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Virginia Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 10, 2017) |
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Title 12. Health |
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Agency 35. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services |
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Chapter 115. Regulations to Assure the Rights of Individuals Receivingservices from Providers Licensed, Funded, or Operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services |
Section 110. Use of seclusion, restraint, and time out
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A. Each individual is entitled to be completely free from any unnecessary use of seclusion, restraint, or time out.
B. The voluntary use of mechanical supports to achieve proper body position, balance, or alignment so as to allow greater freedom of movement or to improve normal body functioning in a way that would not be possible without the use of such a mechanical support, and the voluntary use of protective equipment are not considered restraints.
C. The provider's duties.
1. Providers shall meet with the individual or his authorized representative upon admission to the service to discuss and document in the individual's services record, his preferred interventions in the event his behaviors or symptoms become a danger to himself or others and under what circumstances, if any, the intervention may include seclusion, restraint, or time out.
2. Providers shall document in the individual's services record all known contraindications to the use of seclusion, time out, or any form of physical or mechanical restraint, including medical contraindications and a history of trauma and shall flag the record to alert and communicate this information to staff.
3. Only residential facilities for children that are licensed under the Regulations for Children's Residential Facilities (12VAC35-46) and inpatient hospitals may use seclusion and only in an emergency.
4. Providers shall not use seclusion, restraint, or time out as a punishment or reprisal or for the convenience of staff.
5. Providers shall not use seclusion or restraint solely because criminal charges are pending against the individual.
6. Providers shall not use seclusion or restraint for any behavioral, medical, or protective purpose unless other less restrictive techniques have been considered and documentation is placed in the individual's services plan that these less restrictive techniques did not or would not succeed in reducing or eliminating behaviors that are self-injurious or dangerous to other people or that no less restrictive measure was possible in the event of a sudden emergency.
7. Providers that use seclusion, restraint, or time out shall develop written policies and procedures that comply with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, accreditation, and certification standards, third party payer requirements, and sound therapeutic practice. These policies and procedures shall include at least the following requirements:
a. Individuals shall be given the opportunity for motion and exercise, to eat at normal meal times and take fluids, to use the restroom, and to bathe as needed.
b. Trained, qualified staff shall monitor the individual's medical and mental condition continuously while the restriction is being used.
c. Each use of seclusion, restraint, or time out shall end immediately when criteria for removal are met.
d. Incidents of seclusion and restraint, including the rationale for and the type and duration of the restraint, are reported to the department as provided in 12VAC35-115-230 C.
8. Providers shall submit all proposed seclusion, restraint, and time out policies and procedures to the LHRC for review and comment before implementing them, when proposing changes, or upon request of the human rights advocate, the LHRC, or the SHRC.
9. Providers shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, certification and accreditation standards, and third party requirements as they relate to seclusion and restraint.
a. Whenever an inconsistency exists between these regulations and federal laws or regulations, accreditation or certification standards, or the requirements of third party payers, the provider shall comply with the higher standard.
b. Providers shall notify the department whenever a regulatory, accreditation, or certification agency or third party payer identifies problems in the provider's compliance with any applicable seclusion and restraint standard.
10. Providers shall ensure that only staff who have been trained in the proper and safe use of seclusion, restraint, and time out techniques may initiate, monitor, and discontinue their use.
11. Providers shall ensure that a qualified professional who is involved in providing services to the individual reviews every use of physical restraint as soon as possible after it is carried out and document the results of his review in the individual's services record.
12. Providers shall ensure that review and approval by a qualified professional for the use or continuation of restraint for medical or protective purposes is documented in the individual's services record. Documentation includes:
a. Justification for any restraint;
b. Time-limited approval for the use or continuation of restraint; and
c. Any physical or psychological conditions that would place the individual at greater risk during restraint.
13. Providers may use seclusion or mechanical restraint for behavioral purposes in an emergency only if a qualified professional involved in providing services to the individual has, within one hour of the initiation of the procedure:
a. Conducted a face-to-face assessment of the individual placed in seclusion or mechanical restraint and documented that alternatives to the proposed use of seclusion or mechanical restraint have not been successful in changing the behavior or were not attempted, taking into account the individual's medical and mental condition, behavior, preferences, nursing and medication needs, and ability to function independently;
b. Determined that the proposed seclusion or mechanical restraint is necessary to protect the individual or others from harm, injury, or death;
c. Documented in the individual's services record the specific reason for the seclusion or mechanical restraint;
d. Documented in the individual's services record the behavioral criteria that the individual must meet for release from seclusion or mechanical restraint; and
e. Explained to the individual, in a way that he can understand, the reason for using mechanical restraint or seclusion, the criteria for its removal, and the individual's right to a fair review of whether the mechanical restraint or seclusion was permissible.
14. Providers shall limit each approval for restraint for behavioral purposes or seclusion to four hours for individuals age 18 and older, two hours for children and adolescents ages nine through 17, and one hour for children under age nine.
15. Providers shall not issue standing orders for the use of seclusion or restraint for behavioral purposes.
16. Providers shall ensure that no individual is in time out for more than 30 minutes per episode.
17. Providers shall monitor the use of restraint for behavioral purposes or seclusion through continuous face-to-face observation, rather than by an electronic surveillance device.
18. Providers may use restraint or time out in a behavioral treatment plan to address behaviors that present an immediate danger to the individual or others, but only after a qualified professional has conducted a detailed and systematic assessment of the behavior and the situations in which the behavior occurs.
a. Providers shall develop any behavioral treatment plan involving the use of restraint or time out for behavioral purposes according to its policies and procedures, which ensure that:
(1) Behavioral treatment plans are initiated, developed, carried out, and monitored by professionals who are qualified by expertise, training, education, or credentials to do so.
(2) Behavioral treatment plans include nonrestrictive procedures and environmental modifications that address the targeted behavior.
(3) Behavioral treatment plans are submitted to and approved by an independent review committee comprised of professionals with training and experience in applied behavior analysis who have assessed the technical adequacy of the plan and data collection procedures.
b. Providers shall document in the individual's services record that the lack of success, or probable success, of less restrictive procedures attempted and the risks associated with not treating the behavior are greater than any risks associated with the use of restraint.
c. Prior to the implementation of any behavioral treatment plan involving the use of restraint or time out, the provider shall obtain approval of the LHRC. If the LHRC finds that the plan violates or has the potential to violate the rights of the individual, the LHRC shall notify and make recommendations to the director.
d. Behavioral treatment plans involving the use of restraint or time out shall be reviewed quarterly by the independent review committee and by the LHRC to determine if the use of restraint has resulted in improvements in functioning of the individual.
19. Providers may not use seclusion in a behavioral treatment plan.
Historical Notes
Derived from Volume 18, Issue 03, eff. November 21, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 25, eff. September 19, 2007; Volume 31, Issue 01, eff. October 8, 2014.