La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-8909

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section I-8909 - Personnel

A. Staff Plan. A provider shall have a written plan for recruitment, screening, orientation, ongoing training, development, supervision, and performance evaluation of staff members.

B. Nondiscrimination. A provider shall have a written policy to prevent discrimination and shall comply with all state and federal employment and service delivery laws and regulations pertaining to nondiscrimination.

C. Recruitment. A provider shall actively recruit and, whenever possible, employ qualified persons of both sexes representative of the cultural and racial groups served by the provider. This shall include the hiring of qualified persons with disabilities.

D. Education and Experience Requirements. Provider shall establish requisite education and experience qualifications for the crisis worker doing one-to-one Intervention, which shall include:

1. a bachelor's degree in a human service related field (social work, psychology, counseling, criminal justice, education) and one year successful paid work experience with clients with emotional disorders; or,

2. a high school diploma with two years successful paid work experience with clients with emotional disorders; however,

3. the provider may elect to permit applicants who are parents of children with emotional disorders to substitute their year(s) of successful parenting experience for the requisite years of work experience.

4. provider shall establish requisite education and experience qualifications for crisis workers responsible for mental health assessments, which shall include:

a. A bachelor's degree in a human service related field (social work, psychology, counseling, criminal justice, education); and

b. two years successful paid work experience with clients with emotional disorders.

5. provider shall establish requisite education and experience qualifications for crisis workers responsible for clinical supervision of staff which shall include:

a. a valid Louisiana license in a mental health/counseling profession (board certified social worker, licensed professional counselor, licensed psychologist, physician, registered nurse); and

b. successful work experience with clients with emotional disorders.

E. Screening

1. Provider shall maintain documentation of satisfactory criminal record check, as required by R.S. 15:587.1, or documentation that an application for criminal record check has been made if no response has been received. A criminal records check shall be requested by the Provider prior to the employment of any person who will have supervisory or disciplinary authority over clients.

2. Provider shall have a resume or a record of employment history on each staff member.

3. Prior to employing any person, and upon obtaining a signed release and the names of the references from the applicant, a provider shall obtain three written references for each prospective staff member or telephone notes from contact with said references.

4. A provider's screening procedures shall address the prospective staff member's qualifications, ability, related experience, health, character, emotional stability and social skills as related to the appropriate job description. Documentation shall be maintained in the personnel file.

F. Orientation. A provider's orientation shall provide a minimum of 18 hours of training for all crisis workers before direct contact with clients will begin. The training will include:

1. Twelve hours of training in crisis de-escalation and management of aggressive behavior, including passive physical restraints and acceptable and prohibited responses. Documentation of pre-service crisis training shall consist of a signed statement of the date(s), hours, method and content of curriculum trained and confirmation of the staff member's participation.

2. Six hours of orientation in provider's emergency and safety procedures, universal precautions, state law on client abuse and client rights, and provider's policies and procedures, including prohibited disciplinary responses. Documentation shall consist of a signed statement of the date(s), hours, and topics of the orientation and confirmation of the staff member's participation.

G. Training

1. A provider shall ensure that each crisis worker completes at least 40 hours of training per year. Orientation may be considered in meeting this requirement during the staff member's first year of employment. Routine supervision shall not be considered for meeting this requirement. This requirement may be fulfilled through documented individual consultation as well as group training sessions.

2. Direct service delivery staff members' annual training shall be documented by signed statements consisting of the dates, hours and content of the training, and confirmation of the staff members' participation. Curricula shall include:

a. crisis de-escalation and aggression control management, including physical restraint;

b. signs and symptoms of reactions to medication, especially psychotropic medication;

c. psychotropic medications;

d. major mental disorders of population served by program; description of disorders and treatment;

e. universal precautions, HIV, and Hepatitis B;

f. CPR course appropriate to client population, or yearly recertification in same;

g. first aid and emergency medical procedures;

h. client rights, mental health law, orders for protective custody, judicial commitments;

i. mandated reporting of child/adult abuse per state law.

H. Evaluation. A provider's performance evaluation procedures shall address the nature, quality and effectiveness of a crisis worker's interactions with clients, family and other providers. Evaluations shall be completed at least annually.

I. Personnel Practices

1. A provider shall have written personnel practices and written job descriptions for each staff position including volunteers.

2. A provider shall have an employee grievance procedure which complies with federal and state law.

J. Abuse Reporting. A provider shall have abuse reporting procedures which require all staff members to report any incidents of suspected abuse or mistreatment whether that abuse or mistreatment is done by another staff member or professional, family member, the client, or any other person.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-8909

Promulgated by Department of Social Services, Office of the Secretary, LR 21:1264 (November 1995).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 46:51.