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1994 SESSION

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HB 673 Mental health service providers.

Introduced by: Jay W. DeBoer | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY:

Mental health providers. Provides that mental health service providers have a duty to take precautions to protect third parties from violent behavior or serious harm only when the client has communicated a specific and immediate threat to cause bodily injury or death to an identified or readily identifiable third party. If the third party is a child the provider also has a duty to take precautions if threats of physical or sexual abuse are made. A mental health provider may discharge the duty by seeking civil commitment, making reasonable attempts to warn the potential victim or notify the appropriate law-enforcement official, or providing counseling until the provider reasonably believes the threat is gone. The bill also provides that the provider is not civilly liable for breaching confidentiality to communicate such threats, failing to predict harm in the absence of a threat or failing to take precautions other than those outlined.


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