Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-281 (2025)

Any person who is a resident of Connecticut at the time an application is made by or on behalf of such resident under the provisions of this section, and who is, or appears to be, or believes such resident to be a person with intellectual disability, may apply, in writing, to the Commissioner of Developmental Services, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, for admission to any facility for persons with intellectual disability. Such application shall be accompanied by a medical history of the applicant, including any medical or physical condition requiring special attention, treatment or precautions, a written psychological report provided by a psychologist either licensed under the provisions of chapter 383 or employed by the Department of Developmental Services, who has personally examined the applicant prior to the filing of application for residential placement or a copy of the determination of eligibility made in accordance with section 17a-212 and the regulations adopted thereunder. The written psychological report shall include (1) a statement that the psychologist has personally examined the applicant not more than ninety days prior to the date of filing of the application, (2) the results of a psychometric assessment conducted not more than one year prior to the date of filing of the application, and (3) an evaluation of the applicant's current level of adaptive functioning, including self-care, mental health, social, academic and vocational needs. In the event of an emergency, admission to a residential facility may be made and the required medical history and psychologist's report may be submitted not later than thirty days after the date of such admission. The application for such person, if such person is a minor, may be made by a parent, legal representative of, or person having custody of, such minor. If such person is an adult who has had a plenary or limited guardian appointed pursuant to sections 45a-669 to 45a-683, inclusive, such person's guardian may apply for admission and the commissioner may admit such person, provided the commissioner is satisfied that there is no conflict concerning the admission between the guardian and the protected person or the protected person's next of kin. If such conflict exists, the applicant may only be admitted under the provisions of section 17a-274. The commissioner may approve any such application for admission if the person on whose behalf application is made is suitable for admission and if space is available and may terminate such admission at any time when the commissioner feels such person will not profit from continued placement. The provisions of this section shall not apply to persons who apply to the commissioner for respite care services for a period not to exceed thirty days.

(1961, P.A. 260, S. 1; 1963, P.A. 377, S. 1; P.A. 75-5, S. 2; 75-638, S. 9, 23; P.A. 76-153, S. 8; P.A. 82-82; P.A. 83-31; 83-420, S. 3; P.A. 86-41, S. 7, 11; P.A. 87-152, S. 1, 4; P.A. 95-109; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a), (b); P.A. 11-16, S. 29; P.A. 16-49, S. 16; P.A. 18-32, S. 28.)

History: 1963 act included epileptic persons and stipulated psychological diagnostic evaluation be made only when applicant has physical and mental capacity for evaluation; P.A. 75-5 removed two-year residency requirement for eligibility and removed epileptic persons from purview of section; P.A. 75-638 replaced deputy commissioner of mental retardation with commissioner of mental retardation reflecting creation of independent department of mental retardation; P.A. 76-153 specified “facility for the mentally retarded” where previous wording referred generally to schools, centers, institutions, etc. and replaced “certified” psychologists with “licensed” psychologists; Sec. 17-175a transferred to Sec. 19-569l in 1977; P.A. 82-82 eliminated the requirement that the commissioner of mental retardation approve an application for admission to a residential facility for the mentally retarded if the person is suitable for admission, requiring instead that person be free from communicable disease, allowed the commissioner to approve the application if space is available, specified contents of psychological report, added provision re delayed submission of required documents in emergency admissions and required commissioner to adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54; Sec. 19-569l transferred to Sec. 19a-455 in 1983; P.A. 83-31 excluded applications for respite care services for 30 days or less from provisions re voluntary admission to facilities for the mentally retarded; P.A. 83-420 added language re admission of adult adjudicated incompetent by his guardian, deleting prior provision which had allowed conservator or person having custody of an adult incompetent to make application for admission; P.A. 86-41 substituted “regional facility” for “regional center” where appearing; P.A. 87-152 substituted “person with mental retardation” for “mentally retarded” throughout section and deleted reference to mentally ill; Sec. 19a-455 transferred to Sec. 17a-281 in 1991; P.A. 95-109 replaced the requirement for a certificate on communicable diseases with a requirement that the medical history include any condition requiring special attention, treatment or precautions or that the application be accompanied by a copy of the determination of eligibility under Sec. 17a-212, deleted reference to training schools, replaced “been adjudicated incompetent” with “had a guardian appointed” and eliminated a requirement that the commissioner adopt regulations; (Revisor's note: In 2005, a reference to Sec. 45a-668 was changed editorially by the Revisors to Sec. 45a-669 to reflect the repeal of Sec. 45a-668 by P.A. 04-54); 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. 11-16 substituted “intellectual disability” for “mental retardation” and made technical changes, effective May 24, 2011; P.A. 16-49 deleted reference to Sec. 45a-684; P.A. 18-32 replaced references to guardian with references to legal representative, replaced “guardian” with “plenary or limited guardian”, replaced reference to ward with reference to protected person, and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2018.

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