37.106.1982    OUTPATIENT CRISIS RESPONSE FACILITY: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

(1) Each outpatient crisis response facility shall maintain a policy and procedure manual. The manual must be reviewed and approved, at least annually, by the medical director and administrator. The manual must, at a minimum, contain policies and procedures for:

(a) defining the responsibilities, limitations, and supervision of students, interns, and volunteers working for the crisis response facility;

(b) verifying each professional staff member's credentials, when hired, and annually thereafter, to ensure the continued validity of required licenses;

(c) client complaints and grievances, to include an opportunity for appeal, and to inform clients of the availability of advocacy organizations to assist them;

(d) completing a medical screening and determining methods for medical stabilization and criteria for transfer to appropriate level of medical care that may include emergency care in a hospital;

(e) interacting with clients considered to be at risk for harming themselves or others who attempt to leave the facility without discharge authorization from the licensed mental health professional responsible for their treatment;

(f) increasing or decreasing staff coverage as indicated by client need;

(g) identifying client rights, including a procedure for informing clients of their rights;

(h) addressing and reviewing ethical issues faced by staff and reporting allegations of ethics violations to the applicable professional licensing authority;

(i) informing clients of the policy and procedures for client complaints and grievances;

(j) initiating services to clients;

(k) informing clients of rules governing their conduct and the types of infractions that can result in suspension or discontinuation of services offered by the crisis response facility;

(l) suspending or discontinuing program services with the following information to be provided to the client:

(i) the reason for suspending or discontinuing services or access to programs;

(ii) the conditions that must be met to resume services or access to programs;

(iii) the grievance procedure that may be used to appeal the suspension or discontinuation; and

(iv) what services, if any, will be continued to be provided even though participation in a particular service or program may be suspended or discontinued.

History: 50-5-103, MCA; IMP, 50-5-103, MCA; NEW, 2006 MAR p. 1285, Eff. 5/19/06.