Sec. 17a-238. (Formerly Sec. 19a-469). Rights of persons under supervision of Commissioner of Developmental Services.
Sec. 17a-238. (Formerly Sec. 19a-469). Rights of persons under supervision of
Commissioner of Developmental Services. (a) No person placed or treated under the
direction of the Commissioner of Developmental Services in any public or private facility shall be deprived of any personal, property or civil rights, except in accordance with
due process of law.
(b) Each person placed or treated under the direction of the Commissioner of Developmental Services in any public or private facility shall be protected from harm and
receive humane and dignified treatment which is adequate for such person's needs and
for the development of such person's full potential at all times, with full respect for such
person's personal dignity and right to privacy consistent with such person's treatment
plan as determined by the commissioner. No treatment plan or course of treatment for
any person placed or treated under the direction of the commissioner shall include the
use of an aversive device which has not been tested for safety and efficacy and approved
by the federal Food and Drug Administration except for any treatment plan or course
of treatment including the use of such devices which was initiated prior to October 1,
1993. No treatment plan or course of treatment prescribed for any person placed or
treated under the direction of the commissioner shall include the use of aversive procedures except in accordance with procedures established by the Commissioner of Developmental Services. For purposes of this subsection, "aversive procedure" means the
contingent use of an event which may be unpleasant, noxious or otherwise cause discomfort to alter the occurrence of a specific behavior or to protect an individual from injuring
himself or herself or others and may include the use of physical isolation and mechanical
and physical restraint. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit persons who are not
placed or treated under the direction of the Commissioner of Developmental Services
from independently pursuing and obtaining any treatment plan or course of treatment
as may otherwise be authorized by law. The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in
accordance with chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this subsection.
(c) The Commissioner of Developmental Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, with respect to each facility or institution
under the jurisdiction of the commissioner, with regard to the following: (1) Prohibiting
the use of corporal punishment; (2) when and by whom therapies may be used; (3) which
therapies may be used; and (4) when a person may be placed in restraint or seclusion
or when force may be used upon a person.
(d) A copy of any order prescribing the use of therapy, restraint or seclusion in
accordance with the regulations adopted under subsection (c) of this section shall be
made a part of the person's permanent clinical record together with the reasons for each
such order and made available in compliance with existing statutes relating to the right
to know.
(e) The Commissioner of Developmental Services shall ensure that each person
placed or treated under the commissioner's direction in any public or private facility is
afforded the following rights and privileges: (1) The right to prompt, sufficient and
appropriate medical and dental treatment; (2) the right to communicate freely and privately with any person, including, but not limited to, an attorney or other legal representative of the person's choosing; (3) the right to reasonable access to a telephone, both to
make and receive calls in private, unless such access is used in violation of any federal
or state statute; (4) the right to send and receive unopened mail and to make reasonable
requests for assistance in the preparation of correspondence; (5) the safety of each person's personal effects shall be assured including the provision of reasonably accessible
individual storage space; (6) the right to be free from unnecessary or excessive physical
restraint; (7) the right to voice grievances without interference; (8) the right to a nourishing and well-balanced diet; (9) the right to be employed outside a facility and to receive
assistance in his or her efforts to secure suitable employment. The department shall
encourage the employment of such persons and shall promote the training of such persons for gainful employment, and all benefits of such employment shall accrue solely
to the person employed; (10) the right to have the complete record maintained by the
Department of Developmental Services concerning such person released for review,
inspection and copying to such person's attorney or other legal representative notwithstanding any provisions of subsection (g) of section 4-193 or section 4-194; and (11)
the right to receive or purchase his or her own clothing and personal effects, including
toilet articles, and the right to wear such clothing and use such personal effects except
where determined to be dangerous to the health or safety of the individual or others.
(f) The Commissioner of Developmental Services shall require the attending physician of any person placed or treated under the direction of the commissioner to obtain
informed written consent from the following persons prior to authorizing any surgical
procedure or any medical treatment, excluding routine medical treatment which is necessary to maintain the general health of a resident or to prevent the spread of any communicable disease: (1) The resident if such resident is eighteen years of age or over or is
legally emancipated and competent to give such consent; (2) the parent of a resident
under eighteen years of age who is not legally emancipated; or (3) the legal guardian
or conservator of a resident of any age who is adjudicated unable to make informed
decisions about matters relating to such resident's medical care. The person whose
consent is required shall be informed of the nature and consequences of the particular
treatment or surgical procedure, the reasonable risks, benefits and purpose of such treatment or surgical procedure and any alternative treatment or surgical procedures which
are available. The consent of any resident or of any parent, guardian or conservator of
any resident may be withdrawn at any time prior to the commencement of the treatment
or surgical procedure. The regional or training school director having custody and control of a resident of any facility may authorize necessary surgery for such resident where,
in the opinion of the resident's attending physician, the surgery is of an emergency
nature and there is insufficient time to obtain the required written consent provided for
in this section. The attending physician shall prepare a report describing the nature of
the emergency which necessitated such surgery and shall file a copy of such report in
the patient's record.
(g) The commissioner's oversight and monitoring of the medical care of persons
placed or treated under the direction of the commissioner does not include the authority
to make treatment decisions, except in limited circumstances in accordance with statutory procedures. In the exercise of such oversight and monitoring responsibilities, the
commissioner shall not impede or seek to impede a properly executed medical order
to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation. For purposes of this subsection, "properly
executed medical order to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation" means (1) a written
order by the attending physician; (2) in consultation and with the consent of the patient
or a person authorized by law; (3) when the attending physician is of the opinion that
the patient is in a terminal condition, as defined in section 19a-570, which condition
will result in death within days or weeks; and (4) when such physician has requested
and obtained a second opinion from a Connecticut licensed physician in the appropriate
specialty that confirms the patient's terminal condition; and includes the entry of such
an order when the attending physician is of the opinion that the patient is in the final
stage of a terminal condition but cannot state that the patient may be expected to expire
during the next several days or weeks, or, in consultation with a physician qualified
to make a neurological diagnosis, deems the patient to be permanently unconscious,
provided the commissioner has reviewed the decision with the department's director of
community medical services, the family and guardian of the patient and others whom the
commissioner deems appropriate, and determines that the order is a medically acceptable
decision.
(h) Any person applying for services from the Commissioner of Developmental
Services or any person placed by a probate court under the direction of the Commissioner
of Developmental Services, and such person's parents or guardian, shall be informed
orally and in writing at the time of application or placement of the rights guaranteed by
this section and the provisions of subdivision (5) of section 46a-11. A summary of such
rights shall be posted conspicuously in the public areas of every public or private facility
providing services to persons under the care of the Commissioner of Developmental
Services.
(P.A. 76-152, S. 1-3; P.A. 80-311, S. 1, 5; P.A. 81-150; P.A. 82-86; P.A. 86-41, S. 10, 11; P.A. 88-317, S. 81, 107;
P.A. 93-253; 93-303; P.A. 01-140, S. 2; 01-195, S. 130, 181; P.A. 06-195, S. 60; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a),(b); 07-252, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 80-311 required as part of permanent record the reasons for each therapy order under Subsec. (d) and
added Subsecs. (e) and (f) re patients' rights; P.A. 81-150 amended Subsec. (e) to add to the rights of persons under the
supervision of the commissioner of mental retardation the right of such persons to receive or purchase their own clothing
and personal effects, including toilet articles, and to wear or use them unless deemed dangerous to the health or safety or
that of others; P.A. 82-86 inserted new Subsec. (d) requiring physician to obtain written consent before authorizing surgical
procedure or medical treatment as specified, relettering as necessary; Sec. 19-575a transferred to Sec. 19a-469 in 1983;
P.A. 86-41 substituted "director" for "superintendent" in Subsec. (f); P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-166 to 4-176 in Subsec. (c) to include new section added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings
commencing on or after that date; Sec. 19a-469 transferred to Sec. 17a-238 in 1991; P.A. 93-253 amended Subsec. (b) re
use of aversive devices and procedures, defined "aversive device" and required adoption of regulations; P.A. 93-303
inserted new Subsec. (g) to describe the commissioner's oversight and monitoring of medical care of persons under his
direction with respect to medical orders to withhold cardiopulmonary resuscitation, relettering former Subsec. (g) as (h);
P.A. 01-140 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) to (h) and amended Subsec. (f) by adding provision re emergency
surgery authorization by regional or training school director having custody and control of resident; P.A. 01-195 duplicated
technical changes made in P.A. 01-140, effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (g)(3) by referencing
"section 19a-570" instead of "subdivision (3) of section 19a-570"; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 "Commissioner of Mental
Retardation" and "Department of Mental Retardation" were changed editorially by the Revisors to "Commissioner of
Developmental Services" and "Department of Developmental Services", effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 07-252 made a
technical change in Subsec. (g).
Annotation to former section 19a-469:
Cited. 221 C. 346.