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Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute
Admission Procedure
Admission to Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute shall conform with state laws and regulations, and policies duly adopted by the State Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services Board, and by the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services. Any person admitted to Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute shall be accorded treatment and care without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, or physical handicap.
Individuals considered for admission to Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute shall be:
1. Thirteen years of age or older;
2. Prescreened by a community service board staff member with the exception of patients admitted under certain forensic statutes;
3. Free of acute physical/medical complications requiring medical hospitalization;
4. Meet the appropriate statutory requirements established by the Code of Virginia which shall include:
a. by reason of mental illness, presents an imminent danger to self or
b. by reason of mental illness, presents an imminent danger to others or
c. by reason of mental illness, has been proven to be substantially unable to care for self, and
d. alternatives to inpatient care and treatment have been investigated and deemed unsuitable and there is no less restrictive alternative to hospitalization.
5. All individuals shall should be medically stable before they are admitted to the Institute. If there is any question by the person taking the admission call about physical or medical complications, the call is referred to the on-duty physician. Persons being referred from a general hospital, treated in an Emergency Room, or individuals with a medical condition shall have require physician-to-physician contact for medical review prior to their acceptance for admission.
6. Individuals are assigned to a unit by age and need for treatment. Individuals admitted to the Acute Treatment Unit are assigned to psychiatric teams based on rotation among the four teams, taking into account whether the patient has been treated here within the past 30 days, as well as other factors.
Walk-in Admissions
1. If an adult arrives at this facility requesting admission, the Admissions Office staff will call the Unit Programs Director or designee, who will evaluate that individual for admission and determine whether or not the person has been prescreened by a Community Services Board. Should the person not require hospitalization, the Unit Programs Director or designee will notify the appropriate Community Services Board (CSB) to arrange for alternate services, if needed. If the person meets criteria for hospitalization, the Unit Programs Director or designee will contact the CSB serving the individual's home community to discuss the need for hospitalization. If the CSB agrees, but is unable to come to the Institute to complete the Prescreening Evaluation, then the Unit Programs Director or designee will contact the Mt. Rogers CSB to come complete the Prescreening Evaluation, arrange for medical assessment/review, and a temporary detention order, if indicated.
2. If an adolescent arrives at this facility requesting admission, the Admissions Office staff will call the Adolescent Unit Programs Director or designee to do a brief assessment, confer with the on-call physician, and arrange for a prescreening, medical clearance, and/or temporary detention order as appropriate.
If voluntary admission is sought for adolescent patients, the legal guardian must be present to sign the voluntary admission papers.