Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
 
Board
State Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
 
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10/24/19  9:19 am
Commenter: community member

Staff Visitors?
 

Prohibition on staff visitors is not only vague language open to interpretation but is unnecessary in regulations.  

If a concern was expressed that residential or day support staff are preoccupied with their personal lives (visitors, cell phones, etc.) at work, should that not be addressed as a personnel issue with management?  And if the personnel channels don't resolve the issue, would that not be a neglect complaint by whoever it was that noticed it in the first place (visiting case manager, licensing specialist, etc.)?  Let's not make a new regulation just to restate regulations we already have.  

Or is this directed at a smaller type service, like sponsored residential?  Is the goal to keep sponsored providers from having guests?  Or is the lack of compliance with maintaining back-up providers in this service so problematic that this regulation is suggesting sponsors should make all their visitors become back-up supports?

Are clerical, clinical or other direct-support staff no longer allowed to have lunch with their spouses in the break rooms?  

Suggest removing this language entirely and enforcing the regulations that are already in place.  Otherwise you'll eventually see random family/friends of staff being identified as "natural supports" in support plans.

 

CommentID: 76631