Utah Administrative Code
Topic - Human Services
Title R523 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Rule R523-21 - Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Rules
Section R523-21-4 - Minimum Guidelines and Standards of Care

(a) Accept each referral, offer walk-in and first responder drop-offs options, and provide both a basic medical and targeted biopsychosocial assessments for individuals who walk in or are dropped off for services.

(b) Prohibit any medical clearance requirements prior to admission.

(c) Assess and support individuals for medical stability while in the program.

(d) Design services to address mental health and substance use crisis issues.

(e) Employ staff at a capacity able to assess an individual's physical health needs, and deliver care for most minor physical health challenges with an identified path to transfer the individual to additional medically staffed services if needed.

(f) Staff the center at all times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with a multidisciplinary team capable of meeting the needs of individuals experiencing any level of behavioral health crisis in the community. Minimum staffing ratios for shifts excluding graveyard shifts should be 6 staff to 16 clients, or 4 staff to 8 clients, and graveyard shifts with ratios of 5 staff to 16 clients, or 4 staff to 8 clients. Multi-disciplinary teams must include:

(g) Structure the center to accept each referral including any referral from a first responder.

(h) Provide recliners for up to 23 hours for assessment, observation, stabilization, crisis management and support.

(i) Screen for suicide risk, and complete comprehensive suicide risk assessments and planning when clinically indicated.

(j) Screen for violence risk, and complete more comprehensive violence risk assessments and planning when clinically indicated.

(k) Provide or coordinate with the broad health and behavioral health treatment and recovery system in order to provide connection to appropriate levels of care including immediate placements into services such as detox units, social detox, withdrawal management, medication management, residential treatment, intensive outpatient treatment for mental illness or substance use disorders, and warm-handoffs or referrals to ongoing, long term, services such as case management, peer support, psychotherapy, medication management, medication assisted treatment, addiction services, housing and employment.