Section 47.30.523. Community mental health program policy and principles.

   (a) It is the policy of the state that
        (1) the community mental health program provide a comprehensive and integrated system of community-based facilities, supports, and mental health services, including child and adolescent screening and diagnosis, inpatient, outpatient, prevention, consultation, and education services;
        (2) persons most in need of community mental health services receive appropriate services as provided under AS 47.30.056;
        (3) the community mental health program be coordinated, to the maximum extent possible, with the programs established under AS 47.37, AS 47.65, AS 47.80, and other programs affecting the well being of persons in need of mental health services.
   (b) Community mental health program service delivery principles include the principles that persons
        (1) have ready and prompt access to necessary screening, diagnosis, and treatment;
        (2) receiving community mental health services be informed of their rights, including their rights to confidentiality and to treatment with dignity;
        (3) be provided community mental health services by staff and programs that reflect the culture, linguistic, and other social characteristics of their community and that incorporate multidisciplinary professional staff to meet client functional levels and diagnostic and treatment needs;
        (4) in need of community mental health services, and their families, be encouraged to participate in formulating, delivering, and evaluating treatment and rehabilitation;
        (5) in need of community mental health services be provided treatment and rehabilitation services designed to minimize institutionalization and maximize individual potential;
        (6) be treated in the least restrictive alternative environment consistent with their treatment needs, enabling the person to live as normally as possible;
        (7) be provided necessary treatment as close to the person's home as possible;
        (8) be informed of and allowed to participate in planning their own treatment as much as possible.

Notes

History

(Sec. 29 ch 66 SLA 1991)