Children's Diagnostic Center

C.R.S. tit. 23, art. 23

in effect

C.R.S. § 23-23-101 Children's diagnostic center established

23-23-101. Children's diagnostic center established. In order to provide for the commitment or sentencing of children to the various institutions of the state of Colorado most suited to their care, rehabilitation, and treatment, to provide the administrative authorities of such institutions with social and medical case histories of children committed or sentenced to such institutions, and to provide the courts with such information as may be needed before children are sentenced or committed to such institutions, there is hereby established a Colorado children's diagnostic center, to be located at the Colorado psychiatric hospital.

C.R.S. § 23-23-102 Supervision - interdepartmental cooperation

23-23-102. Supervision - interdepartmental cooperation. The center shall be under the general supervision and control of the regents of the university of Colorado. The governor shall instruct the executive director of the department of human services to cooperate with the regents to provide the diagnostic services provided for by this article.

C.R.S. § 23-23-103 Evaluations made - when

23-23-103. Evaluations made - when. (1) A child may be referred to the medical center for diagnostic evaluation and study under the following conditions: (a) A judge who has before him or her the matter of possible certification, commitment, or sentencing of a child to one of the institutions of the state may have an evaluation of the child made at the diagnostic center; or the judge may send a child to the center for an evaluation of the child's mental and physical capacity if the judge believes such diagnosis will aid in the determination of the matter concerning the child, regardless of the fact that, because of lack of space, none of the regional centers is able to accept the child. (b) Any judge, for the purpose of determining whether or not a child under sixteen years of age has a behavioral or mental health disorder or an intellectual and developmental disability, may cause the child to be sent to the center for diagnostic evaluation. (c) The superintendent of any institution in Colorado to which children have been committed or sentenced may request the executive director of the department of human services to have an evaluation of any child in his institution made at the center. (d) The director of a county department of human or social services may request an evaluation at the Colorado children's diagnostic center of a child in the care, custody, or supervision of such county department when such evaluation will aid it in its determination of the disposition, placement, or planning for such child; but no such evaluation shall be requested until such parental consent as is necessary has been obtained. If such an evaluation is made, the costs are paid by the county department of human or social services.

C.R.S. § 23-23-104 Custody of children - housing

23-23-104. Custody of children - housing. For the making of any diagnostic evaluation before certification or commitment, the district judge or juvenile judge shall give the temporary custody of the child to the executive director of the department of human services for temporary placement at any state institution deemed most suitable by the executive director during the period of evaluation. Subject to the provisions of section 23-23-108, the executive director of the department of human services shall accept all such children assigned to the executive director, within the limits of available facilities. Nothing in this section permits the designation of the university of Colorado psychiatric hospital as a housing facility for such children.

C.R.S. § 23-23-105 Guardians - transportation - costs

23-23-105. Guardians - transportation - costs. The district or juvenile judge requesting a diagnostic evaluation of any child in his county to be made at the center shall appoint a guardian to accompany such child to the center. The full costs of the transportation and subsistence of such child and guardian to and from the center and during the period of examination shall be paid by the parents of such child, and, if the parents are unable to pay such costs, they shall be paid by the county.

C.R.S. § 23-23-106 Hearings held in Denver juvenile court - when

23-23-106. Hearings held in Denver juvenile court - when. Any district judge may, in order to eliminate the cost of returning any child back to his county of residence after such diagnosis is completed, designate the juvenile court of the city and county of Denver as master or magistrate to hear any additional evidence that may be necessary in the case. He may then, on the basis of the report from such master or magistrate and the information in the diagnostic report and such other evidence as the court may require, commit such child to the appropriate institution and direct that such child be transported from the center to such institution.

C.R.S. § 23-23-107 Case histories - preparation and use

23-23-107. Case histories - preparation and use. (1) In order to facilitate the work of the center in making a diagnostic evaluation of a child as provided in this article 23, the county department of human or social services of the county of the child's residence or any licensed children's agency in such county shall prepare and forward to the center a social and medical case history of such child to assist the center in making such diagnosis. The history must accompany or precede the child's assignment to the center. (2) In order to assist the administrative authorities of any institution to which a child is finally committed or sentenced, such case history prepared as provided in subsection (1) of this section, together with a copy of the diagnostic report made by the center upon the completion of an evaluation of any such child, shall be transmitted to the authorities of such institution.

C.R.S. § 23-23-108 Limitation on admissions - report - disposition of children

23-23-108. Limitation on admissions - report - disposition of children. The director of the Colorado children's diagnostic center shall determine whether a child referred by an institution or by a district or juvenile court shall be accepted for study and evaluation at the diagnostic center. Such determination shall be based on the adequacy and availability of local facilities, including local community mental health clinics, for such study and evaluation, the emergency nature of the referral, and the number of children currently being studied and evaluated and waiting to be studied and evaluated at the diagnostic center. Said diagnostic center upon completion of its study and evaluation in each case shall make its report in writing to said director; whereupon, the child shall forthwith be returned to the institution from which he came or committed or sentenced to the appropriate institution and removed thereto without delay.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-23.docxFetched: 10/6/2026