Rule 111-8-2-.09. Minimum Building and Functional Design Standards

1. (1) Required Approvals.

   1. (a) A program shall be in compliance with all applicable local health, sanitation, building, and zoning requirements.
   2. (b) A program shall be in compliance with all applicable laws and rules issued by the state fire marshal, the proper local fire marshal or state inspector, and shall have a certificate of occupancy if required.
2. (2) The program shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the building and equipment are designed, constructed, and utilized in the interests of the safety and health of clients and staff members and in a manner that minimizes the risks of self-harm and injury. All buildings and grounds shall be constructed and maintained in a safe manner and in accordance with these rules.
3. (3) A program shall have appropriate and sufficient space to meet the programmatic needs of its clients and carry out the program's array of services. Such space shall include areas conducive to privacy for counseling and group activities, reception/waiting areas, and bathrooms which assure privacy for collection of urine specimens.

4. (4) Nurses' Station.

   1. (a) The nurses' station shall be positioned so that the unit may be under constant surveillance. Charting and records areas shall be located in the rear of the nurses' station, and not in a separate area, so that staff on duty can readily observe the client areas.
   2. (b) The maximum number of beds which may be served by a common nurses' station in co-located units is thirty (30).
   3. (c) The nurses' station shall have necessary electronic assistance such as camera monitors, intercoms and remote access controls to monitor activity in more remote areas where clients may become isolated. Areas warranting visual and auditory monitoring shall include remote entrance or egress doors, isolated hallways, after hours law enforcement entrance, emergency screening area, and outdoor recreational spaces.
5. (5) Medication Room. The medication room shall be located near the nurses' station. The medication room shall have a sink, refrigerator, locked storage, and facilities for dispensing medication. Security against unauthorized access must be ensured. The refrigerator shall store medications and clean materials only.

6. (6) Sleeping Areas.

   1. (a) For programs initially licensed or expanded after the effective date of this rule, sleeping areas shall contain not less than 60 square feet of useable floor space per client in multiple use bedroom and not less than 100 square feet of useable space in single bedrooms.
   2. (b) Each client shall be provided with his or her own personal space and furnishings for storage of clothes and personal belongings.
   3. (c) Each client shall be provided with his or her own personal bed and mattress. Clean sheets, pillows, and pillowcases, blankets or bed covering shall be provided and sheets and pillowcases shall be changed as needed, but at least weekly.
   4. (d) Bedrooms shall be provided with outside ventilation by means of windows, air conditioners, or mechanical ventilation. All rooms that have windows that can be opened without special devices shall have insert window screens and the windows and screens must be in good repair.

7. (7) Lavatory and Bathing Facilities.

   1. (a) There shall be at least one lavatory (water basin and toilet) with hot and cold water for every six clients or fraction thereof. Lavatories that contain more than one toilet shall contain stalls for client privacy. All lavatories shall be properly ventilated.
   2. (b) There shall be at least one shower or bathtub with hot and cold water for every ten clients or fraction thereof. Bathtubs and shower stalls shall be equipped with non-slip surfaces.
8. (8) Dining Area. There shall be a separate furnished dining area for serving meals that contains not less than ten square feet of useable floor space for each client being served.
9. (9) Climate Control and Pest Control. A program shall be maintained at a temperature range of sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit (72 degrees if serving pregnant women) to eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the season of the year. An effective pest control system shall be implemented and documentation on file as to actions taken.
10. (10) Hot and cold running water under pressure shall be readily available in all washing, bathing, food preparation and food handling areas. Hot water in client areas shall be at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. (11) Premises. All grounds, space, and facilities, both those within the program and those regularly used by clients as an integral part of the program, shall be kept clean and free from hazards to health and safety and from litter.
12. (12) The program shall be designed to provide an outdoor space with secure, controlled access in an environment that makes reasonable efforts to provide privacy for the clients receiving services.
13. (13) Each ARMHP shall maintain laundry facilities which incorporate a flow-through design in which dirty laundry enters, is sorted, placed in the washer, dried, folded and moved out without crossing clean laundry with dirty laundry. The washing and drying units shall be equipped to sanitize clothes as a preventive measure of infection control.
14. (14) ARMHP furniture shall be durably constructed for heavy wear and use. Furnishings shall have finishes which are readily cleanable and shall have a flame-resistant rating.
15. (15) Off-site Residences. Facilities which provide off-site residences as part of the program must ensure that the residences also meet the above requirements, as well as the staffing ratios in Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 111-8-2-.10(5)(d). The off-site residence must be within reasonable driving distance of the treatment location, not to exceed 5 miles.

Authority: O.C.G.A. §§ 37-3-204, 37-3-205, 31-2-4, 31-2-7, 31-2-8, 31-7-2.1.

History. Original Rule entitled "Minimum Building and Functional Design Standards" adopted. F. Dec. 10, 2024; eff. Dec. 30, 2024.