LAW
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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) The purpose of this rule is to develop a process to ensure that individuals receiving supported living are empowered to exercise choice and enhance the quality of their lives.
(B) The QA process shall be used to determine that the assistance and support required by individuals receiving supported living continues to promote services, supports, and activities that will provide a valued lifestyle for the individual. All reviews shall consider the quality indicators identified in paragraphs (B)(6) and (B)(7) of this rule. This review shall, with the consent of the individual or the parent(s) custodian, or guardian as applicable, consider the quality indicators identified in paragraphs (B)(1) to (B)(5) of this rule, as applicable to the individual.
(1) Choices and Options
(a) The individual has the opportunity to make or is assisted in making choices about all aspects affecting his life.
(b) The individual is provided options for advocacy if he is unable to advocate for himself.
(c) The individual demonstrates an understanding of his rights.
(d) The individual has the space and opportunity for privacy.
(e) The individual chooses where and with whom he lives.
(f) The individual chooses his daily work and leisure routine.
(g) The individual owns and is able to use personal possessions.
(h) When appropriate, the individual has the opportunity to utilize adaptations, and technological or communicative assistance.
(2) Personal income
(a) The individual has a stable source of income that covers his basic living needs including, but not limited to, shelter, food, transportation, and clothing.
(b) There is effective management of the individual’s income to ensure that basic needs are met.
(c) The individual participates as fully as possible in decision-making about the use of his personal income through the development of money and budgeting concepts and values that encourage financial responsibility.
(3) Housing
(a) The individual has the basic furnishing and access to bathing and toileting facilities necessary for daily living.
(b) The individual has the opportunity to live where there is reasonable access to needed resources, such as banking, shopping, recreation, and transportation.
(c) The interior and exterior of the individual’s home are maintained in a manner that promotes basic safety and health.
(d) The individual is able to exercise control over his home environment including choice of location, personalized furnishing and decor, and control of temperature and lighting.
(4) Community membership
(a) The individual has the means to communicate with primary people in his life.
(b) The individual has support people with whom he is able to maintain contact.
(c) The individual has the opportunity for relationships with friends and peers that provide companionship and support.
(d) The individual has the opportunity for relationships with people who are nondisabled.
(e) The individual has opportunities to practice ethnic and religious customs and beliefs of his choice.
(f) The individual is informed about community resources and generic services and is assisted in accessing needed services.
(g) The individual has access to support options through unpaid sources such as neighbors, family, and friends.
(h) As interested, the individual is supported in activities such as voting, attending community meetings, writing letters to political figures, serving on committees and/or boards, and participating in self-advocacy groups.
(5) Personal satisfaction
(a) The individual is satisfied with the services, supports, and activities in which he engages.
(b) The individual is satisfied with his interaction with the persons who provide these services and supports.
(c) The individual feels free to express his desire to change the services, supports, and activities on his ISP.
(d) The individual feels that the county board and service providers listen to and respond to his choices for services, supports, and activities.
(6) Health
(a) The individual’s health is maintained through adequate nutrition, exercise, safe behavior, medical and dental monitoring, and appropriate medications, when needed.
(b) The individual has access to prompt treatment for physical and/or psychological problems and is informed, encouraged and supported to receive such treatment.
(7) Safety
(a) Potential dangers in the individual’s environment are minimized.
(b) The individual has access to prompt and appropriate emergency services when needed such as police, fire ambulance, and crisis line.
(c) The individual feels safe in his home.
(C) County boards shall conduct QA as a continuous process. The county board shall develop policies and procedures governing this QA process which shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Personally contacting the individual and the custodian or parent(s) if the individual is a minor or the guardian to determine the individual’s:
(a) Active involvement in the ISP development process and consent to the services reflected on the ISP;
(b) Level of satisfaction with the services received;
(c) Receipt of supporting living identified on the ISP;
(d) Satisfaction toward increasing skills, living more independently in the community, accessing community services, increasing feelings of self-worth, and making choices; and
(e) Desire to modify services identified on the ISP or to include additional services.
(2) Personally contacting at least one of the individual’s contracted providers of supported living to determine the provider’s response to the items listed under paragraph (C)(1) of this rule.
(3) Evaluating the relationship between the needs and choices expressed by the individual and the services reflected on the ISP.
(D) A written report prepared by the county board summarizing the findings of the QA process, as described in paragraphs (B) and (C) of this rule, shall be developed as follows:
(1) Each year the county board shall select a representative sample of all individuals receiving supported living from the county board;
(2) The report shall be written for each of the individuals selected as described in paragraph (D)(1) of this rule;
(3) All individuals receiving supported living in a county shall be reviewed at least once every three years.
(4) The report shall highlight areas where positive outcomes of the services were experienced by the individual. The report shall identify the services, supports, and activities that merit improvement and/or are no longer needed or wanted by the individual.
(5) The report shall be forwarded to the individual, the custodian or parent(s) if the individual is a minor or the guardian, the superintendent of the county board, or designee, the affected certified supported living provider(s) and the person(s) responsible for coordinating the ISP development for the identified individuals.
(E) If the report described in paragraph (D) of this rule indicates the need to address service issues, the county board shall resolve these issues with input from the affected parties including, but not limited to, the county board, the person(s) responsible for coordinating the ISP, the individual or his custodian or parent(s) if the individual is a minor or the guardian, and any other person(s) as desired by the individual. The county board shall notify each affected party within twenty-one calendar days following the completion of the report.
(F) The department may review the following areas of compliance by county boards:
(1) Randomly selected ISPs and related service contracts;
(2) County board, supported living advisory committee, and ethics council meeting minutes which relate to supported living issues;
(3) Policies, procedures, and forms developed by the county board to administer supported living;
(4) Information and reports resulting from QA conducted by the county board for individuals receiving supported living;
(5) Compliance with sections 5126.40 to 5126.47 of the Revised Code and administrative rules associated with supported living; and
(6) Compliance with major unusual incident reporting requirements.
(G) Individuals receiving supported living, the custodian or parent(s) if the individual is a minor or the guardian, family members, advocates, and providers of supported living may contact the county board or department to request a QA review. In response to requests directed to the department, the department may initiate or conduct a QA review similar to the review described in paragraph (C) of this rule.
(H) When conducting a review as described in paragraphs (C) and/or (F) of this rule, the department shall conduct an exit conference with county board personnel. The purpose of the exit conference is to note areas of non-compliance with statute and rules and present areas for consideration regarding the quality assurance process. The department shall submit a written report to the superintendent documenting the elements of the exit conference within thirty days of the review.
(I) If applicable, the superintendent shall submit to the department a written response that addresses areas of non-compliance within thirty calendar days of receipt of the department’s report.
(J) The department may request that county boards conduct QA reviews for specific individuals identified by the department, or the department on its own may conduct a QA review.
Replaces: 5123:2-12-01
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 03/28/2006 and 03/26/2007
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5126.431
Rule Amplifies: 5126.40 to 5126.451
Prior Effective Dates: 7/3/89 (emer.), 9/29/89, 7/1/91, 7/24/95