Texas Health and Safety Code - HEALTH & SAFETY § 462.025. Intake, Screening, Assessment, and Admission

(a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules governing the voluntary admission of a patient to a treatment facility, including rules governing the intake, screening, and assessment procedures of the admission process.

(b) The rules governing the intake process shall establish minimum standards for:

(b-1) The rules governing the screening process shall establish minimum standards for determining whether a prospective patient presents sufficient signs, symptoms, or behaviors indicating a potential chemical dependency disorder to warrant a more in-depth assessment by a qualified professional. The screening must be reviewed and approved by a qualified professional.

(c) The assessment provided for by the rules may be conducted only by a professional who meets the qualifications prescribed by department rules.

(d) The rules governing the assessment process shall prescribe:

(d-1) The rules governing the intake, screening, and assessment procedures shall establish minimum standards for providing intake, screening, and assessment using telecommunications or information technology.

(e) In accordance with department rule, a treatment facility shall provide annually a minimum of two hours of inservice training regarding intake and screening for persons who will be conducting an intake or screening for the facility. A person may not conduct intake or screenings without having completed the initial and applicable annual inservice training.

(f) A prospective voluntary patient may not be formally accepted for chemical dependency treatment in a treatment facility unless the facility's administrator or a person designated by the administrator has agreed to accept the prospective patient and has signed a statement to that effect.

(g) An assessment conducted as required by rules adopted under this section does not satisfy a statutory or regulatory requirement for a personal evaluation of a patient or a prospective patient by a qualified professional before admission.

(h) In this section: