(1) Proceedings for the appointment of a guardian of a mentally ill person may be commenced by the filing of a written petition with a court of competent jurisdiction by a friend, relative, spouse or guardian of the proposed patient, by a licensed physician, licensed clinical psychologist, prosecuting attorney, or other public official of a municipality, county or of the state of Idaho, or by the director of any facility in which such patient may be.
(2)  The petition shall state the name and last known address of the proposed patient; the name and address of either the spouse, next of kin or friend of the proposed patient; whether a guardian of the proposed patient has been previously appointed under the laws of this or any other state and, if so, the name and address of the guardian and the circumstances of such appointment; and a precise statement showing that the proposed patient is mentally ill, that treatment is available for such illness, and that the proposed patient lacks capacity to make informed decisions about treatment.
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Terms Used In Idaho Code 66-322

  • Designated examiner: means a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or social worker and such other mental health professionals as may be designated in accordance with rules promulgated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code, by the department of health and welfare. See Idaho Code 66-317
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Facility: means any public or private hospital, state hospital, institution, mental health center, or other organization designated in accordance with rules adopted by the board of health and welfare as equipped to initially hold, evaluate, rehabilitate, or provide care or treatment, or both, for the mentally ill. See Idaho Code 66-317
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lacks capacity to make informed decisions about treatment: means the inability, by reason of mental illness, to achieve a rudimentary understanding after conscientious efforts at explanation of the purpose, nature, and possible significant risks and benefits of treatment. See Idaho Code 66-317
  • Mentally ill: means a condition resulting in a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, or orientation that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, or capacity to recognize and adapt to reality and requires care and treatment at a facility or through outpatient treatment. See Idaho Code 66-317
  • Month: means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed. See Idaho Code 73-114
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person;
Idaho Code 73-114
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Idaho Code 73-114
  • Senior designated examiner: means a licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed physician, or any of the following who has three (3) years of experience as a designated examiner and five (5) years of post-master’s degree experience in a mental health field and who has been approved by the department director or the department director’s designee to act as a senior designated examiner:
    • Idaho Code 66-317
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories; and the words "United States" may include the District of Columbia and territories. See Idaho Code 73-114
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
    • (3)  Any such petition shall be accompanied by a certificate of a licensed physician or licensed clinical psychologist stating that the physician or psychologist has personally examined the proposed patient within the last fourteen (14) days and is of the opinion:
    (a)  That the proposed patient is mentally ill;
    (b)  That in the absence of treatment the immediate prognosis is for major distress of the proposed patient which will result in serious mental or physical deterioration of the proposed patient;
    (c)  That treatment is available which is likely to avoid serious mental or physical deterioration of the proposed patient; and
    (d)  That the proposed patient lacks capacity to make informed decisions about treatment; or by a written statement by the physician or psychologist that the proposed patient has refused to submit to an examination.
    (4)  Upon receipt of a petition, the court shall within forty-eight (48) hours appoint a senior designated examiner to make a personal examination of the proposed patient, or if the proposed patient has not been examined, the court shall appoint two (2) senior designated examiners to make individual personal examinations of the proposed patient and may order the proposed patient to submit to an immediate examination. Within seventy-two (72) hours of the signing of the order for involuntary hospitalization, the senior designated examiner shall examine the patient and file with the court certificates described in subsection (3) of this section, if necessary.
    (5)  Upon receipt of such petition and certificates, the court shall appoint a time and place for hearing not more than five (5) days from receipt of such certificates and thereupon give written notice to the proposed patient. The notice shall include a copy of the petition and certificates and notice of the proposed patient’s right to be represented by an attorney, or if indigent, to be represented by a court-appointed attorney. Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall also be given to the petitioner.
    (6)  An opportunity to be represented by counsel shall be afforded to every proposed patient, and if neither the proposed patient nor others provide counsel, the court shall appoint counsel in accordance with chapter 8, title 19, Idaho Code.
    (7)  The hearing shall be held in a manner and at a suitable place not likely to have a harmful effect on the proposed patient’s physical or mental health.
    (8)  The proposed patient and the petitioner shall be afforded an opportunity to appear at the hearing, to testify, and to present and cross-examine witnesses. At the hearing, any existing provision of law prohibiting the disclosure of confidential communications between the examining senior designated examiner and the proposed patient shall not apply and the senior designated examiner who examined the proposed patient shall be a competent witness to testify as to the proposed patient’s condition. The proposed patient shall be required to be present at the hearing, and be free from drugs likely to impair the proposed patient’s ability to communicate with counsel or understand the proceedings, unless the right to be present or free from drugs is knowingly and voluntarily waived by the patient or unless the presence of the patient at the hearing would unduly disrupt the judicial proceedings. A record of the proceedings shall be made as for other civil hearings. The hearing shall be conducted in as informal a manner as may be consistent with orderly procedure and the rules of evidence.
    (9)(a)  The court shall appoint a person other than the treating professional to act in the proposed patient’s best interest with authority to consent to treatment, if, upon completion of the hearing and consideration of the record, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that:
    (i)   The proposed patient has a severe and reliably diagnosable mental illness;
    (ii)  Without treatment, the immediate prognosis is for major distress resulting in serious mental or physical deterioration of the proposed patient;
    (iii) Treatment is available for such illness;
    (iv)  The proposed patient lacks capacity to make informed decisions about treatment; and
    (v)   The relative risks and benefits of treatment or nontreatment are such that a reasonable person would consent to treatment.
    (b)  The court shall consider appointing persons to give consent in the following priority: the proposed patient’s spouse, next of kin, friend or if the proposed patient’s spouse, next of kin or friend are unable or unwilling, another appropriate person not associated with the facility where the person is being, or shall be treated.
    (10) The appointed person shall have authority to consent to treatment, including treatment at a facility. Upon approval of the court, the appointed person may pay the costs of treatment from the patient’s money and tangible property deliverable to or received by the patient during the period of the appointed person’s authority, and may apply for any benefits to which the patient is entitled. In the exercise of his powers, the appointed person is to act as a fiduciary and shall observe the standards of care applicable to trustees as described by section 15-7-302, Idaho Code. The appointment shall continue for a period of seven (7) weeks or until the court determines that the patient no longer lacks capacity to make informed decisions about treatment, whichever is shorter.
    (11) Upon petition of the appointed person, authority to consent may be continued for an additional seven (7) week period, if the court again enters the findings required by subsection (9) of this section. The petition for continued authority shall be accompanied by the certificate of the treating professional meeting the requirements of subsection (3) of this section. The petition for continued authority and physician’s certificate shall be served upon the patient and the patient’s attorney. If the proposed patient objects to the continued authority, the court shall conduct a hearing, following notice of the time and place of such hearing to the petitioner, the proposed patient and the proposed patient’s attorney.
    (12) Proceedings for appointment of a person with authority to consent under this section may be consolidated with proceedings for the involuntary care of the proposed patient under section 66-329, Idaho Code, provided, however, that appointment of a person with authority to consent under this section shall terminate the proceedings for the involuntary care under section 66-329, Idaho Code.
    (13) No more than two (2) petitions with authority to consent shall be granted under subsection (9) of this section within any twelve (12) month period, provided that other proceedings under this chapter or the Uniform Probate Code shall be permitted.
    (14) The person with authority to consent appointed pursuant to this section shall not be personally responsible for the cost of care or treatment rendered the mentally ill individual, simply by reason of the authority granted by this section.