900.10 Resident services.
(a) All facilities.
(1) In all facilities, families must be
provided with services which include at a minimum: sleeping area, access to three meals a
day, supervision, and health services. In addition. facilities must assist residents in
making application for income entitlements or public benefits such as public assistance,
medical assistance, food stamps, Supplemental Security Income, title XX or child welfare
or unemployment benefits. Procedures must be developed for each facility which will allow
residents of the facility to apply for benefits at the nearest income maintenance center
or social services district office.
(2) Health services.
(i) Facilities must
have an established relationship with a fully accredited medical institution or clinic for
the referral of families for emergency treatment. Facilities must assist families to
access medical services for initial examinations and treatment for illness and disease.
(ii) Family members
with minor communicable diseases, or who have minor localized infections, must be properly
isolated and quarantined if allowed to remain in the facility.
(iii) Family members
with a generalized systemic communicable disease, or a readily communicable local
infection which cannot be properly isolated and quarantined in the facility must be
transferred to an appropriate medical facility or to another shelter facility which is
designed to accommodate such a condition.
(b) Tier I facilities. In addition to the resident services provided in
accordance with subdivision (a) of this section, a tier I facility must:
(1) complete a written preliminary needs
determination for each family within two days of admission. Facility staff and the family
must discuss the immediate needs of the family, including any benefits or services which
if immediately provided to the family would facilitate their return to permanent housing
in less than 21 days. An evaluation shall also be made of the educational needs, community
ties, and other needs of the family in order to determine the most appropriate temporary
placement for the family pursuant to section 900.7 of this Part; and
(2) provide a family who is being housed in a
tier I facility for more than 21 days with the services such family would have received
pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section in a tier II1 facility ifthe family had been
placed in such a facility.
(c) Tier II facilities. In addition to the resident services provided
in accordance with subdivision (a) of this section, a tier II facility must provide the
following resident services:
(1) Assessment services.
(i) Within 10 days of
admission to a tier II facility the family and staff of the facility must have developed
and mutually agreed to a written services plan designed to help the family to achieve
permanent housing arrangements. This services plan must include an assessment of the
family's needs, an analysis of how these needs will be met through existing public
assistance and care programs, including child welfare programs, and the steps that will be
taken to achieve the service needs of the family. A social services district may
substitute an independent living plan developed in accordance with the provisions of
section 352.35 of this Title for the written services plan, provided that it contains the
elements described in section 900.9(d) of this Part.
(ii) The services or
independent living plan must be reviewed with the family biweekly and such plan must be
revised as necessary to obtain permanent housing. The family shall have access to its
services or independent living plan and case file.
(iii) The facility or
social services district must document the resident services or independent living plan
and all direct services and service referrals to other entities provided while the
resident family is in the facility.
(2) Preparation for permanent housing.
(i) Preparation for
permanent housing must be provided which implements the services or independent living
plan designed to help the family obtain permanent housing.
(ii) At a minimum,
preparation for permanent housing must include assistance in:
(a) obtaining permanent housing including assistance in locating adequate available
housing, providing referrals to such housing, providing assistance in obtaining needed
documents, providing advocacy assistance in the completion and filing of housing
applications, scheduling of appointments for viewings and inspections of premises,
providing assistance in preparing for interviews, and providing assistance in establishing
competency skills for permanent housing by addressing issues such as budgeting, accessing
community resources, housekeeping, home repairs and landlord/tenant rights;
(b) securing necessary supportive social and mental health services including, but not
limited to, psychiatric and drug and alcohol abuse services; and
(c) securing employment assessments, job training and job placement services, where
appropriate.
(3) Recreational services. Appropriate
recreational services must be provided.
(4) Information and referral services.
Facilities must maintain a listing of local community agencies and programs whose services
might assist residents to return to permanent housing. Facility staff must refer residents
to such programs, as needed and when appropriate.
(5) Child care services.
(i) Supervised care of
all children must be provided when such care is necessary to enable the parent or
caretaker relative of such child to seek employment and/or permanent housing or to attend
school or training. Staff responsible for such care and supervision of the children must
have prior experience in child care or must receive adequate training to enable them to
perform such functions.
(ii) If child care is
provided on site, the staff/child ratios for adults providing supervised care other than
recreational service for preschool children and for school-age children not in attendance
at school must be a minimum of one adult per 8 children and one adult per 15 children,
respectively. For the purpose of this section, a suitable adult resident may be counted as
staff for the purpose of the supervised care ratios.
(iii) If child care is
provided offsite, the day care center or family day care home must be in compliance with
all applicable State and local requirements concerning licensing and operations.
(iv) Day care may be
provided onsite, provided the appropriate agency has licensed the program and the social
services district has committed to fund the program using title XX or other appropriate
funding sources.
(d) Congregate shelters for homeless pregnant women. In addition to the
resident services provided in accordance With subdivision (a) of this section, a
congregate shelter for homeless pregnant women must provide the following Services:
(1) Health services. Shelters must demonstrate
that the services listed below are available to residents of the shelter. If the services
are to be provided at the shelter, the medical provider must be licensed by the
appropriate entity to provide services at the Shelter Site. Services include:
(i) initial medical
evaluation of each resident; and
(ii) comprehensive
prenatal care services which include:
(a) prenatal risk assessment;
(b) prenatal care visits and laboratory procedures;
(c) referral for special tests, consultations and hospitalization, and mechanisms to
assure that services were received;
(d) health education regarding prenatal nutrition, alcohol and tobacco use, drug abuse,
use of medication, other aspects of prenatal care, labor and delivery, family planning to
prevent future unintended pregnancies, breast feeding, infant care and parenting;
(e) referral for pediatric care;
(f) referral for nutrition services including screening, education, counseling, followup
and provision of services under the women, infants and children's program and the
supplemental nutrition assistance Program;
(g) referral for mental health and related social services including screening and
counseling;
(h) arrangements for delivery and post-partum services; and
(i) assistance with transportation for prenatal care services.
(2) Casework services. Congregate shelters for
homeless pregnant women must provide casework services designed to identify current needs,
possible community supports and future needs of its residents. A written services plan
must identify all Services provided to the resident and the goals the resident hopes to
achieve. Case workers must meet at least biweekly with residents to review the residents'
progress and to identify any problems.
(3) Permanent housing services. Congregate
shelters for homeless pregnant women must provide assistance designed to enable each
resident to obtain permanent housing. Such assistance must include: assistance in locating
adequate available housing, providing referrals to such housing, providing assistance in
obtaining needed documents, providing advocacy assistance in the completion and filing of
housing applications, scheduling of appointments for rentals and inspections of premises,
providing assistance in preparing for interviews. and providing assistance to establish
competency skills for permanent housing by addressing issues such as budgeting community
resources, housekeeping, home repairs and landlord/tenant rights.