The Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services shall make rules and regulations for reception and retention of voluntary patients by state hospitals. The superintendent in charge of any state hospital or licensed private hospital for care and treatment of the mentally ill may at his discretion receive and retain therein as a patient any person eighteen (18) years of age or over, suitable for care and treatment, who voluntarily makes written application therefor, or any person, suitable for care and treatment at least sixteen (16) years but not over eighteen (18) years of age, with the consent of such person's parent or guardian. A person thus received at any hospital or institution shall not be detained for a period exceeding fifteen (15) days from and inclusive of the date of notice in writing of his intention or desire to leave such hospital or institution. The form for voluntary application shall be printed or written on eight and one-half-inch by eleven-inch paper and shall be substantially as follows:

Mental Health Law Form 19.

VOLUNTARY APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE HOSPITAL ____ AT _____

Application is hereby made for my admission to the above named institution within the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as a voluntary patient under the provisions of the Oklahoma Mental Health Law.

Dated this ____ day of ____, 19__.

_______ Applicant

_______ Address

Subscribed and sworn to before me this ____ day of ____ 19__.

______________

Notary Public

The applicant, or someone for him, must give a bond for the cost of care and treatment or pay such cost each month in advance, unless it is determined that the applicant is a poor or indigent person as provided in this title.

Added by Laws 1953, HB 846, c. 1, § 53, emerg. eff. June 3, 1953; Amended by Laws 1965, HB 719, c. 265, § 1, emerg. eff. June 23, 1965; Renumbered from 43A O.S. § 53 by Laws 1986, HB 2021, c. 103, § 103, eff. November 1, 1986; Amended by Laws 1986, HB 2021, c. 103, § 70, eff. November 1, 1986; Amended by Laws 1990, SB 866, c. 51, § 97, emerg. eff. April 9, 1990.