§ 7509 — Treatment; right of access

(a) Upon admission to a hospital, secure residential recovery facility, or psychiatric residential treatment facility for youth pursuant to section 7503, 7508, 7617, or 7624 of this title, the person shall be treated with dignity and respect and shall be given such medical and psychiatric treatment as is indicated.
(b) All persons admitted or held for admission shall be given the opportunity, subject to reasonable limitations, to communicate with others, including visits by a peer or other support person designated by the person, presence of the support person at all treatment team meetings the person is entitled to attend, the reasonable use of a telephone, and the reasonable use of electronic mail and the internet.
(c) The person shall be requested to furnish the names of persons that the person may want notified of the person’s hospitalization or residence and kept informed of the person’s status. The head of the hospital shall see that such persons are notified of the status of the person, how the person may be contacted and visited, and how they may obtain information concerning the person. (Added 1977, No. 252 (Adj. Sess.), § 16; amended 1997, No. 114 (Adj. Sess.), § 1a; 2013, No. 192 (Adj. Sess.), § 8; 2023, No. 137 (Adj. Sess.), § 9a, eff. July 1, 2024.)