Library: Policy

340:100-6-55. Staffing requirements

Revised 9-15-17

Group homes must employ sufficient staff who are appropriately qualified and trained to provide the essential services of the home.

(1) Sufficient staff.The provider agency designates one person who, in the absence of the agency administrator, is responsible for the administration of the agency and is empowered to act on behalf of the provider agency.

(A) There must be at least one designated person in charge of the home and its operation available for each home when service recipients are present.Staff support and supervision must be provided as needed for each service recipient in the home.Staff must be physically able and mentally alert to carry out the duties of the job.

(B) In addition to direct support staff, each service recipient in a group home must have a staff person who serves as program coordinator.In addition to duties required by Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:100-5-52, program coordination staff must:

(i) get to know the service recipient and the service recipient's needs;

(ii) make announced and unannounced visits to the group home that include a minimum of three monitoring visits per month, to monitor the service recipient's needs and staff's need for supervision.The visits occur at times when it would reasonably be anticipated that the majority of the residents are home.Agency administration staff meeting the requirements of this Section may complete these visits in addition to program coordination staff.At least two of the visits must be unannounced, unless the:

(I) home has fully trained staff;

(II) home had no turn-over for the past year;

(III) service recipients do not require restrictive or intrusive procedures; and

(IV) there were no medication errors for the previous year, in which case the unannounced visits may be reduced to one per month.Of the unannounced visits, at least one visit must occur each month on Saturday or Sunday or between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on a weekday;

(iii) provide support and assistance to any service recipient who is experiencing an emotional, behavioral, or medical crisis;

(iv) be accessible to direct support staff 24 hours per day and available to respond, in person when necessary, to an emergency;

(v) supervise direct support staff to promote achievement of outcomes in the service recipient's Individual Plan (Plan);

(vi) ensure staffing levels meet the requirements of the service recipient's Plan, with staff trained per OAC 340:100-3-38;

(vii) ensure each service recipient's needs are always met including, but not limited to:

(I) utilities and phone service;

(II) furniture;

(III) food supplies that meet the service recipient's nutritional needs;

(IV) linens;

(V) personal items;

(VI) adaptive equipment; and

(VII) prescription medications;

(viii) assist the Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) case manager as requested to prepare for and implement the service recipient's Plan and its revisions per OAC 340:100-5-50 through 340:100-5-58;

(ix) ensure Oklahoma Department of Human Services and Oklahoma Health Care Authority rules are followed; and

(x) complete necessary training per OAC 340:100-3-38.

(C) Service recipients do not supervise other service recipients.

(2) Staff qualifications.

(A) The group home has an administrator and program coordinator who must:

(i) be at least 21 years of age; and

(ii) have a minimum of four years of any combination of college level course work or full-time equivalent experience in serving persons with disabilities or full-time equivalent experience in a supervisory position, unless this requirement is waived in writing by the DDS director or designee.Both roles may be filled by the same person.

(B) All other staff must be at least 18 years of age.

(C) The provider agency is responsible for recruitment, screening, training, and supervision of staff or volunteers providing direct services, ensuring direct support staff is not supervised by a relative or person living in the staff's home.A relative includes a wife, husband, child, parent, stepparent, parent-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, brother, sister, stepchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, first cousin, or any such person with whom the employee shares a foster relationship.

(D) The provider agency must comply with OAC 340:100-3-39 regarding pre-employment screening for community services workers.

(3) Staff training.To ensure all providers achieve and maintain a level of competency necessary to meet the needs of each service recipient in the group home, provider agency staff must complete training per OAC340:100-3-38.