Additional Environment and Safety Requirements for Crisis Residential

Additional Environment and Safety Requirements for Crisis Residential Services and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Residential Services This rule applies specifically to environment and safety requirements for community-based Crisis Residential Services and/or substance use disorder (SUD) Residential Services programs, as outlined in each specific part of this rule. Crisis Residential Services and SUD Residential Services programs must follow the applicable parts of this rule, in addition to all other applicable Health, Environment, and Safety rules included in this chapter. When a rule in this section may overlap with another rule in Chapter 13, the provider must adhere to the more stringent rule. A. Crisis Residential Services and SUD Residential Services: 1. The provider must proactively and routinely assess for potential risks and access to potential lethal means and eliminate such risks. 2. The provider must assign, maintain, and document on-site employee coverage 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week (with an employee always designated as responsible for the agency provider and service locations) and male/female employee coverage when necessary. 3. All service locations must ensure adequate visiting areas are provided for people and visitors. 4. All service locations must have separate storage areas for: (a) Sanitary linen; (b) Food (Food supplies cannot be stored on the floor); and (c) Cleaning supplies. 5. Auditory smoke/fire alarms, which have a noise level loud enough to awaken people, must be in each bedroom, hallways and/or corridors, and common areas. 6. Providers using fuel burning equipment and/or appliances (e.g., gas heater, gas water heater, gas/diesel engines, etc.) must have carbon monoxide alarms/detectors placed in a central location outside of sleeping areas. 7. People must not have to travel through any room not under their control (i.e., subject to locking) to reach a designated exit, visiting area, dining room, kitchen, or bathroom. 8. Providers must monitor unauthorized entrance, egress, or movement through the facility. 9. Bedrooms must meet the following dimension requirements: (a) Single room occupancy – at least 100 square feet. (b) Multiple occupancy – at least 80 square feet for each person. 10. Bedrooms must be located to minimize the entrance of unpleasant odors, excessive noise, or other nuisances. 11. Bedrooms must be appropriately furnished with a minimum of a single bed per person. 12. Bedrooms must have adequate storage/closet space in the bedroom for the belongings of each person occupying the bedroom. The closet/storage area space must be a separate and distinct space above and beyond the required occupancy dimensions per person, as required above, and as determined by DMH. Any closet/storage space which is portable in nature will not have the space it occupies in the bedroom included in the minimum square footage requirement per person, as outlined above. 13. Beds must be provided with a good grade of mattress which is at least four (4) inches thick on a raised bed frame. Cots or roll-away beds may not be used. 14. Each bed must be equipped with a minimum of one (1) pillow and case, two (2) sheets, spread, and blanket(s). An adequate supply of linens must be available to change linens at least once a week, or sooner if they become soiled. 15. All service locations must have a bathroom with at least one (1) operable toilet, one (1) operable lavatory/sink, and one (1) operable shower or tub for every six (6) people. 16. All service location bathrooms must be equipped with, as applicable: (a) Soap dishes. (b) Towel racks. (c) Shower curtains or doors. (d) Grab bars (as needed by people). B. Crisis Residential Services: 1. Crisis Residential Services programs must have emergency exit doors operated by a magnetic/electronic (or similar) release system. This system must be in place for all doors with signage identifying the door as an emergency exit. The system must be in a readily accessible and secure location that only employees can access. 2. Crisis Residential Unit bedrooms must not house more than two (2) people each. C. SUD Residential Services bedrooms must not house more than three (3) people each.