West Virginia Code of State Rules
Agency 78 - Human Services
Title 78 - LEGISLATIVE RULE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES BUREAU FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
Series 78-03 - Minimum Licensing Requirements for Residential Child Care and Treatment Facilities for Children and Transitioning Adults and Vulnerable and Transitioning Youth Group Homes and Programs in West Virginia
Section 78-3-25 - Therapeutic Residential School
Universal Citation: 78 WV Code of State Rules 78-3-25
Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 38, September 20, 2024
25.1. Employee Ratios and Training.
25.1.1. Employees, for
the purposes of this section, is defined as those individuals who are:
25.1.1.a. Fully oriented and trained
according to organizational policy; and
25.1.1.b. Have job responsibilities that
pertain only to the provision of child care, treatment and
supervision.
25.1.2. The
therapeutic residential school shall have a policy regarding care and
supervision of children that ensures that:
25.1.2.a. Children receive adequate
supervision for their age, developmental functioning, and emotional and
behavioral needs; and
25.1.2.b. The
care plan as developed by the interdisciplinary team is implemented as written
for each child.
25.1.3.
Children shall be cared for and supervised at the following levels, with
clinically justified modifications when house parents are employed:
25.1.3.a. A minimum employee-to-child ratio
of 1-to-10 during the waking hours when children are on the grounds with a
minimum of one employee present per residential living unit at all
times;
25.1.3.b. The availability
of additional or back-up care employees for emergency situations or to meet
special needs presented by the child; and
25.1.3.c. An employee-to-child ratio of
1-to-12 during sleeping hours with a minimum of at least one employee per
residential living unit to be awake at all times.
25.1.4. The organization shall have a policy
regarding supervision of children in off-grounds activities that shall ensure
that children are adequately supervised at all times.
25.1.5. As appropriate to the ages and needs
of children in care, the organization shall ensure that one of more trained
professional employees are on duty or available via an on-call system on a
24-hour basis to provide continuous supervision to each residential living unit
within a residential program.
25.1.6. The organization that uses a house
parent model shall have a policy that ensures the safety and supervision of
children at night.
25.2. Environmental Issues.
25.2.1. To the maximum
extent possible, the organization providing therapeutic residential school
services shall be non-institutional in appearance and practices. Each child or
transitioning adult shall be permitted to have personal space, personal
possessions, and a place to store those possessions unless clinically
contraindicated. Each child is expected to assume some responsibility for an
aspect of facility maintenance (cleaning, cooking, etc.) on an ongoing
basis.
25.2.2. Group therapeutic
and residential living activities should be conducted in an appropriately sized
group format, taking into consideration best practice standards for the sex,
developmental status, and diagnosis of the children.
25.2.3. Children shall have clearly
identifiable schedules and activities, individualized for their strengths and
needs. Each child shall have a unique schedule that identifies therapy times,
chore or work assignments, school hours, and other activities.
25.2.4. Employees shall be available in
sufficient quantity and with appropriate credentials to address the needs of
the child as identified by the assessment and interdisciplinary team
process.
25.2.5. The residential
therapeutic school that permits pets shall follow written procedures that
address their availability, care, feeding, and maintenance that includes at a
minimum, a veterinary evaluation and vaccinations as recommended by the
veterinarian in writing.
25.2.6.
Service elements unique to the population:
25.2.6.a. If the organization permits
children to operate vehicles while in placement, it shall do so under the
following conditions:
25.2.6.a.1. The child
has a valid West Virginia driver's license or permit;
25.2.6.a.2. The child's vehicle, if any, is
appropriately licensed and insured; and
25.2.6.a.3. The child receives permission in
writing from his or her parent or guardian, as appropriate.
25.2.6.b. The organization shall
have a written plan of basic daily routines that shall be available to all
employees and updated regularly.
25.2.6.b.1.
Children shall participate in planning daily routines.
25.2.6.b.2. Children shall have set routines
for waking and going to bed.
25.2.6.c. The organization shall encourage
and arrange for children to participate in community, school functions and
recreational activities on an individual basis.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. West Virginia 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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