Oregon Statutes - Chapter 427 - Persons With Mental Retardation; Persons With Developmental Disabilities - Section 427.235 - Notice to court of need for commitment; investigation; report and recommendation.

(1) Any two persons may notify the judge of the court having probate jurisdiction for the county or the circuit court, if it is not the probate court but its jurisdiction has been extended to include commitment of the mentally retarded under ORS 3.275, that a person within the county is a mentally retarded person in need of commitment for residential care, treatment and training. Such notice shall be in writing and sworn to before an officer qualified to administer an oath and shall set forth the facts sufficient to show the need for investigation. The circuit court shall forward notice to the community mental health and developmental disabilities program director in the county if it finds the notice sufficient to show the need for investigation. The director or the designee of the director shall immediately investigate to determine whether the person is in fact a mentally retarded person. However, if the petition for commitment is from a state training center, the duties of the community mental health and developmental disabilities program director under ORS 427.235 to 427.270, 427.280 and 427.285 shall be the responsibility of the superintendent of the state training center or the designee of the superintendent.

(2) Any person who acts in good faith shall not be held civilly liable for making of the notification under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) Any investigation conducted by the community mental health and developmental disabilities program director or the designee of the director under subsection (1) of this section shall commence with an interview or examination of the allegedly mentally retarded person, where possible, in the home of the allegedly mentally retarded person or other place familiar to the allegedly mentally retarded person. Further investigation if warranted shall include a diagnostic evaluation as defined in ORS 427.105 and may also include interviews with the allegedly mentally retarded person’s relatives, neighbors, teachers and physician. The investigation shall also determine if any alternatives to commitment are available. The investigator shall also determine and recommend to the court whether the person is incapacitated and in need of a guardian or conservator.

(4) The investigation report shall be submitted to the court within 30 days of receipt of notice from the court. A copy of the investigation report and diagnostic evaluation, if any, shall also be made available to the Developmental Disability Diagnosis and Evaluation Service and to the allegedly mentally retarded person and, where the allegedly mentally retarded person is a minor or incapacitated, to the parents of the allegedly mentally retarded person or guardian as soon as possible after its completion but in any case prior to a hearing held under ORS 427.245.

(5) Any person conducting an evaluation or investigation under this section shall in no way be held civilly liable for conducting the investigation or performing the diagnostic evaluation.

(6) If requested by a person conducting an investigation under this section, a physician who has examined the allegedly mentally retarded person may, with patient authorization or in response to a court order, provide any relevant information the physician has regarding the allegedly mentally retarded person. [1979 c.683 §17; 2003 c.89 §4]

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Last modified: August 7, 2008