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Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction - Assessment

18: Memorandum by authorised officer

You could also call this:

"A report by a helper when a doctor can't examine someone with a possible substance addiction"

Illustration for Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

If you are an authorised officer trying to help someone with a substance addiction, you might need to write a memorandum. You do this if you cannot get a doctor to examine the person. In the memorandum, you describe what you did to try to get the person examined by a doctor. You explain why you were not successful. You state that you think the person has a substance addiction that meets certain criteria, which are outlined in section 7(a) and (b). You also write down the reasons why you think this.

You tell the person why you believe they need help. You give all the details about why you think they meet the criteria for having a substance addiction.

When you finish writing the memorandum, you date and sign it.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6609159.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Mental healthHealth and wellbeing > Public healthCrime and justice > Criminal law
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17: Medical certificate, or

"A doctor's report to say if someone has a severe substance addiction problem"

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19: Arrangements for specialist assessment, or

"Getting a specialist to check if you need help with substance addiction"

Part 2Assessment and treatment of persons suffering from severe substance addiction
Assessment

18Memorandum by authorised officer

  1. If attempts made by the authorised officer to have a medical practitioner examine the person have been unsuccessful, the authorised officer must, in a memorandum,—

  2. describe the attempts that have been made to have the person examined by a medical practitioner; and
    1. explain why the attempts have been unsuccessful; and
      1. state that the authorised officer considers that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person meets the criteria set out in section 7(a) and (b); and
        1. set out full particulars of the grounds.

          1. The authorised officer must date and sign the memorandum.