District of Columbia Code Division III. Decedents' Estates and Fiduciary Relations. § 21-522. Examination and admission to hospital; notice.

(a) Subject to the provisions of section 21-523, the administrator of a private hospital may, and the administrator of a public hospital or the chief clinical officer of the Department or his designee shall, admit and detain for purposes of emergency observation and diagnosis a person with respect to whom application is made under section 21-521, if the application is accompanied by a certificate of a psychiatrist, qualified physician, or qualified psychologist on duty at the hospital or the Department stating that he or she:

(b) Subject to the provisions of section 21-523, the chief clinical officer of the Department shall admit and detain, for purposes of emergency observation and diagnosis at a facility certified by the Department for emergency detention, a person with respect to whom application is made under section 21-521, if the application is accompanied by a certificate of a psychiatrist, qualified physician, or qualified psychologist on duty at the Department stating that he or she:

(c) If the psychiatrist, qualified physician, or qualified psychologist determines, after examining the person who has been presented for emergency observation and diagnosis, that the person is not mentally ill, not likely to injure himself or others unless immediately detained, or that hospitalization or detention in a facility certified for emergency observation and diagnosis is not the least restrictive form of treatment, the psychiatrist, qualified physician, or qualified psychologist shall not admit the person to the hospital or facility as an inpatient and shall facilitate the person's outpatient treatment through the Department or a provider, as appropriate.

(d) Immediately upon the admission of a mentally ill person to a hospital pursuant to this subchapter, the administrator of the hospital shall notify the chief clinical officer of the Department of the admission by telephone, telefax, or electronically. Not later than 24 hours after the admission pursuant to this subchapter, the administrator of the hospital or the chief clinical officer of the Department shall serve notice of the admission to the Commission, the parent or legal guardian of a person under 18 years of age who was admitted pursuant to this subchapter, and, if authorized by the person who was admitted to the hospital or the Department consistent with the provisions of the District of Columbia Mental Health Information Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-136; D.C. Official Code § 7-1201.01 et seq.), to the spouse or domestic partner, parent of an admitted person who is 18 years of age or older, or legal guardian of the person.