The bill authorizes state-owned psychiatric residential treatment facilities to use a secure perimeter fence around the facility. This change is meant to enhance safety and security within these treatment centers.
Additionally, the bill clarifies the legal status of placement in these facilities:
Placement in a state-owned psychiatric residential treatment facility is explicitly not considered detention (which would imply punitive measures).
Placement in such a facility is also not considered restraint, emphasizing that the purpose of these facilities is therapeutic rather than punitive.
These provisions aim to ensure that the treatment is seen as supportive and focused on mental health care, rather than as confinement or punishment.
Summary
The bill permits a state-owned psychiatric residential treatment
facility to use a secure perimeter fence around the facility. The bill clarifies that placement of a juvenile in a state-owned psychiatric residential treatment facility is not considered detention and placement in a state-owned psychiatric residential treatment facility is not considered restraint.
