                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

COORDINATION OF SERVICES FOR PREADMISSION SCREENING AND DISCHARGE PLANNING (§
37.2-505)

A. The community services board shall fulfill the following responsibilities:

   1. Be responsible for coordinating the community services necessary to
   accomplish effective preadmission screening and discharge planning for persons
   referred to the community services board. When preadmission screening reports
   are required by the court on an emergency basis pursuant to Article 5 (&#xA7;
   37.2-814 et seq.) of Chapter 8, the community services board shall ensure the
   development of the report for the court. To accomplish this coordination, the
   community services board shall establish a structure and procedures involving
   staff from the community services board and, as appropriate, representatives
   from (i) the state hospital or training center serving the board&#8217;s
   service area, (ii) the local department of social services, (iii) the health
   department, (iv) the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services office
   in the board&#8217;s service area, (v) the local school division, and (vi)
   other public and private human services agencies, including licensed
   hospitals.

   2. Provide preadmission screening services prior to the admission for
   treatment pursuant to &#xA7; 37.2-805 or Article 5 (&#xA7; 37.2-814 et seq.)
   of Chapter 8 of any person who requires emergency mental health services while
   in a city or county served by the community services board. In the case of
   inmates incarcerated in a regional jail, each community services board that
   serves a county or city that is a participant in the regional jail shall
   review any existing Memorandum of Understanding between the community services
   board and any other community services boards that serve the regional jail to
   ensure that such memorandum sets forth the roles and responsibilities of each
   community services board in the preadmission screening process, provides for
   communication and information sharing protocols between the community services
   boards, and provides for due consideration, including financial consideration,
   should there be disproportionate obligations on one of the community services
   boards.

   3. Provide, in consultation with the appropriate state hospital or training
   center, discharge planning for any individual who, prior to admission, resided
   in a city or county served by the community services board. In the case of any
   individual to be discharged from Central State Hospital, Southwestern Virginia
   Mental Health Institute, or Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute in 30
   days or less after admission, the appropriate community services board shall
   implement the discharge plan developed by the state facility. Upon initiation
   of discharge planning, the community services board that serves the city or
   county where the individual resided prior to admission shall inform the
   individual that he may choose to return to the county or city in which he
   resided prior to admission or to any other county or city in the Commonwealth.
   If the individual is unable to make informed decisions regarding his care, the
   community services board shall so inform his authorized representative, who
   may choose the county or city in which the individual shall reside upon
   discharge. In either case and to the extent permitted by federal law, for
   individuals who choose to return to the county or city in which they resided
   prior to admission, the community services board shall make every reasonable
   effort to place the individuals in such county or city. The community services
   board serving the county or city in which he will reside following discharge
   shall be responsible for arranging transportation for the individual upon
   request following the discharge protocols developed by the Department.
   				The discharge plan shall be completed prior to the individual&#8217;s
   discharge. The plan shall be prepared with the involvement and participation
   of the individual receiving services or his representative and must reflect
   the individual&#8217;s preferences to the greatest extent possible. The plan
   shall include the mental health, developmental, substance abuse, social,
   educational, medical, employment, housing, legal, advocacy, transportation,
   and other services that the individual will need upon discharge into the
   community and identify the public or private agencies that have agreed to
   provide these services.
   				No individual shall be discharged from a state hospital or training center
   without completion by the community services board of the discharge plan
   described in this subdivision. If state hospital or training center staff
   identify an individual as ready for discharge and the community services board
   that is responsible for the individual&#8217;s care disagrees, the community
   services board shall document in the treatment plan within 72 hours of the
   individual&#8217;s identification any reasons for not accepting the individual
   for discharge. If the state hospital or training center disagrees with the
   community services board and the board refuses to develop a discharge plan to
   accept the individual back into the community, the state hospital or training
   center or the community services board shall ask the Commissioner to review
   the state hospital&#8217;s or training center&#8217;s determination that the
   individual is ready for discharge in accordance with procedures established by
   the Department in collaboration with state hospitals, training centers, and
   community services boards. If the Commissioner determines that the individual
   is ready for discharge, a discharge plan shall be developed by the Department
   to ensure the availability of adequate services for the individual and the
   protection of the community. The Commissioner also shall verify that
   sufficient state-controlled funds have been allocated to the community
   services board through the performance contract. If sufficient
   state-controlled funds have been allocated, the Commissioner may contract with
   a private provider, another community services board, or a behavioral health
   authority to deliver the services specified in the discharge plan and withhold
   allocated funds applicable to that individual&#8217;s discharge plan from the
   community services board in accordance with subsections C and E of &#xA7;
   37.2-508.

   4. Provide information, if available, to all hospitals licensed pursuant to
   Article 1 (&#xA7; 32.1-123 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 32.1 about alcohol
   and substance abuse services available to minors.

B. The community services board may perform the functions set out in subdivision
A 1 in the case of children by referring them to the locality&#8217;s family
assessment and planning team and by cooperating with the community policy and
management team in the coordination of services for troubled youths and their
families. The community services board may involve the family assessment and
planning team and the community policy and management team, but it remains
responsible for performing the functions set out in subdivisions A 2 and 3 in
the case of children.

HISTORY: 1980, c. 582, § 37.1-197.1; 1986, c. 609; 1992, cc. 837, 880; 1995, c.
844; 1998, c. 680; 2002, c. 747; 2005, c. 716; 2012, cc. 180, 476, 507, 656,
803, 813, 835; 2017, cc. 601, 606; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 249; 2024, cc. 153,
279.