La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-5359

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section I-5359 - Personnel Qualifications and Responsibilities

A. A CRC shall have the following minimum staff:

1. a CRC manager who:

a. has a minimum of a master's degree in a human services field or is a licensed registered nurse;

b. has at least one year of qualifying experience in the field of behavioral health;

c. is a full time employee; and

d. has the following assigned responsibilities:

i. supervise and manage the day to day operation of the CRC;

ii. review reports of all accidents/incidents occurring on the premises and identify hazards to the clinical director;

iii. participate in the development of new programs and modifications;

iv. perform programmatic duties and/or make clinical decisions only within the scope of his/her licensure; and

v. shall not have other job responsibilities that impede the ability to maintain the administration and operation of the CRC;

2. a clinical director who is:

a. a physician licensed in the state of Louisiana with expertise in managing psychiatric and medical conditions in accordance with the LSBME; or

b. a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner who has an unrestricted APRN license with prescriptive authority, and who is in collaborative practice with a Louisiana licensed physician for consultation in accordance with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) requirements;

c. responsible for developing and implementing policies and procedures and oversees clinical services and treatment;

d. on duty as needed and on call and available at all times;

3. a nurse manager who:

a. holds a current unrestricted license as a registered nurse (RN) in the state of Louisiana;

b. shall be a full time employee;

c. has been a RN for a minimum of five years;

d. has three years of qualifying experience providing direct care to patients with behavioral health diagnoses and at least one year qualifying experience providing direct care to medical/surgical inpatients;

e. has the following responsibilities:

i. develop and ensure implementation of nursing policies and procedures;

ii. provide oversight of nursing staff and the services they provide;

iii. ensure that any other job responsibilities will not impede the ability to provide oversight of nursing services;

4. authorized licensed prescriber who:

a. shall be either:

i. a physician licensed in the state of Louisiana with expertise in managing psychiatric and medical conditions in accordance with the LSBME; or

ii. a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner who has an unrestricted license and prescriptive authority and a licensed physician on call at all times to be available for consultation;

b. is on call at all times;

c. is responsible for managing the psychiatric and medical care of the clients;

5. licensed mental health professionals (LMHPs):

a. the center shall maintain a sufficient number of LMHPs to meet the needs of its clients;

b. there shall be at least one LMHP on duty during hours of operation;

c. the LMHP shall have one year of qualifying experience in direct care to clients with behavioral health diagnoses and shall have the following responsibilities:

i. provide direct care to clients and may serve as primary counselor to specified caseload;

ii. serve as a resource person for other professionals and unlicensed personnel in their specific area of expertise;

iii. attend and participate in individual care conferences, treatment planning activities, and discharge planning; and

iv. function as the client's advocate in all treatment decisions;

6. nurses:

a. the center shall maintain licensed nursing staff to meet the needs of its clients;

b. all nurses shall have:

i. a current nursing license from the state of Louisiana;

ii. at least one year qualifying experience in providing direct care to clients with a behavioral health diagnosis; and

iii. at least one year qualifying experience providing direct care to medical/surgical inpatients.

c. the nursing staff has the following responsibilities:

i. provide nursing services in accordance with accepted standards of practice, the CRC policies and the individual treatment plans of the clients;

ii. supervise non-licensed clinical personnel;

iii. each CRC shall have at least one RN on duty at the CRC during hours of operation; and

iv. as part of orientation, all nurses shall receive 24 hours of education focusing on psychotropic medications, their side effects and possible adverse reactions. All nurses shall receive training in psychopharmacology for at least four hours per year.

B. Optional Staff

1. The CRC shall maintain non-licensed clinical staff as needed who shall:

a. be at least 18 years of age;

b. have a high school diploma or GED;

c. provide services in accordance with CRC policies, documented education, training and experience, and the individual treatment plans of the clients; and

d. be supervised by the nursing staff.

2. Volunteers

a. The CRC that utilizes volunteers shall ensure that each volunteer:

i. meets the requirements of non-licensed clinical staff;

ii. is screened and supervised to protect clients and staff;

iii. is oriented to facility, job duties, and other pertinent information;

iv. is trained to meet requirements of duties assigned;

v. is given a written job description or written agreement;

vi. is identified as a volunteer;

vii. is trained in privacy measures; and

viii. is required to sign a written confidentiality agreement.

b. The facility shall designate a volunteer coordinator who:

i. has the experience and training to supervise the volunteers and their activities; and

ii. is responsible for selecting, evaluating and supervising the volunteers and their activities.

3. If a CRC utilizes student interns, it shall ensure that each student intern:

a. has current registration with the appropriate Louisiana board when required or educational institution, and is in good standing at all times;

b. provides direct client care utilizing the standards developed by the professional board;

c. provides care only under the direct supervision of an individual authorized in accordance with acceptable standards of practice; and

d. provides only those services for which the student has been properly trained and deemed competent to perform.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-5359

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 41:115 (January 2015).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and R.S. 28:2180.14.