1. (a) A residential treatment staff secure facility for children or adolescents is one that is a free-standing residential facility that provides intensive, active therapeutic treatment and interventions within a system of care approach. It shall not be the primary residence of an individual who is not a client of the facility.
2. (b) Staff secure means staff are required to be awake during client sleep hours and supervision shall be continuous as set forth in Rule .1704 of this Section.
3. (c) The population served shall be children or adolescents who have a primary diagnosis of mental illness, emotional disturbance or substance-related disorders; and may also have co-occurring disorders including developmental disabilities. These children or adolescents shall not meet criteria for inpatient psychiatric services.

4. (d) The children or adolescents served shall require the following:

   1. (1) removal from home to a community-based residential setting in order to facilitate treatment; and
   2. (2) treatment in a staff secure setting.

5. (e) Services shall be designed to:

   1. (1) include individualized supervision and structure of daily living;
   2. (2) minimize the occurrence of behaviors related to functional deficits;
   3. (3) ensure safety and deescalate out of control behaviors including frequent crisis management with or without physical restraint;
   4. (4) assist the child or adolescent in the acquisition of adaptive functioning in self-control, communication, social and recreational skills; and
   5. (5) support the child or adolescent in gaining the skills needed to step-down to a less intensive treatment setting.
6. (f) The residential treatment staff secure facility shall coordinate with other individuals and agencies within the child or adolescent's system of care.

History Note: Authority G.S. 122C‑26; 143B‑147;
Eff. April 3, 2006 pursuant to E.O. 101, Michael F. Easley, March 27, 2006;
Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3(c), a bill was not ratified by the General Assembly to disapprove this rule;
Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. July 20, 2019.