Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
FACILITY STANDARDS AND LICENSING
Chapter 246-337 - Residential treatment facility
Section 246-337-005 - Definitions

(1) "Administrator" means an individual person responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the residential treatment facility.

(2) "Adult" means an individual eighteen years of age or older.

(3) "Authorized" means mandated or permitted, in writing, by the administrator to perform an act that is within a health care provider's lawful scope of practice, or that was lawfully delegated to the health care provider or to the unlicensed staff member.

(4) "Bathroom" means a room containing at least one bathtub or shower.

(5) "Child" or "minor" means an individual under the age of eighteen. A child or minor may include an infant as defined in subsection (17) of this section.

(6) "Communicable disease" means a disease caused by an infectious agent that can be transmitted from one person, animal, or object to another individual by direct or indirect means including transmission via an intermediate host or vector, food, water or air.

(7) "Confidential" means information that may not be disclosed except under specific conditions permitted or mandated by law or legal agreement between the parties concerned.

(8) "Construction" means:

(9) "Co-occurring services" means services certified by the department that combine mental health services and substance use disorder services under a single RTF license.

(10) "Department" means the Washington state department of health.

(11) "Facility" means a building, portion of a building, or multiple buildings under a single RTF license.

(12) "Health assessment" means a systematic physical examination of the person's body conducted by an allopathic physician, osteopathic physician, naturopathic physician, allopathic physician's assistant, osteopathic physician's assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse who is licensed under Title 18 RCW and operating within their scope of practice.

(13) "Health care" means any care, service, or procedure provided by a health care provider to diagnose, treat, or maintain a resident's physical or mental condition, or that affects the structure or function of the human body.

(14) "Health care prescriber" or "prescriber" means an allopathic physician, osteopathic physician, naturo-pathic physician, allopathic physician's assistant, osteopathic physician's assistant, or advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under Title 18 RCW operating within their scope of practice who by law can prescribe drugs in Washington state.

(15) "Health care provider" means an individual who is licensed, registered or certified under Title 18 RCW to provide health care within a particular profession's statutorily authorized scope of practice.

(16) "Health care screen" means a systematic interview or use of a questionnaire approved by a health care prescriber to determine the health history and care needs of a resident.

(17) "Infant" means a resident less than twelve months of age at the time of admission for pediatric transitional care services.

(18) "Licensee" means the person, corporation, association, organization, county, municipality, public hospital district, or other legal entity, including any lawful successors to whom the department issues an RTF license.

(19) "Medication" means a legend drug prescribed for a resident by an authorized health care prescriber. Medication also means nonprescription drugs, also called "over-the-counter medications," that can be purchased by the general public without a prescription.

(20) "Medication administration" means the direct application of a medication or device by ingestion, inhalation, injection, or any other means, whether self-administered by a resident, or administered by a parent or guardian for a minor, or an authorized health care provider.

(21) "Medication administration error" means a resident failing to receive the correct medication, medication at the correct time, the correct dose, or medication by the correct route.

(22) "Mental health services" means services certified by the department under chapter 246-341 WAC to evaluate, stabilize, or treat one or more residents for a mental disorder.

(23) "Parent or guardian" means:

(24) "Pediatric transitional care services" or "PTCS" means short-term, temporary, health and comfort services for drug exposed infants according to the requirements of this chapter.

(25) "Pediatric transitional care services unit" means the distinct spaces within a facility used exclusively for the provision of pediatric transitional care services.

(26) "Resident" means an individual admitted to an RTF licensed under this chapter.

(27) "Residential treatment facility" or "RTF" means a facility in which twenty-four hour on-site care is provided for the evaluation, stabilization, or treatment of residents for substance use, mental health, co-occurring disorders, or for drug exposed infants.

(28) "Restraint" means any manual method, physical or mechanical device, material, or equipment that immobilizes or reduces the ability of a resident to move his or her arms, legs, body or head freely; or a drug or medication when used as a restriction to manage the resident's behavior or restrict the resident's freedom of movement and is not a standard treatment or dosage for the resident's condition. Restraint does not include momentary periods of minimal physical restriction by direct person-to-person contact, without the aid of mechanical or chemical restraint, accomplished with limited force and designed to:

(29) "Seclusion" means the involuntary confinement of a resident alone in a room or area from which the resident is physically prevented from leaving.

(30) "Staff" means medical and administrative employees, independent contractors, trained caregivers, students, volunteers, and trainees performing duties at an RTF.

(31) "Substance use disorder services" means services certified by the department under chapter 246-341 WAC to evaluate, stabilize, or treat one or more residents for alcoholism, drug addiction, or dependence on alcohol and one or more other psychoactive chemicals, as the context requires.

(32) "Survey" means an inspection or investigation conducted by the department to evaluate and monitor a licensee's compliance with chapter 71.12 RCW and this chapter.

(33) "Toilet room" means a room containing a water closet (toilet).

(34) "Trained caregiver" means a noncredentialed, unlicensed person who may not provide medical care to infants, working under the supervision of a registered nurse as defined in RCW 18.79.020(6).