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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>62751</law_id><section_number>37.2-709.1</section_number><catch_line>State facility reporting requirements; critical incidents involving individuals receiving services</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>37.2-304</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="37.2">Behavioral Health and Developmental Services</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Behavioral Health and Developmental Services</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="7">State Facilities</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In each case in which an <span class="dictionary">individual receiving services</span> in a <span class="dictionary">state hospital</span> or state <span class="dictionary">training center</span> is involved in a critical incident, the director of the state <span class="dictionary">facility</span>, or his designee, shall notify the individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a> regarding the critical incident, any injury to the individual resulting from the critical incident, and any actions taken to address the factors leading to the critical incident and injuries to the individual resulting from the critical incident. <a id="paragraph-228789" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/37.2-709.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> To the extent authorized by federal <span class="dictionary">law</span>, notice to an individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a> shall be made by telephone within 24 hours of the critical incident unless the individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a> has requested an alternate means or timeframe for notification. However, if the director, or his designee, is unable to contact the individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a> by telephone within 24 hours of the critical incident, or as otherwise requested, the director, or his designee, shall notify the individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a> of the critical incident, any injury to the individual resulting from the critical incident, and any actions taken to address the factors leading to the critical incident and injuries to the individual resulting from the critical incident, in writing by registered mail to the last known address of the individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a>. <a id="paragraph-228790" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/37.2-709.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> In cases in which the director of a state <span class="dictionary">facility</span>, or his designee, is unable to identify an individual&#x2019;s authorized representative or person identified pursuant to subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Rights of individuals receiving services" href="/37.2-400/">37.2-400</a> or to obtain the telephone number or last known address of such person despite all reasonable efforts to do so, the provisions of this section shall not apply. <a id="paragraph-228791" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/37.2-709.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> For the purposes of this section, &#x201C;critical incident&#x201D; shall be defined as serious bodily injury or loss of consciousness requiring medical treatment. <a id="paragraph-228792" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/37.2-709.1/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2012, c. 138.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
