Title 37.2. Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Chapter 8. Emergency Custody and Voluntary and Involuntary Civil Admissions
§ 37.2-813. Release of person prior to commitment hearing for involuntary admission.
A. Prior to a hearing as authorized in §§ 37.2-814 through 37.2-819, the district court judge or special justice may release the person on his personal recognizance or bond set by the district court judge or special justice if it appears from all evidence readily available that the person does not meet the commitment criteria specified in subsection C of § 37.2-817.
B. The director of any facility in which the person is detained may release the person prior to a hearing as authorized in §§ 37.2-814 through 37.2-819 if it appears, based on an evaluation conducted by the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist treating the person, that the person would not meet the commitment criteria specified in subsection C of § 37.2-817 if released.
C. For any person under a temporary detention order pursuant to § 37.2-809, prior to transport to the facility of temporary detention, the director of the facility in which the person is located may release the person if an employee or a designee of the local community services board, as those terms are defined in § 37.2-809, in consultation with the person's treating physician, (i) conducts an evaluation of the person, (ii) determines that the person no longer meets the commitment criteria specified in subsection C of § 37.2-817, (iii) authorizes the release of the person, and (iv) provides a discharge plan.
1974, c. 351, § 37.1-67.1; 1975, cc. 237, 433; 1976, c. 671; 1980, c. 582; 1981, c. 463; 1986, cc. 478, 629; 1987, c. 96; 1988, c. 98; 1989, c. 716; 1990, cc. 429, 728; 1991, c. 159; 1992, c. 566; 1995, c. 844; 1996, cc. 343, 893; 1998, cc. 37, 594, 611; 2004, c. 737; 2005, c. 716; 2008, cc. 779, 850, 870; 2010, cc. 778, 825; 2022, c. 763; 2023, cc. 168, 169.
