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3110 LAWS OF MARYLAND Ch. 768
emergency basis to an emergency facility as defined
herein.
(2) "Emergency treatment" means the
treatment of an emergency admittee under the provisions
of this subtitle.
(3) "Emergency facility" shall mean any
facility designated in writing by the Department of
Mental Hygiene as an emergency facility.
(4) "Mental disorder" means the behavioral
and other symptoms which to a lay petitioner initiating
the emergency admission process indicate a clear
disturbance in the mental functioning of another person,
and to a physician conducting an examination indicate, one
or more of the mental disorders described in the
"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual—Mental Disorders"
published periodically by the American Psychiatric
Association. The term shall not include mental
retardation.
(5) "Peace officer" means a sheriff, State
police officer, municipal or other local police officer.
(b) Any interested person who has reason to
believe that a person is mentally disordered and is in
clear and imminent danger of causing grave and immediate
personal injury to himself or others may complete, sign
and file a petition for the emergency admission of such
person with a peace officer. The petition, form shall
explicitly indicate the petitioner's name, his home and
work addresses and telephone numbers, the name and
description of the emergency admittee. The statement so
made shall be under the penalty of perjury, and shall
consist of the petitioner's knowledge of the facts
leading to his conclusion that the emergency admittee
requires emergency admission. The petitioner shall be
required to describe the behavior and statements of the
emergency admittee which have led the petitioner to reach
a reasonable presumption that the emergency admittee is
mentally disordered, including whatever behavior and
statements of the emergency admittee have led the
petitioner to conclude that because of the presumed
mental disorder, the emergency admittee is in clear and
imminent danger of causing grave and immediate personal
harm to himself or others.
(c) The petition form shall provide notice that
any petitioner completing and signing the form may be
required to accompany the emergency admittee to a
physician and that the State Department of Mental Hygiene
may require the appearance of the petitioner at the
mental health facility to which the emergency admittee is
admitted within ninety-six hours in order to provide
further information, and that failure to comply shall
subject him to court order compelling his appearance.
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