INTAKE, SCREENING, ASSESSMENT, AND ADMISSION

(a) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules governing the voluntary admission of a patient to a treatment facility, including rules governing the intake, screening, and assessment procedures of the admission process. (b) The rules governing the intake process shall establish minimum standards for: (1) reviewing a prospective patient's finances and insurance benefits; (2) explaining to a prospective patient the patient's rights; and (3) explaining to a prospective patient the facility's services and treatment process. (b-1) The rules governing the screening process shall establish minimum standards for determining whether a prospective patient presents sufficient signs, symptoms, or behaviors indicating a potential chemical dependency disorder to warrant a more in-depth assessment by a qualified professional. The screening must be reviewed and approved by a qualified professional. (c) The assessment provided for by the rules may be conducted only by a professional who meets the qualifications prescribed by department rules. (d) The rules governing the assessment process shall prescribe: (1) the types of professionals who may conduct an assessment; (2) the minimum credentials each type of professional must have to conduct an assessment; and (3) the type of assessment that professional may conduct. (d-1) The rules governing the intake, screening, and assessment procedures shall establish minimum standards for providing intake, screening, and assessment using telecommunications or information technology. (e) In accordance with department rule, a treatment facility shall provide annually a minimum of two hours of inservice training regarding intake and screening for persons who will be conducting an intake or screening for the facility. A person may not conduct intake or screenings without having completed the initial and applicable annual inservice training. (f) A prospective voluntary patient may not be formally accepted for chemical dependency treatment in a treatment facility unless the facility's administrator or a person designated by the administrator has agreed to accept the prospective patient and has signed a statement to that effect. (g) An assessment conducted as required by rules adopted under this section does not satisfy a statutory or regulatory requirement for a personal evaluation of a patient or a prospective patient by a qualified professional before admission. (h) In this section: (1) "Admission" means the formal acceptance of a prospective patient to a treatment facility. (2) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1211 , Sec. 5, eff. June 19, 2015. (3) "Intake" means the administrative process for gathering information about a prospective patient and giving a prospective patient information about the treatment facility and the facility's treatment and services. (4) "Screening" means the process a treatment facility uses to determine whether a prospective patient presents sufficient signs, symptoms, or behaviors to warrant a more in-depth assessment by a qualified professional after the patient is admitted.