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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>74255</law_id><section_number>66-20</section_number><catch_line>Observation and treatment of children with mental illness or developmental disabilities</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="66">Juvenile Justice</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2">Care of Children Committed to Department</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>After commitment of any <span class="dictionary">child</span> to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span>, if the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> finds, as a result of psychiatric examinations and case study, that such <span class="dictionary">child</span> has mental illness or a developmental disability, it shall be the duty of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> to obtain treatment for the <span class="dictionary">child</span>&#x2019;s mental condition. If the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> determines that transfer to a state hospital, training center, or other appropriate treatment facility is required to further diagnose or treat the <span class="dictionary">child</span>&#x2019;s mental condition, the proceedings shall be in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Judicial certification of eligibility for admission of persons with intellectual disability" href="/37.2-806/">37.2-806</a> or &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Involuntary commitment; petition; hearing scheduled; notice and appointment of counsel" href="/16.1-341/">16.1-341</a> through <a class="law" title="Involuntary commitment; criteria" href="/16.1-345/">16.1-345</a>, except that provisions requiring consent of the <span class="dictionary">child</span>&#x2019;s parent or guardian for treatment shall not apply in such cases. No <span class="dictionary">child</span> transferred to a state hospital pursuant to this section or the provisions of Title 37.2 shall, however, be held or cared for in any maximum security unit where adults determined to be criminally insane reside and such <span class="dictionary">child</span> shall be kept separate and apart from such adults.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 53-329.1; 1977, c. 559; 1978, c. 739; 1981, c. 487; 1982, c. 636, &#xA7; 53.1-245; 1989, c. 733; 1990, c. 975; 2012, cc. 476, 507; 2017, c. 458.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
