Fla. Admin. Code R. 59A-3.302

Current through Reg. 50, No. 235-239, December 10, 2024

Section 59A-3.302 - Personnel for Intensive Residential Treatment Facilities

(1) Composition. The composition of the staff shall be determined by the needs of the patients being served and the goals of the facility, and shall have available a sufficient number of mental health professionals, health care workers, program staff and administrative personnel to meet these goals.

(a) The administrator of the facility shall have a master's degree in administration or be of a professional discipline related to child and adolescent mental health and have at least three (3) years administrative experience. A person with a baccalaureate degree may also qualify for administrator with seven (7) years experience of child and adolescent mental health care with no less than three (3) years administrative experience.

(b) The clinical director shall be at least board eligible in psychiatry with the American Board of Psychiatry with experience in child and adolescent mental health.

(c) If the clinical director is not full-time, then there shall be a full-time service coordinator who is a mental health professional with at least a master's degree who is experienced in child and adolescent mental health and is responsible for the coordination of treatment aspects of the program.

(d) Mental health professionals shall include psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers. These persons, if not on a full-time basis, must be on a continuing consulting basis. The authority and participation of such mental health professionals shall be such that they are able to assume responsibility for supervising and reviewing the needs of the patients and the services being provided. Such individuals shall participate in specific functions, e.g., assessment, treatment planning, treatment plan and individual case reviews, and program planning and policy and procedure development and review.

(e) Other professional and paraprofessional staff shall include physicians, registered nurses, educators and 24-hour a day mental assistants. Also included on a regular staff basis, or as consultants on a continuing basis, shall be activity staff and vocational counselors; and,

(f) Consultation shall be available as needed from dieticians, speech, hearing and language specialists, or other specialists.

(2) Organization. The program shall have an organizational plan which clearly explains the responsibilities of the staff. This plan shall also include:

(a) Lines of authority, accountability and communication;

(b) Committee structure and reporting or dissemination of material; and,

(c) Established requirements regarding the frequency of attendance at general and departmental/service or team/unit meetings.

(3) Policies and Records. Personnel policies and practices shall be designed, established and maintained to promote the objectives of the program and to insure that there are personnel to support a high quality of patient care.

(a) Each program shall have a written personnel practice plan covering the following areas: job classification; pay plan; personnel selection; probation or work-test period; tenure of office; dismissal; salary increases; procedure for health evaluations; holidays; leave policies; training programs; work evaluation procedures; additional employment benefits; and personnel records. Each new employee shall be given a copy of personnel practices when hired and documentation of receipt shall be maintained in the employee's personnel file. A procedure shall be established for notifying employees of changes in established policies.

(b) There shall be clear job descriptions for all personnel. Each description shall contain the position title, immediate supervisor, responsibilities and authority. These shall also be used as a basis for periodic evaluations by the supervisor.

(c) Accurate and complete personnel records shall be maintained on each employee. Content shall be established to include the following:

1. Current background information, including the application, references and any accompanying documentation sufficient to justify the initial and continued employment of the individual and the position for which he was employed. Applicants for the positions requiring a licensed person shall be employed only after the facility has obtained verification of their licenses. Where accreditation is a requirement, this shall also be verified. Evidence of renewal of license as required by the licensing agent shall be maintained in the employee's personnel record;

2. Current information relative to work performance evaluation;

3. Records of pre-employment health examinations and subsequent health services rendered to employees, as are necessary to ensure that all facility employees are physically and emotionally able to perform their duties;

4. Medical reports that verify the absence of active communicable disease in facility employees; and,

5. Record of any continuing education or staff development programs completed.

(4) Staff Development. The program must provide opportunities and motivation for continuing education or training to enable each member to add to his knowledge and skills and thus improve the quality of services offered. This must be documented in the employee personnel file.

Programs shall be facility-based with a designated person or committee who is responsible, on a continuing basis, for planning and insuring that Plans are implemented. The facility shall also make use of educational programs outside the facility such as workshops, and seminars.

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 59A-3.302

Rulemaking Authority 395.003, 395.1055 FS. Law Implemented 395.003, 395.1055 FS.

New 2-15-82, Formerly 10D-28.106, 59A-3.106, Amended by Florida Register Volume 40, Number 190, September 30, 2014 effective 10/16/2014.

New 2-15-82, Formerly 10D-28.106, 59A-3.106, Amended 10-16-14.