419-460-0190 Outdoor Youth Programs: Program Services (1) Admissions assessments. An outdoor youth program must perform an admission assessment on each child in care. (a) Admissions process. An assigned staff member with documented experience in the area of admissions screening and assessment, who is familiar with the outdoor youth program, must complete an individual admissions assessment for each child in care prior to enrollment. (b) Admissions to be based on admissions assessment. The outdoor youth program must base admission of each child in care on the individual admissions assessment. The assessment must be the basis for the child in care's service plan. The assessment must include all of the following components: (A) Social history including home, community, and environment. (B) Health history, including current prescriptions and over the counter medication; (C) Psychological history, including behavior problems, aggression, substance abuse, family dynamics, prior evaluations, and any previous treatment. (D) For a child in care with indications of a mental health diagnosis, the assessment must include a determination by a licensed, certified, or registered mental health professional whether the outdoor youth program is appropriate and how the program activities will address the child in care's needs, or whether another type of mental health treatment is indicated for the child in care before the child in care enters the field portion of the outdoor youth program. (i) If the program has reasonable grounds to believe that a child in care for whom admission is sought has a mental health diagnosis, the program must require the submission of an evaluation, completed not more than 90 days previously, of the child in care's mental health condition by a clinical psychologist of psychiatrist. (ii) The evaluation described in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph and other available evaluations and relevant documentation must be reviewed by a qualified mental health professional who must describe in writing how the treatment to be provided at the outdoor youth program is appropriate for the identified mental health diagnosis. This description must include how the activities of the program will address the needs of the child in care and relate to the child in care's service plan. (E) For a child in care with indications of substance abuse, the assessment must include a determination by a professional in chemical dependency whether detoxification is indicated for the child in care before the child in care enters the field portion of the outdoor youth program. (c) Consultation and additional information. If after a review of the components required by the Admissions Assessment, there is any question as to the appropriateness of admission of a child in care, the assigned staff member must consult with the Multidisciplinary Team and document the decision. If the information available about the child in care is inadequate for the determination of appropriateness for the outdoor youth program, the outdoor youth program must require additional necessary information which may include evaluations by consulting professionals. (d) Evaluation of appropriateness of admission. Each admissions assessment must include a summary evaluation of the appropriateness of the admission of the child in care into the outdoor youth program. (e) Field entry. (A) An outdoor youth program must conduct an interview and orientation with each child in care before the child in care leaves for the field portion of the program away from the main base of operations. (B) The field director or senior field staff assigned to the child in care's field experience must conduct an interview with the child in care prior to entrance into the field; and (C) The medically trained field staff assigned to the child in care's field experience must conduct a review of the child in care's health history and physical examination report. (2) Service planning. Each child in care must be served according to a service plan, developed by the outdoor youth program staff and including, whenever possible, the program director, child-care workers, other involved professionals, the child in care, and his or her family. The program must make every effort to secure the participation of the legal guardians in planning, and, if they do not participate, must document the reasons why. An outdoor youth program has an affirmative responsibility to provide competent individualized service planning for each child in care to include ongoing evaluation and change as needed. Service planning time lines must be as follows: (a) Initial service plan. An outdoor youth program must write the initial service plan based on the admission assessments, all referral documents, and the child in care's individual needs on or before admission, and provide a copy to the senior field staff upon the child in care's entry into the outdoor youth program. (b) Updated service plan. Within 14 days of the date the child in care enters the field, the outdoor youth program must write an updated service plan based on field observations and additional information received (family information, medical reports, and child in care disclosures). If a child in care has a significant mental health diagnosis, the service plan must specify how and by whom the treatment related to the diagnosis will be addressed. (c) Monthly review. The outdoor youth program must review and update the service plan monthly, and document the review. Changes in the service plan must be promptly shared with the child in care and the child in care's legal guardian. (d) Discharge summary. The discharge summary must include a written summary of the child in care's participation and progress achieved, results of evaluations, conditions of the child in care, interactions of child in care and staff, briefings and debriefings, compliance with program policies and procedures, and recommendations. The discharge summary must be retained in the child in care's file and a copy provided to the child in care's legal guardians. (3) Areas of emphasis in the service plan and planning process. It is the intent of the Department that an outdoor youth program must make every reasonable effort to ensure participation by the child in care's family in all aspects of the service and service planning process. To that end, the outdoor youth program staff must: (a) Encourage parent participation in the intake process; (b) If the child in care's parent or legal guardian cannot participate in the intake process, ensure participation in the intake process by those responsible for the environment in which the child in care resides prior to placement with the outdoor youth program; (c) Support the family and those responsible for the environment in which the child in care resides during intervention activities, including alternate suggestions for any child in care not accepted at intake; (d) Consider the family's responsibility, needs, and values in the planning and service process; (e) Provide an orientation procedure for the child in care and his or her family; (f) Ensure that information regarding significant events in the child in care's family is passed on to appropriate staff members; (g) Review service plans, activities, and progress with the family monthly; and (h) Ensure that the educational needs of the child in care are an integral part of the service plan. Children in care who have not graduated from high school must have access to an appropriate education that affords sufficient transferable credits for the child in care to stay on course to graduate. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 409.050, ORS 418.005 & ORS 418.240 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 418.990 - 418.998, ORS 409.010 & ORS 418.205 - 418.325 History: CWP 26-2022, renumbered from 413-215-0996, filed 11/28/2022, effective 12/01/2022 CWP 82-2020, minor correction filed 01/15/2020, effective 01/15/2020 CWP 22-2016, f. & cert. ef. 12-1-16 CWP 12-2016(Temp), f. & cert. ef. 7-1-16 thru 12-27-16 CWP 7-2013, f. & cert. ef. 10-1-13 Renumbered from 413-210-0812, CWP 28-2008, f. & cert. ef. 10-17-08 SOSCF 9-2002, f. & cert. ef. 5-29-02