5119.611 Certifying community mental health agency's services.
5119.611 Certifying community mental health agency's services.
(A) A community mental health agency that seeks certification of its community mental health services shall submit an application to the director of mental health. On receipt of the application, the director may visit and shall evaluate the agency to determine whether its services satisfy the standards established by rules adopted under division (C) of this section. The director shall make the evaluation, and, if the director visits the agency, shall make the visit, in cooperation with the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services with which the agency seeks to contract under division (A)(8)(a) of section 340.03 of the Revised Code.
If the director determines that a community mental health agency’s services satisfy the standards and the agency has paid the fee required under division (B) of this section, the director shall certify the services.
If the director determines that a community mental health agency’s services do not satisfy the standards, the director shall identify the areas of noncompliance, specify what action is necessary to satisfy the standards, and offer technical assistance to the board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services so that the board may assist the agency in satisfying the standards. The director shall give the agency a reasonable time within which to demonstrate that its services satisfy the standards or to bring the services into compliance with the standards. If the director concludes that the services continue to fail to satisfy the standards, the director may request that the board reallocate the funds for the community mental health services the agency was to provide to another community mental health agency whose community mental health services satisfy the standards. If the board does not reallocate those funds in a reasonable period of time, the director may withhold state and federal funds for the community mental health services and allocate those funds directly to a community mental health agency whose community mental health services satisfy the standards.
(B) Each community mental health agency seeking certification of its community mental health services under this section shall pay a fee for the certification review required by this section. Fees shall be paid into the sale of goods and services fund created pursuant to section 5119.161 of the Revised Code.
(C) The director shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section. The rules shall do all of the following:
(1) Establish certification standards for community mental health services, including assertive community treatment and intensive home-based mental health services, that are consistent with nationally recognized applicable standards and facilitate participation in federal assistance programs. The rules shall include as certification standards only requirements that improve the quality of services or the health and safety of clients of community mental health services. The standards shall address at a minimum all of the following:
(a) Reporting major unusual incidents to the director;
(b) Procedures for applicants for and clients of community mental health services to file grievances and complaints;
(c) Seclusion;
(d) Restraint;
(e) Development of written policies addressing the rights of clients, including all of the following:
(i) The right to a copy of the written policies addressing client rights;
(ii) The right at all times to be treated with consideration and respect for the client’s privacy and dignity;
(iii) The right to have access to the client’s own psychiatric, medical, or other treatment records unless access is specifically restricted in the client’s treatment plan for clear treatment reasons;
(iv) The right to have a client rights officer provided by the agency or board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services advise the client of the client’s rights, including the client’s rights under Chapter 5122. of the Revised Code if the client is committed to the agency or board.
(2) Establish standards for qualifications of mental health professionals as defined in section 340.02 of the Revised Code and personnel who provide the community mental health services;
(3) Establish the process for certification of community mental health services;
(4) Set the amount of certification review fees based on a portion of the cost of performing the review;
(5) Specify the type of notice and hearing to be provided prior to a decision on whether to reallocate funds.
Effective Date: 09-26-2003; 2006 HB699 07-01-2007; 2007 HB119 09-29-2007