Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 290 - RULES OF DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Chapter 290-2 - FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES
Subject 290-2-29 - RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR MATERNITY HOMES
Rule 290-2-29-.10 - Personnel
Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 290-2-29-.10
Current through Rules and Regulations filed through September 23, 2024
(1) Director. The governing body of the maternity home shall designate a director who shall be authorized to manage the home.
(a) Any director employed on or after the effective date of these rules shall possess at least one
(1) of the following qualifications:
1. A master's degree from an accredited college or university in the area of social science, social work, childhood education, business or public administration or a related field plus two (2) years of experience in a related field;
2. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the area of social science, social work, childhood education, business public administration or a related field plus four (4) years of experience in a related field; or
3. A licensed registered nurse, doctor, or other licensed health care professional plus two (2) years of experience in a related field.
(b) Any director employed on or after the effective date of these rules must meet the following additional minimum qualifications:
1. Never have been shown by credible evidence (e.g. a court or jury, a Department investigation, or other reliable evidence) to have abused, neglected, sexually exploited, or deprived a child or adult or to have subjected any person to serious injury as a result of intentional or grossly negligent misconduct as evidenced by an oral or written statement to this effect obtained at the time of application and evidence of having made efforts to obtain and evaluate references from previous employers;
2. Participate in orientation and training required by these rules; and
3. Not have made any material false statements concerning qualifications requirements either to the Department or the proposed licensee.
(c) When the director is temporarily absent from the home and resident(s) are present in the home, a staff person designated by the director as responsible for supervising the operation of the home must also be present in the home. If the director remains unavailable for more than 14 consecutive calendar days, the officially designated person shall have qualifications equivalent to the director's qualifications.
(2) Staffing. The home shall have sufficient numbers of qualified and trained staff as required by these rules to provide for the needs, care, protection, and supervision of residents in care. All staff and volunteers shall be supervised to ensure that assigned duties are performed adequately and to protect the health, safety and well-being of the residents in care. There shall be sufficient relief staff to ensure adequate coverage of all functions.
(a) All staff employed on or after the effective date of these rules must meet the following additional minimum qualifications:
1. Never have been shown by credible evidence (such as a decision of a court or jury, or a Department investigation or other reliable evidence) to have abused, neglected, sexually exploited, or deprived a child or adult or to have subjected any person to serious injury as a result of intentional or grossly serious injury as a result of intentional or grossly negligent misconduct as evidenced by an oral or written statement to this effect obtained at the time of application;
2. Participate in orientation and training as required by these rules;
3. Not have made any material false statements concerning qualifications requirements either to the Department or the proposed licensee as evidenced by a signed statement; and
4. Any adult living in the home must be checked against the child abuse and neglect registry for information, and must provide information from any other state in which the adult has resided in the previous five (5) years to check any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by that state. Maternity homes shall comply with these requirements before serving residents.
(b) Human services professionals. The home shall have a designated human services professional to provide oversight of services to residents and their families in the home setting. There shall be at least one (1) human services professional employed for every 16 residents in care. The total number of residents in care must not exceed 16 including infants. The home's director, if qualified by education, may perform the duties of a human services professional.
1. Any human services professional employed on or after the effective date of these rules shall either:
(i) Possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, childhood education, education counseling and psychology, nursing or healthcare, or a related field and either have two (2) years experience in a field related to the type of residents served or be supervised by another human service professional with a master's degree in one (1) of the above disciplines; or
(ii) Possess a master's degree from an accredited college or university in one (1) of the above disciplines.
(c) Direct Care Staff. A maternity home shall have designated direct care staff to supervise residents and be responsible for living units where the residents reside.
1. No maternity home shall admit or retain residents whose needs for room, board and watchful oversight cannot be met. The home shall have sufficient numbers of qualified and trained staff to provide for the room, board and watchful oversight of residents.
2. Any direct care staff shall be at least 21 years of age and possess a high school diploma or general education diploma (GED) and have current evidence of certification of a biennial training program in adult, child, and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a biennial training program in first aid which have been offered by certified or licensed health care professionals. Such training programs shall be completed within the first 90 days of employment.
3. Directors and human services professionals may not concurrently serve as direct care staff.
4. When volunteers are utilized a qualified staff member of the home shall be designated to plan, supervise, and coordinate the volunteer's functions as well as an appropriate training program.
(d) Staff Training. Prior to working with residents, all staff, including the director, who work with residents shall be oriented in accordance with these rules.
1. [Staff] orientation shall include instruction in:
(i) The home's purpose and description of services and its policies and procedures;
(ii) The employee's assigned duties and responsibilities;
(iii) Grievance policies and procedures;
(iv) Child abuse and exploitation policies and procedures;
(v) Reporting requirements for suspected cases of child abuse and sexual exploitation, notifiable diseases and serious injuries;
(vi) Policies and procedures for handling medical emergencies (life-threatening, limb-threatening, or function-threatening conditions), and managing use of medications by residents in care;
(vii) Infection control policies and procedures;
(viii) The home's policies and procedures regarding appropriate behavior management and emergency safety interventions; and
(ix) Privacy and confidentiality of residents.
2. In addition to orientation, all staff, including the director, shall receive training which shall include 24 clock hours of formal, annual training or instruction in resident and child care issues related to the employee's job assignment and to the types of services provided by the home. Annual training shall be counted from the date of hire.
O.C.G.A. Secs. 49-5-3, 49-5-8.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Georgia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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