ORS 426.233: Authority of community mental health program director and of other individuals; costs of transportation.

(1)(a) A community mental health program director operating under ORS 430.610 to 430.695 or a designee of the director may take one of the actions listed in paragraph (b) of this subsection when the community mental health program director or designee has probable cause to believe a person: (A) Is a danger to self or others and is in need of immediate care, custody or treatment for mental illness; or (B)(i) Is a person with mental illness placed on conditional release under ORS 426.125, outpatient commitment under ORS 426.127 or trial visit under ORS 426.273; and (ii) Is a danger to self or others or is unable to provide for basic personal needs and is not receiving the care that is necessary for health and safety and is in need of immediate care, custody or treatment for mental illness. (b) The community mental health program director or designee under the circumstances set out in paragraph (a) of this subsection may: (A) Notify a peace officer to take the person into custody and direct the officer to remove the person to a hospital or nonhospital facility approved by the Oregon Health Authority; (B) Authorize involuntary admission of, or, if already admitted, cause to be involuntarily retained in a nonhospital facility approved by the authority, a person approved for care or treatment at a nonhospital facility by a licensed independent practitioner under ORS 426.232; (C) Notify an individual authorized under subsection (3) of this section to take the person into custody and direct the authorized individual to remove the person in custody to a hospital or nonhospital facility approved by the authority; (D) Direct an individual authorized under subsection (3) of this section to transport a person in custody from a hospital or a nonhospital facility approved by the authority to another hospital or nonhospital facility approved by the authority as provided under ORS 426.235; or (E) Direct an individual authorized under subsection (3) of this section to transport a person in custody from a facility approved by the authority to another facility approved by the authority as provided under ORS 426.060. (2) A designee under subsection (1) of this section must meet the standards established by rule of the authority and be approved by the community mental health program director before assuming the authority permitted under subsection (1) of this section. (3) The community mental health program director may authorize any individual to provide custody and secure transportation services for a person in custody under ORS 426.228. In authorizing an individual under this subsection, the community mental health program director shall grant the individual the authority to do the following: (a) Accept custody from a peace officer of a person in custody under ORS 426.228; (b) Take custody of a person upon notification by the community mental health program director under the provisions of this section; (c) Remove a person in custody to an approved hospital or nonhospital facility as directed by the community mental health program director; (d) Transfer a person in custody to another individual authorized under this subsection or a peace officer; (e) Transfer a person in custody from a hospital or nonhospital facility to another hospital facility or nonhospital facility when directed to do so by the community mental health program director; and (f) Retain a person in custody at the approved hospital or nonhospital facility until a licensed independent practitioner makes a determination under ORS 426.232. (4) An individual authorized under subsection (3) of this section must meet the standards established by rule of the authority and be approved by the community mental health program director before assuming the authority granted under this section. (5) The costs of transporting a person under ORS 426.060, 426.228 or 426.235 by an individual authorized under subsection (3) of this section shall be the responsibility of the community mental health program in the county in which the authorized individual is directed by a peace officer or a community mental health program director to take custody of a person and to transport the person to a facility approved by the authority, but the community mental health program shall not be responsible for costs that exceed the amount provided by the state for that transportation. An individual authorized to act under subsection (3) of this section shall charge the cost of emergency medical transportation to, and collect that cost from, the person, third party payers or other legally or financially responsible individuals or entities in the same manner that costs for the transportation of other persons are charged and collected. [1993 c.484 §5; 1997 c.531 §5; 2009 c.595 §405; 2013 c.360 §41; 2015 c.461 §14; 2015 c.785 §3; 2025 c.559 §30]