5101:2-9-03. Staff development and evaluation

(A) A residential facility shall provide each child care staff person with a minimum of twenty hours of orientation within the first thirty days after the date of hire. The training required by this paragraph may be conducted outside the residential facility. Regular ongoing duties of an employee, including casework supervision and consultation, shall not be counted toward the requirements of this paragraph.

(1) If a training is conducted outside the residential facility, the training shall include a transfer of learning component prior to or following the training.

(2) The transfer of learning component may include a pretest, a posttest, or a discussion following the training.

(B) Each child care staff person shall receive an additional thirty-two hours of training during the first year of employment. This requirement shall result in each child care staff person receiving a minimum of fifty-two hours of training during the first twelve months of employment. The training required by this paragraph may be conducted outside the residential facility. Regular ongoing duties of an employee, under the supervision of child care staff who have met all of their training requirements, including casework supervision and consultation, shall not exceed fifty per cent of the requirements of this paragraph.

(1) If a training is conducted outside the residential facility, the training shall include a transfer of learning component prior to or following the training.

(2) The transfer of learning component may include a pretest, a posttest, or a discussion following the training.

(C) If an agency requires more than twenty hours of initial orientation, the additional hours may be counted toward the total number of hours required by paragraph (B) of this rule.

(D) Following the completion of the training as required by paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule, each child care staff person shall receive at least twenty-four hours of annual training related to agency policy, procedure, rules and the population that the agency serves. The training shall include documentation of the transfer of learning components addressed in paragraphs (A) and (B) of this rule. Regular ongoing duties of an employee, including casework supervision and consultation, shall not be counted toward the requirements of this paragraph. If a child care staff member has not received training in the reasonable and prudent parent standard as described in division (C) of section 5103.162 of the Revised Code, the staff member shall be trained in this topic as part of their most current annual training requirement.

(E) If a child care staff person is or will be providing care for a youth at least fourteen years of age, the person shall be prepared adequately with the appropriate knowledge and skills to understand and address the issues confronting adolescents preparing for independent living, and provide such services as are needed and appropriate. To the extent possible, such services shall be coordinated with the life skills services required to be provided by rule 5101:2-42-19 of the Administrative Code.

(F) If a child care staff person is separated from employment from the agency and returns to work with the agency, the employee shall not be required to complete the new orientation training requirements of paragraph (A) of this rule if the employee returns to work with the agency within one year from the date the employee separated employment.

(G) A child care staff person may still be allowed to work if the employee was not able to meet the continuing training requirements due to any of the following:

(1) Extended leave.

(2) Separation of employment for less than one year.

(3) Extended illness.

(4) Critical emergencies.

(5) Cancellation of training classes.

(H) If a child care staff person fails to complete their continuing training timely:

(1) The employee shall not be left alone with residents until all of the incomplete training hours are met.

(2) The record shall contain documentation of the reason the training hours were not met.

(3) The employee shall complete the missed training within sixty days of returning to work.

(4) The employee is responsible for completing their ongoing annual continuing training in addition to any training they failed to complete.

(I) Initial orientation of new child care staff pursuant to paragraph (A) of this rule shall include, but not be limited to:

(1) Familiarization of the employee with emergency and safety procedures of the residential facility.

(2) The principles and practices of child care.

(3) Administrative structure, procedures, and overall program goals of the residential facility.

(4) Appropriate techniques of behavior management.

(5) Techniques and methodologies of crisis management including acceptable physical restraint or acceptable alternatives to restraint, if restraint is prohibited.

(6) Familiarization of the employee with the discipline policy restrictions outlined in rule 5101:2-9-21 of the Administrative Code, the discipline and behavior intervention policy required by rule 5101:2-5-13 of the Administrative Code, and any additional requirements the agency may have.

(7) Procedures for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect pursuant to section 2151.421 of the Revised Code.

(8) The emergency medical plan of the residential facility.

(9) Universal precautions.

(10) If a child care staff person will be providing care for a youth at least fourteen years of age, the person shall be prepared adequately with the appropriate knowledge and skills to understand and address the issues confronting adolescents preparing for independent living, and provide such services as are needed and appropriate. To the extent possible, such services shall be coordinated with the life skill services required to be provided by rule 5101:2-42-19 of the Administrative Code.

(11) A review of Chapter 5101:2-9 of the Administrative Code as applicable to the functions of the agency.

(12) The implementation of the community engagement plan as described in division (B) of section 5103.051 of the Revised Code.

(13) The procedures for responding to incidents involving a child at the facility and neighbors or the police as described in division (B) of section 5103.051 of the Revised Code.

(14) The reasonable and prudent parent standard as described in division (C) of section 5103.162 of the Revised Code.

(J) Each residential facility shall assure that all child care staff hired possess a current American red cross, American heart association, or equivalent first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification at the time of hire or within six months following the date of hire. Child care staff of a group home or children's residential center shall be certified in the type applicable to the age and size of the children to be served in the facility. Child care staff of a residential parenting facility and a children's crisis care facility shall be certified in infant, adult and child CPR. The first aid and CPR certifications shall be maintained current at all times unless the employee meets one of the following exceptions:

(1) Extended leave.

(2) Separation of employment for less than one year.

(3) Extended illness.

(4) Critical emergencies.

(5) Cancellation of training classes.

(K) A child care staff person shall not be permitted to work with children without another child care staff who is current on all first aid and CPR training and who is present at all times. If a child care staff person's first aid and CPR certification has been expired for more than ninety days, the staff member shall not be permitted to work in the facility without the required certification.

(L) There shall be at least one staff person with first aid and CPR certification on duty at all times in a living unit.

(M) Each residential facility shall document the completion of the training activities required by this rule in the personnel record maintained pursuant to rule 5101:2-5-09 of the Administrative Code.

(N) Physical restraint of a child shall only be utilized by a child care staff person who has received specific training and annual review in acceptable methods of restraint. Documentation of such training shall be contained in the employee's personnel record.

(O) If the facility revises any policy pertaining to children or child care staff, the child care staff shall receive training on the policy within thirty days of the revision.

(P) If a residential facility has a policy prohibiting the use of physical restraint, the facility shall complete annual training for all child care staff in acceptable alternatives to restraint.

(Q) If a residential facility has a policy allowing the use of physical restraint, the facility shall complete annual training in acceptable methods of restraint for the child care staff.

(R) Physical restraint may be used by child care staff only:

(1) For self protection.

(2) For protection of the child from imminent harm.

(3) To protect another person from the child.

(S) Child care staff shall use only the least restrictive physical restraint necessary to control a situation.

Effective: 12/1/2015
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 08/03/2015 and 12/01/2020
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5103.03, 5153.16, 5101.141
Rule Amplifies: 5103.03, 5153.16, 5101.141
Prior Effective Dates: 12/30/66, 10/1/86, 1/1/91, 9/18/96, 7/1/00, 1/1/03, 12/11/06, 09/15/08, 12/1/10, 7/1/14