Virginia Decodedhttps://vacode.org36107137.2-823Examination of admission papers by director; examination of persons admitted2026Behavioral Health and Developmental ServicesAdmissions and DispositionsEmergency Custody and Voluntary and Involuntary Civil AdmissionsInvoluntary Admissions

A. Upon the receipt of any order for admission of any person, the director of the facility shall immediately examine the admission papers and, if they are found to be in substantial compliance with the law, he shall forthwith admit the person to the facility.

B. Any person presented for admission to a facility shall be examined within 24 hours after arrival by one or more of the physicians on the facility’s staff. If the examination reveals that there is sufficient cause to believe that the person has mental illness, he shall be retained at the facility; but if the examination reveals insufficient cause, the person shall be returned to the locality in which the petition was initiated or in which the person resides.

C. The Board shall adopt regulations to institute preadmission screening to prevent inappropriate admissions to state facilities.

Code 1950, §§ 37-86.2, 37-90; 1950, pp. 908, 910; 1968, c. 477, §§ 37.1-68, 37.1-70; 1970, c. 673; 1972, c. 639; 1976, c. 671; 1980, c. 582; 2005, c. 716.