2019 New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 32A - Children's Code
Article 6A - Children's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
Section 32A-6A-17 - Treatment guardianship proceedings.
A. If no legal custodian is reasonably available to make mental health decisions for a child fourteen years of age or older who has been determined to lack capacity or if a clinician who proposes a course of treatment objects to a challenge made by the child to a determination of incapacity, the clinician shall request that the children's court attorney petition the court for appointment of a treatment guardian to make a substitute decision for the child.
B. In a treatment guardian proceeding, the court shall appoint an attorney for the child unless the child already has an attorney available.
C. A petition shall be served on the child and the child's attorney. A hearing on the petition shall be held within three business days. At the hearing, the child shall be represented by counsel and shall have the right to be present, to present witnesses and to cross-examine opposing witnesses.
D. If, after the hearing, the court finds that the child is not capable of making treatment decisions and treatment is needed, the court shall order the appointment of a treatment guardian. When appointing a treatment guardian, the court shall appoint the child's legal custodian unless the legal custodian is not readily available or the court finds that such an appointment is not in the child's best interests.
E. The treatment guardian shall make a decision on behalf of the child based on the treatment guardian's best judgment of whether the treatment appears to be in the child's best interests and is consistent with the least restrictive means principle for accomplishing the treatment objective. In making this decision, the treatment guardian shall consult with the child and consider the child's expressed opinions. The treatment guardian shall give consideration to previous decisions made by the child in similar circumstances when the child was able to make treatment decisions and shall make the decision in accordance with the values of the child if known, or in the best interests of the child if the values are not known; provided that, if the child has given an individual instruction that is available to the treatment guardian, the instruction shall be followed.
F. If a child who is not a resident of a residential treatment and habilitation program has a treatment guardian and refuses to comply with the decision of the treatment guardian, the treatment guardian may obtain an enforcement order. The enforcement order may authorize a peace officer to take the child into custody or to transport the child to an evaluation facility and may authorize the facility to forcibly administer treatment. The treatment guardian shall consult with the clinician who is proposing treatment, the child's attorney or guardian ad litem and, as deemed appropriate, interested friends or relatives of the child. The evaluation facility shall comply with the treatment guardian's decision unless the clinician finds it to be against the best interests of the child.
G. A child, physician or other professional wishing to contest the decision of the treatment guardian may do so by filing a petition with the court within three calendar days or the next business day, whichever is later, of receiving notice of the treatment guardian's decision. The child shall be represented by counsel in all proceedings before the court. The court may overrule the treatment guardian's decision if it finds that decision to be against the best interests of the child. The court shall rule within seven days of the filing of the petition.
H. If both a petition for an enforcement order and a petition to contest the treatment guardian's decision are filed, they shall be heard in the same proceeding at the same time.
I. When the court appoints a treatment guardian, it shall specify the length of time during which the treatment guardian may exercise treatment guardian powers, up to a maximum period of one year. If, at the end of the guardianship period, the treatment guardian believes that the child still lacks capacity, the treatment guardian shall petition the court for reappointment or for appointment of a new treatment guardian. The guardianship shall be extended or a new guardian shall be appointed only if the court finds the child does not have capacity to make treatment or habilitation decisions at the time of the hearing. The court shall appoint an attorney for the child, and the child shall have the right to be present and to present evidence at all such hearings.
J. If, during the period of a treatment guardian's power, the treatment guardian, the child, the treatment provider or a member of the child's family believes that the child has regained capacity, that person may petition the court for a termination of the treatment guardianship. If the court finds the child has regained capacity, it shall terminate the power of the treatment guardian and restore to the child the power to make treatment decisions.
K. A treatment guardian shall have only those powers enumerated in the Children's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Act.
L. If a clinician licensed to prescribe medication believes that the administration of psychotropic medication is necessary to protect the child from serious harm that could occur while the provisions of this section are being satisfied, the licensed clinician may order or administer the medication on an emergency basis. When medication is administered to a child on an emergency basis, the clinician shall prepare and place in the child's medical records a report explaining the nature of the emergency and the reason that no treatment less restrictive than administration of psychotropic medication without proper consent would have protected the child from serious harm. When medication is administered to a child on an emergency basis, the child's legal custodian and the child's attorney or guardian ad litem shall be notified by the residential treatment or habilitation program. If the child is not in a residential setting, the clinician shall petition for a pickup order pursuant to Section 19 [32A-6A-19 NMSA 1978] of the Children's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Act and have the child transported to a residential facility where the medication will be administered.
History: Laws 2007, ch. 162, § 17.
ANNOTATIONSEffective dates. — Laws 2007, ch. 162 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 15, 2007, 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature.
