§43A-5-503.

§43A-5-503.
   
   A. A child may be admitted for inpatient mental health treatment only
   pursuant to the provisions of the Inpatient Mental Health Treatment of
   Children Act.
   
   B. A parent of a child may consent to the voluntary admission of the
   child for inpatient mental health treatment or, when the child is age
   sixteen (16) or older and refuses to consent or revokes his or her
   consent to inpatient mental health treatment, request the district
   attorney to file a petition alleging the child to be a child in need
   of mental health treatment and to require inpatient treatment.
   
   C. A mental health facility may make application to the district
   attorney for the filing of a petition alleging a child to be a child
   in need of mental health treatment and to require inpatient treatment
   when the parent consenting to a child's admission revokes such consent
   and the person in charge of the mental health facility, or other
   person authorized by the person in charge of the facility to make such
   determination, determines that the condition of the child is such that
   the child should remain in the mental health facility.
   
   D. A child who is a ward of a court may be admitted to a hospital or
   other mental health facility for inpatient mental health evaluation or
   treatment only pursuant to the provisions of Section 5-507 of this
   title.
   
   1. a. A parent having legal custody of a child who is a ward of the
   court, with the consent of the person responsible for the supervision
   of the case, may request the district attorney to file a petition
   alleging the child to be a child in need of mental health treatment
   and to require inpatient treatment, or
   
   b. The Department of Human Services, the Office of Juvenile Affairs or
   the juvenile bureau having supervision of the case may make such
   request.
   
   2. A public or private child care agency having legal custody of a
   child may request the district attorney to file a petition alleging
   the child to be a child in need of mental health treatment and to
   require inpatient treatment.
   
   E. Nothing in the Inpatient Mental Health Treatment of Children Act
   shall be interpreted to prohibit or preclude the provision of
   outpatient mental health treatment or services including, but not
   limited to, an outpatient mental health evaluation, counseling,
   educational, rehabilitative or other mental health services to the
   child, as necessary and appropriate, in the absence of a specific
   court order for such services.
   
   F. 1. An order of a court committing a child to a mental health
   facility for inpatient evaluation or treatment shall not, by itself,
   relieve a parent of the obligation to provide for the support of the
   child or of liability for the cost of mental health treatment provided
   to the child.
   
   2. Nothing in the Inpatient Mental Health Treatment of Children Act
   shall be interpreted to:
   
   a. limit the authority of the court to order a parent to make support
   payments or to make payments or reimbursements for medical care or
   treatment, including mental health care or treatment, to the person,
   institution, agency or Department having custody of the child or
   providing the treatment, or
   
   b. abrogate the right of the child to any benefits provided through
   public funds for which the child is otherwise eligible.
   
   3. An order committing a child to a mental health facility for
   inpatient treatment shall not by itself serve to preclude a subsequent
   adjudication which finds the child to be delinquent, in need of
   supervision or deprived or shall not cause the vacation of any such
   order of adjudication previously entered.