Utah Admin. Code R501-15-6 - Staff Requirements

(1) Each owner and board member of a therapeutic school shall successfully complete a minimum of eight hours of annual training relating to therapeutic school services.

(2) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure a therapeutic director or equally qualified acting director is immediately available to staff by telephone and able to arrive on-site within one hour after a staff telephone call for assistance.

(3) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure the therapeutic director or qualified acting director:

(a) is at least 25 years of age;

(b) has a bachelor's degree in social work or a related field, or a minimum of three years of documented training or experience in providing therapeutic school or residential treatment services; and

(c) has a minimum of two years of therapeutic school or residential treatment program supervisory experience.

(4) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure there is at least one direct care supervisor or supervisor designee on duty at all times.

(5) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure supervisor or supervisor designee:

(a) has a minimum of six months of experience providing services to children in out-of-home placements; and

(b) meets each qualification, including requirements for education, experience, licensing or certification, and current annual continuing education and training directly related to providing:

(i) specialized structure and supervision of clients; and

(ii) services or treatment related to a client's disability, emotional development, behavioral development, familial development, or social development.

(6) Each therapeutic school provider shall maintain a staff manual that includes:

(a) specific job descriptions for each staff position;

(b) staff qualifications for each staff position, including requirements for education, experience, and licensing or certification;

(c) a requirement for continuing education, competency and proficiency, and job-specific training; and

(d) the required training for staff who will work with clients with a history of failing to function at home or school.

(7) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure at least two direct care staff are on duty to provide direct supervision to clients at all times.

(8)

(a) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure that each client who has earned the privilege of unsupervised time off-site engages in two-way communication with on-duty direct care staff once every four hours.

(b) Each therapeutic school provider shall develop and adhere to a policy that outlines steps for staff to take if a client fails to check in with staff once every four hours.

(9) Each therapeutic school provider may not include support staff in the minimum staff-to-client ratios.

(10)

(a) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure the following minimum waking hour staff-to-client ratios are followed:

(i) two direct care, on-duty staff for eight or fewer clients present;

(ii) three direct care, on-duty staff for nine to 24 clients present;

(iii) four direct care, on-duty staff for 45 to 48 clients present;

(iv) five direct care, on-duty staff for 49 to 96 clients present; and

(v) six direct care, on-duty staff for more than 97 clients present with a ratio of no less than one direct care, on-duty staff for every 20 clients present.

(b) Each therapeutic school provider shall comply with waking hour direct care staff-to-client ratios listed in this subsection unless authorized by the office to modify the required ratios.

(11)

(a) Each therapeutic school provider shall ensure the following minimum sleeping hour staff-to-client ratios are followed:

(i) two direct care, on-duty staff for 48 clients present; and

(ii) three direct care, on-duty staff for 49 or more clients present with no less than one direct care, on-duty staff for every 40 clients present.

(b) Each therapeutic school provider shall comply with sleeping hour direct care staff-to-client ratios listed in this subsection unless authorized by the office to modify the required ratios.

Notes

Utah Admin. Code R501-15-6

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2022-02, effective 1/6/2022 Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2024-09, effective 4/15/2024