PURPOSE: This rule prescribes requirements for personnel employed in a psychiatric group home as required by section 630.710, RSMo.

1. (1) Each psychiatric group home shall have a chief administrative officer referred to as the head of the psychiatric group home in these regulations.
2. (2) The head of the psychiatric group home shall report any change in the ownership, management or administration to the department within five (5) days.
3. (3) The psychiatric group home shall give each employee a written job description.
4. (4) The psychiatric group home shall keep a job description for all positions on file.
5. (5) The psychiatric group home shall have adequate staff to meet the treatment needs of the residents. Volunteers shall not be considered part of the staff.
6. (6) All staff of a psychiatric group home must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
7. (7) At least one (1) staff person shall be on duty at all times in a psychiatric group home when residents are on the premises to provide oversight to residents and for fire safety.
8. (8) The staffing pattern in a psychiatric group home shall consist of two (2) staff persons on duty at all times during the day shift and during at least the first half of the evening shift. The beginning and end of each shift shall be on file with the facility and shall be approved by the department.

9. (9) Minimum qualifications for staff providing treatment and supervision during the normal five (5)-day work week shall be as follows:

   1. (A) One (1) staff person with a master’s degree in behavioral sciences or other related area or a psychiatric nurse must be on duty for either the day or evening shift depending on the program schedule approved by the department;
   2. (B) One (1) staff person with at least a bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences 9 CSR 40-8

or related field must be on duty for the day and evening shifts;

1. (C) All other required staff shall have a minimum of a high school degree or general educational development (GED) equivalent with at least two (2) years’ mental health experience (graduation from a basic training program of instruction for psychiatric aide as approved by the department or graduation from a training program of comparable length may be substituted for the two (2) years’ experience); and
2. (D) A person with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences or related field or a registered nurse must be on call twenty-four (24) hours a day.

1. (10) Minimum qualifications for staff providing protective oversight during the weekend shall be as follows:

   1. (A) All staff shall have, at minimum, a high school degree or GED equivalency with at least two (2) years’ of mental health experience (graduation from a basic training program of instruction for psychiatric aide as approved by the department or graduation from a program of comparable length may be substituted for the two (2) years’ experience); and
   2. (B) A person with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences or related field or a registered nurse must be on call twenty-four (24) hours a day.
2. (11) Each facility shall have a board-eligible or certified psychiatrist to provide psychiatric consultation on care, treatment and rehabilitation.
3. (12) Each resident shall have access to a board-eligible or certified psychiatrist to provide psychiatric consultation.

AUTHORITY: sections 630.050 and 630.705, RSMo (1994).* Original rule filed Oct. 13, 1983, effective Jan. 15, 1984. Amended: Filed July 15, 1985, effective Feb. 1, 1986. Amended: Filed Jan. 2, 1990, effective June 11, 1990. Amended: Filed Dec. 29, 1995, effective March 30, 1996. Amended: Filed July 17, 1995, effective March 30, 1996. *Original authority: 630.050, RSMo (1980), amended 1993, 1995 and 630.705, RSMo (1980), amended 1982, 1984, 1985, 1990.