Section 1259.5 Of Article 1. General From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
1259.5
. By January 1, 1995, each general acute care hospital, acute
psychiatric hospital, special hospital, psychiatric health facility,
and chemical dependency recovery hospital shall establish written
policies and procedures to screen patients routinely for the purpose
of detecting spousal or partner abuse. The policies shall include
guidelines on all of the following:
(a) Identifying, through routine screening, spousal or partner
abuse among patients.
(b) Documenting patient injuries or illnesses attributable to
spousal or partner abuse.
(c) Educating appropriate hospital staff about the criteria for
identifying, and the procedures for handling, patients whose injuries
or illnesses are attributable to spousal or partner abuse.
(d) Advising patients exhibiting signs of spousal or partner abuse
of crisis intervention services that are available either through
the hospital facility or through community-based crisis intervention
and counseling services.
(e) Providing to patients who exhibit signs of spousal or partner
abuse information on domestic violence and a referral list, to be
updated periodically, of private and public community agencies that
provide, or arrange for, evaluation of and care for persons
experiencing spousal or partner abuse, including, but not limited to,
hot lines, local battered women's shelters, legal services, and
information about temporary restraining orders.