1. (a) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall adopt and may amend and repeal regulations, pursuant to chapter 54, for acceptance of persons into the treatment programs and facilities operated or funded by the department, considering available treatment resources and facilities, for the purpose of early and effective treatment of alcohol-dependent persons, drug-dependent persons and intoxicated persons. In establishing the regulations the department shall be guided by the following standards:

   1. (1) If possible a patient shall be treated on a voluntary rather than an involuntary basis;
   2. (2) A patient shall be initially assigned or transferred to outpatient or intermediate treatment, unless he is found to require inpatient treatment;
   3. (3) A person shall not be denied treatment solely because he has withdrawn from treatment against medical advice on a prior occasion or because he has relapsed after earlier treatment;
   4. (4) An individualized treatment plan shall be prepared and maintained on a current basis for each patient; and
   5. (5) Provision shall be made for a continuum of coordinated treatment services, so that a person who leaves a facility or a form of treatment will have available and utilize other appropriate treatment.
2. (b) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Commissioner of Correction shall cooperate in establishing treatment and rehabilitation programs for alcohol-dependent and drug-dependent persons confined in correctional institutions. Persons convicted of nonviolent crimes or confined in lieu of bond on nonviolent charges may be transferred by the Commissioner of Correction to the commissioner for treatment and rehabilitation upon agreement of the commissioner.

(P.A. 74-280, S. 9, 25; P.A. 75-569, S. 4; P.A. 77-544, S. 9, 16; P.A. 86-371, S. 3, 45; P.A. 90-209, S. 3; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 95-257, S. 5, 58.)

History: P.A. 75-569 added Subsec. (b) re cooperation between commissioner of mental health and commissioner of correction; P.A. 77-544 included treatment of drug-dependent persons; P.A. 86-371 substituted references to the executive director and the commission for references to the commissioner and the department of mental health; P.A. 90-209 substituted “alcohol-dependent persons” for “alcoholics” and in Subsec. (a) added that the regulations concern acceptance of persons into facilities operated or funded by the commission; Sec. 17-155s transferred to Sec. 17a-623 in 1991; P.A. 93-381 and 93-435 replaced Connecticut alcohol and drug abuse commission and executive director with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, respectively, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17a-623 transferred to Sec. 19a-126a in 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-126a transferred to Sec. 17a-681 in 1997.