1. A. During each resident's first 180 consecutive days in a private independent living program, the agency shall provide at least 5 hours of weekly mandatory instruction which includes the following topics:

   1. (1) Transportation;
   2. (2) Legal issues;
   3. (3) Food management;
   4. (4) Interpersonal skills;
   5. (5) Personal hygiene and appearance;
   6. (6) Emergency and safety skills;
   7. (7) Vocational planning and readiness;
   8. (8) Money management;
   9. (9) Consumer awareness;
   10. (10) Work preparation and work ethics;
   11. (11) Career interest;
   12. (12) Job interviewing and resumes;
   13. (13) Educational planning;
   14. (14) Employment seeking skills;
   15. (15) Personal growth;
   16. (16) Healthy relationships;
   17. (17) Personal goals;
   18. (18) Assertive communication;
   19. (19) Conflict resolution;
   20. (20) Health and medication;
   21. (21) Cooking and nutrition;
   22. (22) Housekeeping;
   23. (23) Knowledge of community resources; and
   24. (24) Property responsibility.

2. B. Instruction for parents living with or who are expected to live with their infants shall include:

   1. (1) All of the topics included in §A of this regulation;
   2. (2) Care and nurturing of infants;
   3. (3) Levels of infant development;
   4. (4) Nutritional needs of infants;
   5. (5) Prenatal and postnatal care;
   6. (6) Parenting training;
   7. (7) Substitute child care provisions; and
   8. (8) Family planning and contraception.

3. C. The agency child placement worker shall:

   1. (1) Reassess each resident's life skill achievements at the end of the first 180 days in the private independent living program; and
   2. (2) Amend the written case plan described in Regulation .05B of this chapter as necessary to reflect changes in the resident's situation.

4. D. Individuals who provide instruction shall:

   1. (1) Be agency employees or independently contracted by the agency; and
   2. (2) Verify that they possess appropriate experience.

5. E. All residents shall attend agency meetings, including:

   1. (1) Group discussions led by agency staff to discuss private independent living program issues;

   2. (2) Group discussions led by either the child placement worker or another qualified agency staff person to discuss interpersonal issues such as:

      1. (a) Sexual abuse;
      2. (b) Sexual involvement;
      3. (c) Violence;
      4. (d) Peer pressure;
      5. (e) Grief; and
      6. (f) Loss;
   3. (3) As needed, individual counseling provided by the agency child placement worker or another State-licensed mental health professional; and
   4. (4) Other meetings as required by the agency.
6. F. All residents shall open their apartment for monitoring site visits.

7. G. Appropriate agency staff persons shall complete one monitoring site visit at least:

   1. (1) Daily for the majority of residents; and

   2. (2) Weekly for a select group of residents who:

      1. (a) Are in the private independent living program for at least 200 consecutive days;
      2. (b) Document an ability to function in a responsible manner; and
      3. (c) Are selected by the agency for less rigorous monitoring based on a set of written criteria available to the residents.

Authority: Family Law Article, §§5-327(b) and 5-501—5-521, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: June 23, 2003 (30:12 Md. R. 787)