Iowa Admin. Code r. 441-25.54 - Advocate responsibilities
The minimum duties of the
(1) The advocate shall be
readily accessible to communication from the individual and shall initiate
contact within 5 days of the individual 's commitment. The advocate shall inform
the individual regarding the role of the advocate .
(2) The advocate shall meet the individual in
person within 15 days of the individual 's commitment. The advocate shall
present the county grievance procedure process, in writing, to the individual .
The presentation shall include the county grievance procedure and contact
information and the contact information for the ombudsman. The advocate shall
inform the individual about the mental health crisis services that are
available.
(3) The advocate shall
review each report submitted to the court and communicate with the individual 's
medical and treatment team. Advocates shall abide by all federal, state, and
local confidentiality laws.
(4) The
advocate shall file in a form prescribed by the court as the advocate feels
necessary or as required for each individual assigned to the
advocate .
(5) The advocate shall
maintain an organized confidential and secure file for each individual served.
The file shall contain but not be limited to:
a. Copies of quarterly reports submitted to
the court.
b. Copies of
correspondence sent to and received from the individual , family members,
providers and others.
c. Releases
of information.
d. Case notes
describing the date, time and type of contact with the individuals or others
and a brief narrative summary of the content or outcome of the
contact.
e. Documents filed with
the court electronically shall be considered as part of the individual 's
file.
(6) The advocate
shall register as provided in Iowa Ct. R. 16.305(1) to participate in the
court's electronic document management system and shall submit all documents to
be filed with the court electronically. The documents will be stored as
electronic records that are retrievable and readable through the electronic
document management system.
(7) The
advocate , as an employee of the county, shall comply with all county policies
and procedures, including but not limited to hiring, supervision, grievance
procedures, and training.
(8) All
advocate records are the property of the county, which is responsible for the
provision of confidential storage, transfer, and destruction of client files,
including those maintained on electronic and digital devices, with access
limited according to the county's policy on confidentiality as described in
subrule 25.55(6).
(9) The advocate
may attend the hospitalization hearing of an individual represented by an
attorney; however, payment for the advocate 's attendance is at the discretion
of the county of employment.
Notes
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