Health Officer Information

Health Officer Definition according to ORC 5122.01:

Any public health physician, public health nurse or other person authorized by or designated by a city health district; or a board of alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services to perform the duties of a health officer.

Health Officer Duties/Responsibilities

Any psychiatrist, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed physician, health officer, parole officer, police officer, or sheriff may take a person into custody, or the chief of the adult parole authority or a parole or probation officer with the approval of the chief of the authority may take a parolee, an offender under a community control sanction or a post-release control sanction, or an offender under transitional control into custody and may immediately transport the parolee, offender on community control or post-release control, or offender under transitional control to a hospital or, notwithstanding section 5119.20 of the Revised Code, to a general hospital not licensed by the department of mental health where the parolee, offender on community control or post-release control, or offender under transitional control may be held for the period prescribed in this section, if the psychiatrist, clinical nurse specialist who is certified as a psychiatrist-mental health CNS by the American nurses credentialing center , a certified nurse practitioner who is certified as a psychiatric-mental health NP by the American nurses credentialing center, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed physician, health officer, parole officer, police officer, or sheriff has reason to believe that the person is a mentally ill person subject to hospitalization by court order under division (B) of section 5122.01 of the Revised Code, and represents a substantial risk of physical harm to self or others if allowed to remain at liberty pending examination.

Criteria for Health Officers Authorized by HCMHRSB:

  • LISW
  • APRN or NP without a mental health certification
  • LPCC

Must have at least 5 year’s clinical experience working in the mental health field.  Prefer at least 3 years experience working with SMD clients.

Renewal Requirements:

  • Health Officer Designation will be for 2 years including MCT staff
  • Health Officer Designees will be required to receive 3 CEU’s in mental health, crisis de-escalation/intervention or suicidal ideation during the 2-year period
  • The HCMHRSB retains the right to require proof of attendance prior to renewal
  • Health Officer Designee must submit a Health Officer Designation Application to the HCMHRSB one month prior to the expiration of their Health Officer Designation

Termination of Health Officer Designation

  • When a health officer leaves an agency, the designee must send notification to the HCMHRSB prior to termination from agency.

Health Officer Designation Protocol

  • Health Officer Training will be offered to new applicants once a year
  • Each agency site shall identify not more than three individuals as designated Health Officers
  • Individuals identified as Health Officers may only serve in this capacity as representatives of their employer identified on the Health Officer application.
  • This training does not allow these new health officers to function as staff members of Mobile Crisis Team
  • If a Health Officer’s designation expires, they will need to repeat the Health Officer Training

Interested in becoming a Health Officer?

Health Officer Training

HCMHRSB will offer a Health Officer training one time per year, typically in April. Staff from Mobile Crisis Team will be the presenter.

Please see Health Officer Criteria regarding eligibility for participants.
Provider agencies are asked to limit Health Officers to three per location.
To register for a training, please contact the Clinical Department’s Administrator, Kay Lyles at 513-946-8617 or kayl@hcmhrsb.org

Below is a copy of the Application for Emergency Admission (Pink Slip) to be used by Hamilton County Health Officers when emergency involuntary hospitalization is clinically indicated.
The form has been updated to include a Family Notification section.
The form is fillable or can be downloaded from the website.

Application for Emergency Admission

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