Section 465IAC2-11-50. Direct care personnel; child-staff ratios

   (a) The staff members responsible for the daily direct care and supervision of the children shall:

(1) be at least twenty-one (21) years of age; and

(2) have at least a high school or equivalency diploma.

  (b) A secure private facility shall have four (4) children to one (1) staff member or any fraction thereof for the direct care and supervision of children during waking hours when children are present.

  (c) A secure private facility shall have two (2) awake staff at night for the direct supervision of children during sleeping hours.

  (d) The secure private facility shall have at least two (2) direct care workers whenever one (1) or more children is present.

  (e) The institution shall have a written plan and a telephone available for direct service workers to summon another staff member in case of an emergency without leaving the unit and without leaving another unit unattended.

  (f) The institution shall have sufficient caseworkers for the unit to meet the counseling requirements of individual, group, or family counseling sessions for each child in care.

  (g) These child-staff ratios shall be maintained at group off-grounds activities.

  (h) Staff members responsible for the daily care and supervision of the children in the secure private facility shall have no responsibilities in addition to child-care related activities when children are present. Children of staff members shall not be allowed to reside in the private secure unit.

  (i) The institution shall maintain a ratio of supervisors to direct care workers that ranges between 1:4 to 1:8.

  (j) To be considered in the staffing ratios, the staff must be awake. (Department of Child Services; 465 IAC 2-11-50; filed Jun 27, 1991, 12:00 p.m.: 14 IR 2011; readopted filed Jul 12, 2001, 1:40 p.m.: 24 IR 4235; readopted filed Nov 27, 2007, 6:52 a.m.: 20071226-IR-465070551RFA; filed May 25, 2011, 1:23 p.m.: 20110622-IR-465100415FRA, eff Jan 1, 2012; readopted filed Nov 26, 2013, 4:02 p.m.: 20131225-IR-465130459RFA) NOTE: Transferred from the Division of Family Resources (470 IAC 3-13-50) to the Department of Child Services (465 IAC 2-11-50) by P.L.234-2005, SECTION 195, effective July 1, 2005.