD.

If the pre-petition screening indicates that the person may be DTS, DTO, PAD, or GD, the behavioral health worker will contact the legal counsel for the GRIC law office to notify of the need to initiate a Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation. Based on the immediate safety of the person and others, the GRIC police department will be contacted to take the person into custodial detention until an emergency hearing is held, the Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation is filed, and a bed in an evaluating hospital is secured.

If the evaluating hospital determines that the person meets the criteria for DTS, DTO, PAD or GD, and the person is not willing or is unable to agree to voluntary treatment, the counsel for the GRIC law office will file a Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Treatment. A hearing will be held and will include the person and his/her legal representative, Counsel for the Community, and all persons listed in the Community’s witness list. If, following the hearing on a Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Treatment, the GRIC judge finds clear and convincing evidence that the person (as a result of a mental disorder) is DTS, DTO, PAD, or GD, and is in need of mental health treatment which he/she is unwilling or unable to accept voluntarily, the judge will order the person to undergo one or more of the following:

(a) treatment in an outpatient mental health program, including following an outpatient treatment plan.
(b) treatment in an inpatient mental health program.
(c) treatment consisting of combined inpatient and outpatient mental health modalities.

The maximum periods of combined inpatient and/or outpatient treatment that a GRIC judge can order are as follows:

• DTS may be ordered up to 90 inpatient days per year;
• DTO and PAD may be ordered up to 180 inpatient days per year; and:
• GD may be ordered up to 365 inpatient days per year.

At every stage of the pre-petition screening, court-ordered evaluation, and court-ordered treatment process, a person will be provided an opportunity to change his/her status to voluntary. Under voluntary status, the person is no longer considered to be at risk for DTS/DTO and agrees in writing to receive a voluntary evaluation.

A Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation must utilize the following Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation document.

 In addition to court ordered treatment as a result of civil action, an individual may be ordered by a court for evaluation and/or treatment upon: 1) conviction of a domestic violence offense; or 2) upon being charged with a crime when it is determined that the individual is court ordered to treatment, or programs, as a result of being charged with a crime and appears to be an “alcoholic.” RBHAs and RBHA providers responsibilities for the provision and coverage of those services, is described in subsection 3.18.7-E.

The intent of this section is to provide a broad overview of the pre-petition screening, court-ordered evaluation, and court-ordered treatment process as outlined in GRIC Ordinance GR-04-08.

3.18.2 Reference
The following citations can serve as additional resources for this content area:

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3.18.3 Scope
To whom does this apply?

Any person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older, who is a member of an Indian tribe or is eligible for membership in an Indian tribe, band, group, pueblo or community recognized by the Secretary of the Interior, or who is an Alaska Native and a member of a regional Corporation (as defined in section 7 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act). The behavior or acts that are described as DTS, DTO, PAD, or GD must occur within the boundaries of the GRIC and are therefore under the jurisdiction of the GRIC court.

3.18.4 Did you know?

• Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System/ Arizona Long Term Care Services (AHCCCS/ALTCS) program contractors are responsible for providing and funding services under court-ordered treatment of elderly and physically disabled (EPD) ALTCS-enrolled persons.
• A person found to be GD who is undergoing court-ordered treatment will receive an annual examination and review to determine whether the continuation of court-ordered treatment is appropriate.
• Outside of GRIC, Arizona Counties are responsible for managing, providing, and paying for pre- petition screening and court-ordered evaluations and are required to coordinate provision of behavioral health services with the Arizona Department of Health Services/Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) system. Some counties contract with RBHAs to process pre-petition screenings and petitions for court-ordered evaluations.

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3.18.5 Definitions
Court Ordered Evaluation (COE)

Danger to Self (DTS)

Danger to Others (DTO)

Gravely Disabled (GD)

Mental Disorder

Persistently or Acutely Disabled (PAD)

Pre-Petition Screening

3.18.6 Objectives
To inform behavioral health providers of the pre-petition screening, court-ordered evaluation, and court-ordered treatment processes (as outlined by the GRIC Ordinance Gr-04-08) for persons who (as a result of a mental disorder) may be DTS, DTO, PAD, or GD and who are unwilling or unable to seek behavioral health treatment.

3.18.7 Procedures

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3.18.7-A. Licensure Requirements
Behavioral health providers licensed by the Office of Behavioral Health Licensure (OBHL) under the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Division of Assurance and Licensure must adhere to OBHL requirements regarding COEs and COTs.

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3.18.7-B: Pre-Petition Screening
The pre-petition screening includes an examination of the person’s mental status and/or other relevant circumstances by a behavioral health worker. The findings of the pre-petition screening examination are discussed with a BHS Psychiatrist to determine whether the person (as a result of a mental disorder) is DTS, DTO, PAD, or GD and in need of immediate mental health treatment. If it is determined there is a need to file a Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Examination, the behavioral health worker will:

• contact the legal counsel for the GRIC law office to notify of the need to initiate a Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation, and:
• complete the Petition for Involuntary Mental Health Evaluation.

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3.18.7-C: Court-Ordered Evaluation (COE)
When a COE is recommended by the court, the behavioral health professional will contact psychiatric hospitals contracting with Gila River Health Care and BHS to secure a hospital bed.

Once a hospital bed is secured, the person will be transported to the evaluating hospital by the GRIC Department of Supervision and Rehabilitation (DRS) staff.

The COE will be forwarded to the GRIC law office within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of the person’s placement at the evaluating hospital.

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3.18.7-D Court-Ordered Treatment (COT)
If the evaluating hospital recommends COT, counsel from the GRIC law office will file a Petition for Involuntary Mental Health treatment within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of receiving the COE.

A hearing for Involuntary Mental Health Treatment will be held within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of the filing of the petition for Involuntary Mental Health Treatment.

In the case of persons who are Title XIX/XXI eligible and/or determined to have a Serious Mental Illness (SMI) who are referred for court-ordered treatment, the TRBHA must:

• conduct an evaluation to determine if the person qualifies for an SMI diagnosis in accordance with Section 3.10, SMI Eligibility Determination, and conduct a behavioral health assessment to identify the person’s service needs in conjunction with the person’s clinical team, as described in Section 3.9, Intake Assessment and Service Planning; and:
• provide necessary court-ordered treatment and other covered behavioral health services in accordance with the person’s needs as determined by the person’s clinical team, with input from the clinical liaison, the behavioral health recipient, family members, and other interested parties (see Section 3.9. Intake, Assessment and Service Planning).

Transfer from one behavioral health provider to another:

• A person ordered by the court to undergo treatment can be transferred from one behavioral health provider to another behavioral health provider if:
  • the person does not have a court appointed guardian; and: the medical director of the receiving behavioral health provider accepts the transfer; and:
  • the consent of the court is obtained as necessary for the transfer to occur (see Section 3.17, Transition of Persons, for more details).

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3.18.7-E. Court-Ordered Treatment for persons charged with, or convicted of, a crime
T/RBHAs or T/RBHA providers may be responsible for providing evaluation and/or treatment services when an individual has been ordered by a court due to: 1) conviction of a domestic violence offense; or 2) upon being charged with a crime when it is determined that the individual is court ordered to treatment, or programs, as a result of being charged with a crime and appears to be an “alcoholic.”

Domestic Violence Offender Treatment

Domestic violence offender treatment may be ordered by a court when an individual is convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense. Although the order may indicate that the domestic violence (DV) offender treatment is the financial responsibility of the offender under A.R.S. § 13-3601.01, the T/RBHA will cover DV services with Title XIX/XXI funds when the person is Title XIX/XXI eligible, the service is medically necessary, required prior authorization is obtained if necessary, and/or the service is provided by an in-network provider. Additionally, T/RBHAs will cover DV services for Non-Title XIX/XXI eligible persons determined to have SMI who pay premiums for behavioral health coverage in accordance with requirements in PM Section 3.4, Premiums and Co-payments. For Non-TXIX/XXI eligible persons court ordered for DV treatment, the individual can be billed for the DV services.

Court ordered substance abuse evaluation and treatment

Substance abuse evaluation and/or treatment (i.e., DUI services) ordered by a court under A.R.S. §36-2027 is the financial responsibility of the county, city, town or charter city whose court issued the order for evaluation and/or treatment. Accordingly, if ADHS/DBHS or a T/RBHA receives a claim for such services, the claim will be denied with instructions to the provider to bill the responsible county, city or town.

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3.18 Pre-Petition Screening, Court-Ordered Evaluation, and Court-Ordered Treatment
Last Revised: 12/15/2009
Effective Date: 12/15/2009