Subdivision 1. Personnel policy requirements. A license holder must have written personnel policies that are available to each staff member. The personnel policies must:

(1) ensure that staff member retention, promotion, job assignment, or pay are not affected by a good faith communication between a staff member and the department, the Department of Health, the ombudsman for mental health and developmental disabilities, law enforcement, or a local agency for the investigation of a complaint regarding a client's rights, health, or safety;

(2) contain a job description for each staff member position specifying responsibilities, degree of authority to execute job responsibilities, and qualification requirements;

(3) provide for a job performance evaluation based on standards of job performance conducted on a regular and continuing basis, including a written annual review;

(4) describe behavior that constitutes grounds for disciplinary action, suspension, or dismissal, including policies that address staff member problematic substance use and the requirements of section 245G.11, subdivision 1, policies prohibiting personal involvement with a client in violation of chapter 604, and policies prohibiting client abuse described in sections 245A.65, 626.556, 626.557, and 626.5572;

(5) identify how the program will identify whether behaviors or incidents are problematic substance use, including a description of how the facility must address:

(i) receiving treatment for substance use within the period specified for the position in the staff qualification requirements, including medication-assisted treatment;

(ii) substance use that negatively impacts the staff member's job performance;

(iii) substance use that affects the credibility of treatment services with a client, referral source, or other member of the community;

(iv) symptoms of intoxication or withdrawal on the job; and

(v) the circumstances under which an individual who participates in monitoring by the health professional services program for a substance use or mental health disorder is able to provide services to the program's clients;

(6) include a chart or description of the organizational structure indicating lines of authority and responsibilities;

(7) include orientation within 24 working hours of starting for each new staff member based on a written plan that, at a minimum, must provide training related to the staff member's specific job responsibilities, policies and procedures, client confidentiality, HIV minimum standards, and client needs; and

(8) include policies outlining the license holder's response to a staff member with a behavior problem that interferes with the provision of treatment service.

Subd. 2. Staff development. (a) A license holder must ensure that each staff member has the training described in this subdivision.

(b) Each staff member must be trained every two years in:

(1) client confidentiality rules and regulations and client ethical boundaries; and

(2) emergency procedures and client rights as specified in sections 144.651, 148F.165, and 253B.03.

(c) Annually each staff member with direct contact must be trained on mandatory reporting as specified in sections 245A.65, 626.556, 626.5561, 626.557, and 626.5572, including specific training covering the license holder's policies for obtaining a release of client information.

(d) Upon employment and annually thereafter, each staff member with direct contact must receive training on HIV minimum standards according to section 245A.19.

(e) A treatment director, supervisor, nurse, or counselor must have a minimum of 12 hours of training in co-occurring disorders that includes competencies related to philosophy, trauma-informed care, screening, assessment, diagnosis and person-centered treatment planning, documentation, programming, medication, collaboration, mental health consultation, and discharge planning. A new staff member who has not obtained the training must complete the training within six months of employment. A staff member may request, and the license holder may grant, credit for relevant training obtained before employment, which must be documented in the staff member's personnel file.

Subd. 3. Personnel files. The license holder must maintain a separate personnel file for each staff member. At a minimum, the personnel file must conform to the requirements of this chapter. A personnel file must contain the following:

(1) a completed application for employment signed by the staff member and containing the staff member's qualifications for employment;

(2) documentation related to the staff member's background study data, according to chapter 245C;

(3) for a staff member who provides psychotherapy services, employer names and addresses for the past five years for which the staff member provided psychotherapy services, and documentation of an inquiry required by sections 604.20 to 604.205 made to the staff member's former employer regarding substantiated sexual contact with a client;

(4) documentation that the staff member completed orientation and training;

(5) documentation that the staff member meets the requirements in section 245G.11;

(6) documentation demonstrating the staff member's compliance with section 245G.08, subdivision 3, for a staff member who conducts administration of medication; and

(7) documentation demonstrating the staff member's compliance with section 245G.18, subdivision 2, for a staff member that treats an adolescent client.

History: 1Sp2017 c 6 art 8 s 26; 1Sp2019 c 9 art 6 s 25