Washington statute
RCW 13.40.042 — Detention of juvenile suffering from mental disorder or substance use disorder
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 13.40: Juvenile Justice Act Of 1977, Revised Code of Washington.
Full text of RCW 13.40.042
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official text of the Revised Code of Washington from the Code Reviser's published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Washington.
(1) When a police officer has reasonable cause to believe that a juvenile has committed acts constituting a nonfelony crime that is not a serious offense as identified in RCW 10.77.665, and the officer believes that the juvenile suffers from a mental disorder, and the local prosecutor has entered into an agreement with law enforcement regarding the detention of juveniles who may have a mental disorder or may be suffering from chemical dependency, the arresting officer, instead of taking the juvenile to the local juvenile detention facility, may take the juvenile to:
(a) An evaluation and treatment facility as defined in RCW 71.34.020 if the juvenile suffers from a mental disorder and the facility has been identified as an alternative location by agreement of the prosecutor, law enforcement, and the mental health provider;
(b) A facility or program identified by agreement of the prosecutor and law enforcement; or
(c) A location already identified and in use by law enforcement for the purpose of a behavioral health diversion.
(2) For the purposes of this section, an "alternative location" means a facility or program that has the capacity to evaluate a youth and, if determined to be appropriate, develop a behavioral health intervention plan and initiate treatment.
(3) If a juvenile is taken to any location described in subsection (1)(a) or (b) of this section, the juvenile may be held for up to twelve hours and must be examined by a mental health or substance use disorder professional within three hours of arrival.
(4) The authority provided pursuant to this section is in addition to existing authority under RCW 10.31.110 and * 10.31.120.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
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