Section 2135.02. Declaration governing use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of mental health treatment

(A) An adult who has the capacity to consent to mental health treatment decisions voluntarily may execute at any time a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of mental health treatment. The declaration shall be signed at the end by the declarant, state the date of its execution, and either be witnessed or be acknowledged in accordance with section 2135.06 of the Revised Code. The declaration may include a designation by the declarant of a person to act as a proxy to make decisions regarding mental health treatment pursuant to the declaration, and, if the declaration includes a designation of a proxy, the declaration shall be signed at the end by the designated proxy. The declarant may also specifically designate in the declaration an alternate proxy to act in that role if the original proxy is unable or unwilling to act at any time, and, if the declaration includes a designation of an alternate proxy, the declaration shall be signed at the end by the designated alternate proxy. The declarant may name in the declaration a physician and assign the physician the primary responsibility for the declarant's mental health treatment. The declaration may include a specific authorization for the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of mental health treatment.

(B) A mental health treatment provider or a health care facility providing services to a declarant shall continue to obtain the declarant's informed consent to all mental health treatment decisions if the declarant has the capacity to consent to mental health treatment decisions.

Effective Date: 10-29-2003