§ 33-6-201 — Persons who may apply for voluntary admission

(a) The following persons may apply for admission to a public or private hospital or treatment resource for diagnosis, observation and treatment of a mental illness or serious emotional disturbance: (1) A person who is sixteen (16) years of age or over and who does not lack capacity to apply under § 33-3-218 ; (2) A parent, legal custodian, or legal guardian who is acting on behalf of a child; (3) A conservator whom the appointing court has expressly granted authority to apply for the person's admission to a hospital or treatment resource for mental illness or serious emotional disturbance; (4) A qualified mental health professional acting on the basis of the terms of the person's declaration for mental health treatment; (5) A person's attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care, under title 34, chapter 6, part 2; (6) A caregiver under title 34, chapter 6, part 3, who is acting on behalf of a child; or (7) An individual acting as an agent under the Tennessee Health Care Decisions Act, compiled in title 68, chapter 11, part 18 or an individual designated as a surrogate under § 68-11-1806(a) . (b) An individual's surrogate as designated under § 68-11-1806(c) may also apply for such admission provided no person may be admitted by a surrogate under this subsection (b) for more than twenty-one (21) consecutive days unless a petition has been filed pursuant to part 5 of this chapter, or unless an individual who meets any of the criteria set out in subdivisions (a)(1)-(7) of this section applies for voluntary admission subsequent to an application by a surrogate for voluntary admission under this section.

Legislative History

Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 238,s 1, eff. 7/1/2013. Acts 2000, ch. 947, § 1; 2002, ch. 730, § 35; 2004, ch. 565, § 4.