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Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017

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

98: District inspectors to visit treatment centres

You could also call this:

"Inspectors check on treatment centres to ensure you are safe and getting good care."

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

When you are in a treatment centre because of a substance addiction problem, a district inspector will visit you. The district inspector must visit the treatment centre at least once while you are there, and also as soon as they can after they find out you are being detained. They will visit the centre in the area they are responsible for.

The district inspector can visit the treatment centre as many times as they want, without telling anyone beforehand. They can go on any day, at any time, and stay for as long as they like. If the Director says it is okay, the district inspector can take a health professional with them when they visit.

If the district inspector needs advice about something specific, they can ask a health professional who has been chosen by the Director for help. This health professional can visit and inspect the treatment centre to help the district inspector, you can find more information about this in the Substance Addiction Act.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6609257.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Mental healthHealth and wellbeing > Public healthCrime and justice > Courts and legal help
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97: Advice and assistance of general nature, or

"Get help and advice if you're worried about someone with a substance addiction"

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99: Inspectors' access to persons and documents, or

"Inspectors can visit treatment centres to check they're following the rules and can talk to anyone and see certain documents."

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

98District inspectors to visit treatment centres

  1. Every district inspector must, during a patient’s detention in a treatment centre that is in the locality to which the district inspector is appointed,—

  2. visit the treatment centre at least once:
    1. visit the treatment centre as soon as practicable after receiving notice of the patient’s detention.

      1. A district inspector may, without previous notice, visit any treatment centre in the locality to which the district inspector is appointed as often as the district inspector thinks fit.

      2. All visits made under the authority of this section may be made on any day and at any time of the day or night, and for the length of time, that the district inspector thinks fit.

      3. On any such visit, the district inspector may, if the Director so permits or requires, be accompanied by a health professional named by the Director.

      4. Any district inspector may, in respect of any specific matter, obtain advice from a health professional appointed for the purpose by the Director, and that health professional has, for that purpose, all the powers of visiting and inspecting.

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