STATEMENT OF EMERGENCY

902 KAR 20:320E

 

This emergency administrative regulation is being promulgated to address statutory changes to existing psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) law (KRS 216B.450 and 216B.455), which authorize the increase in number of beds that are permissible in a PRTF and remove bed increase applications from the certificate of need moratorium. The statutory amendment also permits establishment of more than one (1) freestanding facility on the same campus. Emergency administrative regulations are necessary to effectuate the statutory parameters and the cabinet is required to develop standards to assure that stability of care. The emergency administrative regulations also develop a uniform restraint protocol for PRTFs that is consistent with federal regulatory requirements. This emergency administrative regulation is necessary to address bed increase applications resulting from the statutory change and to protect the health and welfare of individuals who are in need of treatment in a PRTF environment. This emergency administrative regulation shall be replaced by an ordinary administrative regulation that has been filed with the regulations compiler.

 

ERNIE FLETCHER, Governor

JAMES W. HOLSINGER, Jr., M.D., Secretary

 

CABINET FOR HEALTH AND FAMILY SERVICES

Office of Inspector General

(Emergency Amendment)

 

     902 KAR 20:320E. Psychiatric residential treatment facility operation and services.

 

RELATES TO: KRS 216B.010-216B.130, 216B.450-216B.459, 216B.990, 42 C.F.R. 441.156

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 216B.042, 216B.105, 216B.450-216B.459, 314.011(8), 314.042(8), 320.240(14), EO 2004-726 [96-862]

EFFECTIVE: May 9, 2005

 

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 216B.042, 216B.105 and 216B.450-216B.459 mandate that the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services regulate health facilities and services. This administrative regulation provides minimum licensure requirements regarding the operation of and services provided in psychiatric residential treatment facilities. EO 2004-726, effective July 9, 2004, reorganized the Cabinet for Health Services and placed [96-862, effective July 2, 1996, reorganizes the Cabinet for Human Resources and places] the Office of Inspector General and its regulatory authority [programs] under the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

 

Section 1. Definitions.

 

(1) "Chemical restraint" means the use of a drug that:

     1. Is administered to manage a resident's behavior in a way that reduces the safety risk to the resident or others;

2. Has the temporary effect of restricting the resident's freedom of movement; and

3. Is not a standard treatment for the resident's medical or psychiatric condition.

 

(2) "Clinical privileges" means authorization by the governing body to provide certain resident care and treatment services in the facility specified by the governing body within well-defined limits, based on the individual's license, education, training, experience, competence, and judgment.

 

(3) [(2)] "Direct-care staff" means residential or child-care workers who directly supervise residents.

 

(4) [(3)] "Freestanding" is defined in KRS 216B.450(3) [means a completely detached building].

 

(5) [(4)] "Governing body" means the individual, agency, partnership, or corporation, in which the ultimate responsibility and authority for the conduct of the facility is vested.

 

[(5) "Holding" means forced positioning of a resident by staff without use of mechanical devices.]


(6) "Licensure agency" means the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Inspector General [Division of Licensing and Regulation in the Office of the Inspector General, Cabinet for Health Services].

 

(7) "Living unit" means the area within a single building that is supplied by the facility for daily living and therapeutic interaction of the residents. There shall be no more than nine (9) [eight (8)] residents per living unit.

 

(8) "Mechanical restraint" means any device attached or adjacent to a resident's body that he or she cannot easily remove that restricts freedom of movement or normal access to his or her body.

 

(9) [(8)] "Mental health associate" is an individual with a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a mental health related field; a registered nurse with at least one (1) year's experience in a psychiatric inpatient or residential treatment setting for children; or an individual with a high school diploma or an equivalence certificate and at least two (2) [five (5)] years work experience in a psychiatric inpatient or residential treatment setting for children [, two (2) years of which shall be in a supervisory role, and shall have successfully completed the medicine administration course approved by the Kentucky Board of Nursing for use in child caring facilities].

 

(10) [(9)]"Mental health professional" is defined in KRS 645.020 [means a person employed and meeting requirements for a position on the professional staff of a PRTF on the effective date of this administrative regulation until December 31, 2001; a qualified mental health professional as defined by KRS 202A.011; a professional art therapist who is certified pursuant to KRS 309.133; a marriage and family therapist who is certified pursuant to KRS 335.330; a professional counselor who is certified pursuant to KRS 335.525; or a licensed registered nurse with two (2) years experience in a mental health setting].

 

(11) "Personal restraint" means the application of physical force without the use of any device, for the purposes of restraining the free movement of a resident's body and does not include briefly holding without undue force a resident in order to calm or comfort him or her or holding a resident's hand to safely escort him or her from one (1) area to another.

 

(12) [(10)] "Psychiatric residential treatment facility" or "PRTF " is defined in KRS 216B.450(5) [(4)].

 

[(11) "Restraint" means the use of a mechanical device to involuntarily restrain movement of the whole or a portion of a resident's body as a means of controlling a resident's physical activities to protect the resident or others from injury or the use of intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous administration of any pharmacologic or chemical agent to the resident with the sole or primary purpose of controlling or limiting the physical activities of the resident. Restraint is differentiated from mechanisms usually and customarily employed during medical, diagnostic, or surgical procedures.]

 

(13) [(12)] "Seclusion" means the involuntary confinement of a resident in a room or in an area from [,] which the resident is physically prevented from leaving [, for any period of time].

 

(14) [(13)] "Special treatment procedures" means any procedure such as chemical restraint, mechanical restraint, personal restraint or seclusion [and holding] which may have abuse potential or be life threatening.

 

(15) [(14)] "Unusual treatment" means any procedure not readily accepted as a standard method of treatment by the relevant professional.

 

Section 2. Applicability.

 

(1) A psychiatric residential treatment facility shall be located in a freestanding structure [eight (8) bed facility.

(a) An entity which was licensed as a PRTF prior to April 9, 1992, may be licensed within a single building for a maximum of sixteen (16) beds, but shall have a minimum of two (2) separate living units. A living unit in a sixteen (16) bed PRTF shall have no more than eight (8) beds.

(b) An entity which has obtained approval for a certificate of need for a sixteen (16) bed PRTF prior to March 26, 1992, may be licensed by the cabinet as two (2) freestanding eight (8) bed PRTFs located on a common campus.

(c) An eight (8) bed PRTF may be located on a common campus with an existing eight (8) bed PRTF, but each shall be freestanding].

 

(2) Multiple PRTFs may be located on a common campus but each shall be freestanding.

 

(3) [(2)] If a psychiatric residential treatment facility is located on grounds shared by another licensed facility other than a PRTF, the following shall apply:

 

(a) The residents of the PRTF and the licensed facility with which it shares grounds shall not have any joint activities or interactions, except for organized education activities, [conducted by a school operated by the local educational authority for residents for whom it is determined by the local educational authority that the program provided by the school is appropriate for all residents in the program and is provided in accordance with Section 12(6) of this administrative regulation, or] organized recreational activities, or group therapy for children with similar treatment needs;

 

(b) Direct-care staff of the licensed facility with which the PRTF shares grounds may provide relief, replacement, or substitute staff coverage to the PRTF; and

 

(c) For continuity of care, at least fifty (50) percent of direct care staff of the PRTF shall be employed by the PRTF [;

(d) If the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection are met, the only services or components of the physical plant that may be shared are those related to housekeeping, maintenance, dietary and recreational facilities or grounds].

 

(4) [(3)] PRTF's that are located in the same structure or on a common campus [on the same grounds in accordance with subsection (1) of this section] may share joint activities and staff.

 

Section 3. Licensure.

A [The] psychiatric residential treatment facility shall comply with all the conditions for licensure contained in 902 KAR 20:008.

 

Section 4. Governing Body. A PRTF [Each facility] shall have a governing body with overall authority and responsibility for the facility's operation.

 

(1) The governing body shall be a legally constituted entity in the Commonwealth of Kentucky by means of a charter, articles of incorporation, partnership agreement, franchise agreement, or legislative or executive act.

 

(2) A facility that is part of a multifacility system or is operated by a government agency shall have a written description of the system's administrative structure and lines of authority.

 

(3) The authority and responsibility of any person designated to function as the governing body shall be specified in writing.

 

(4) If a business relationship exists between a governing body member [member(s)] and the organization, there shall be a conflict-of-interest policy that governs the member's participation in decisions influenced by the business interest.

 

(5) The responsibilities of the governing body shall be stated in writing and shall describe the process for the following:

(a) Adopting policies and procedures;

(b) Providing sufficient funds, staff, equipment, supplies, and facilities to assure that the facility is capable of providing appropriate and adequate services to residents;

(c) Overseeing the system of financial management and accountability;

(d) Adopting a program to monitor and evaluate the quality of all care provided and to appropriately address identified problems in care;

(e) Electing, appointing, or employing the clinical and administrative leadership personnel of the facility, and defining the qualifications, authority, responsibility, and function of such positions; and

(f) Approving employment of mental health professional staff.

 

(6) The governing body shall meet as a whole at least quarterly and keep records that demonstrate the ongoing discharge of its responsibilities.

 

(7) When a facility is a component of a larger organization, the facility staff, subject to the overall authority of the governing body, shall be given the necessary authority to plan, organize, and operate the program.

 

Section 5. Program Director.

(1) A [The] program director shall be responsible for the administrative management of the facility.

 

(2) A program director:

 

(a) [The program director] Shall be qualified by training and experience to direct a treatment program for children and adolescents with emotional problems; [.]

 

(b) Shall at least have minimum qualifications of [Minimum qualifications shall be] a master's degree or bachelor's degree in the human services field including:

1. Social work;

2. Sociology;

3. Psychology;

4. Guidance and counseling;

5. Education;

6. Religion;

7. Business administration;

8. Criminal justice;

9. Public administration;

10. Child care administration;