(a) Each sheriff/operator shall develop and implement a mental disabilities/suicide prevention plan, in coordination with available medical and mental health officials, approved by the Commission by March 31, 1997. The plan shall address the following principles and procedures:
  (1) Training. Provisions for staff training (including frequency and duration) on the procedures for recognition, supervision, documentation, and handling of inmates who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal. Supplemental training should be provided to those staff members responsible for intake screening;
  (2) Identification. Procedures for intake screening to identify inmates who are known to be or observed to be mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal and procedures for compliance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 16.22 and referrals to available mental health officials;
  (3) Communication. Procedures for communication of information relating to inmates who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal;
  (4) Housing. Procedures for the assignment of inmates who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal to appropriate housing;
  (5) Supervision. Provisions for adequate supervision of inmates who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal and procedures for documenting supervision;
  (6) Intervention and Emergency Treatment. Procedures for staff intervention prior to the occurrence of a suicide and during the progress of a suicide attempt, or serious deterioration of mental condition;
  (7) Reporting. Procedures for reporting of completed suicides to appropriate outside authorities and family members; and
  (8) Follow-Up Review. Procedures for follow-up review of policies by the sheriff/operator and mental health and medical officials following all attempted or completed suicides.
(b) Screening Instrument. An approved mental disabilities/suicide prevention screening instrument shall be completed immediately on all inmates admitted.
(c) Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities History Check. Each jail shall:
  (1) check each inmate upon intake into the jail against the Texas Health and Human Services Commission CCQ system to determine if the inmate has previously received state mental healthcare or has a known intellectual or developmental disability, unless the inmate is being housed as an out of state inmate or a federal inmate on a contractual basis;
  (2) maintain documentation to be available at the time of inspection showing that information for each inmate designated in paragraph (1) of this subsection was submitted for CCQ/IDD system checks, to include notification to the magistrate and the Local Mental Health Authority or Local Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority as per CCP 16.22(a)(1); and
  (3) include any relevant mental health or intellectual and developmental disability information on the mental health screening instrument and, if sentenced to the Department of Criminal Justice, on the Uniform Health Status form.

Source Note: The provisions of this §273.5 adopted to be effective December 20, 1994, 19 TexReg 9650; amended to be effective October 23, 1996, 21 TexReg 10439; amended to be effective December 22, 1999, 24 TexReg 11519; amended to be effective December 17, 2006, 31 TexReg 10100; amended to be effective May 1, 2008, 33 TexReg 3446; amended to be effective December 30, 2009, 34 TexReg 9483; amended to be effective December 9, 2010, 35 TexReg 10770; amended to be effective April 10, 2013, 38 TexReg 2228; amended to be effective March 4, 2021, 46 TexReg 1385