Sec. 17a-276. (Formerly Sec. 19a-450). Director to have custody and control of patients. Review of placement. Notice of right to annual review hearing. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 17a-276. (Formerly Sec. 19a-450). Director to have custody and control of patients. Review of placement. Notice of right to annual review hearing. (a) All persons admitted to a state training school, regional facility or other facility provided for the care and training of the mentally retarded shall, until discharged therefrom either by the commissioner or by operation of law, be under the custody and control of the director of such facility. All costs of care and training shall be provided pursuant to section 17b-223. Notice of discharge shall be sent by the Department of Developmental Services to such person, his parent or guardian and the Probate Court.

      (b) Any person placed with the Department of Developmental Services pursuant to section 17a-274 may request a review of his placement by the Probate Court at any time after issuance of the original order of placement and once a year thereafter. Such request shall be in writing, shall state the reasons for review and shall be made by the patient or any other person acting on his behalf. Such request shall be filed with the Probate Court, one copy shall be served on the Commissioner of Developmental Services and one copy shall be served on the person in charge of the facility in which the patient is placed. The hearing on such request shall be held within ten days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after the filing of such request.

      (c) At such hearing the patient shall have the same rights as provided under subsections (c), (d), (e) and (f) of section 17a-274. The Department of Developmental Services shall notify each person placed pursuant to section 17a-274 at least annually that such person has the right to a hearing to review the appropriateness and adequacy of his placement. At such hearing, if the court finds that the person is no longer in need of placement, it shall order the placement terminated. If the court finds that the person's placement does not adequately meet his needs in the least restrictive environment available or which can be created within existing resources of the department, it shall order the department to place such person in such least restrictive environment as the court deems available.

      (d) If within five years from the date of placement, any person placed on or after October 1, 1982, has not requested a hearing to review his placement, the Department of Developmental Services shall notify the court of probate which placed such person. The court of probate, upon such notice, shall proceed in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of this section to schedule a hearing to determine if the placement should be continued and whether such placement adequately meets his habilitative needs in the least restrictive environment available or which can be created within existing resources of the department.

      (1961, P.A. 489, S. 1; P.A. 76-153, S. 5; P.A. 79-583, S. 2; P.A. 80-311, S. 3, 5; 80-476, S. 351, 352; 80-483, S. 85, 143, 186; P.A. 82-363, S. 2; P.A. 83-567; P.A. 86-41, S. 4, 11; P.A. 87-421, S. 11, 13; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(a), (b).)

      History: P.A. 76-153 included admissions to regional centers and removed epileptic persons from purview of section; Sec. 17-173a transferred to Sec. 19-569f in 1977; P.A. 79-583 deleted provision re conditions under which retarded resident committed by court may be discharged and added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re placement review; P.A. 80-311 substituted "community training home" for "foster home" and made minor language changes; P.A. 80-476 repealed amendments enacted by P.A. 80-311 and P.A. 80-483 confirmed the repeal; P.A. 82-363 added provisions re costs of care and training, notice of discharge, review of appropriateness and adequacy of placement and development of plan by department to ensure such review not later than October 1, 1986; Sec. 19-569f transferred to Sec. 19a-450 in 1983; P.A. 83-567 deleted former Subsec. (e) which had required development of plan by department to insure review of placement of persons committed prior to October 1, 1982; P.A. 86-41 substituted references to regional facilities for references to regional centers and "director" for "superintendent" in Subsec. (a); P.A. 87-421 substituted the reference to Sec. 17-295 for a reference to Sec. 17-295a which was repealed by the same act; Sec. 19a-450 transferred to Sec. 17a-276 in 1991; 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.

      See Sec. 53-164 re penalties for aiding or abetting escape from Mansfield Training School or Southbury Training School.