OAKLAND COUNTY CHILDREN'S VILLAGE Employee's Acknowledgement of Statement of Policy and Procedure As an employee of the Oakland County Children's Village (either part-time or full-time), I have received and reviewed the following statement(s) of policy and procedure entitled:
CLOSE OBSERVATION/SUICIDE PRECAUTIONS
I have had the opportunity to discuss this statement with a supervisor, and to clarify all points covered in this statement in order to gain full understanding of the policy/procedure. I understand that, as an employee of the County of Oakland, I am expected to adhere to the policies and procedures of the Children's Village Division of the Department of Health and Human Services. I understand that I am responsible for keeping my Policy Manual updated with the most current policies and for discarding outdated policies. Further, I understand that my failure to follow prescribed policies and procedures consitutes a violation of Oakland County Merit System Rules, thereby making me subject to disciplinary action as outlined in said rules.
I Send ORIGINALDocument to Manager's Office
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OAKLAND
COUNTY
CHILDREN'S
VILLAGE
Policy:
CLOSE OBSERVATION/ SUICIDE PRECAUTION
Category:
RESIDENTS
Policy Number:
Page:
1 of 2
"Close observation" requires that a resident be actively involved in on-grounds programming during non-bedtime hours, and the resident is to be closely, visually observed by child care staff at all times during non-bedtime hours. The resident and the room are to be searched for dangerous objects prior to retiring to bed for the evening. The child is not to participate in any off-grounds programming, including any passes. After retiring for bed, the resident is to be monitored every fifteen minutes, according to the Children's Village monitoring log system. A child placed on "suicide precaution" requires that all of the followingbe adhered to: •
The resident is to be included in all on-grounds programming during non-bedtime hours.
•
The resident is to be encouraged to be active within on-grounds programming, and with other residents.
•
The child is not to participate in any off-grounds activities, including any passes with family members or volunteers.
•
The resident is to be closely observed at all times by childcare staff during awake hours.
•
The resident is never to be out of sight of a childcare staff during awake hours.
•
Prior to the resident entering his/her room for the evening, the resident and the room are to be thoroughly searched for any items in which he/she might harm himself/herself. All such items shall be removed from the room.
•
The resident is to be monitored every five minutes followingbedtime transition, and the results of this monitoring is to be recorded on the Children's Village monitoring log.
e
When a resident has been placed on "suicide precaution", the child may have a mattress to sleep on and will be issued a stout gown and stout pad. If stout gowns or pads are in any way compromised, they are to be turned in to supervisory personnel, and an alternate is to be used.
Whenever a child is placed on "suicide precaution" by the Children's Village psychiatrist, the child is to remain on "suicide precaution" status until the psychiatrist alters the "suicide precaution" directive. Furthermore, all aforementioned procedures are to be followedwith regard to the "suicide precaution", as well as any other specific directives given by the psychiatrist, until the psychiatrist authorizes Effective Date:
Upon Receipt
Approved By:
Joanna J. Overall- Manager
Updated:
March 07, 2006
OAKLAND
COUNTY CHILDREN'S
VILLAGE
Policy:
CLOSE OBSERVATION/ SUICIDE PRECAUTION
Category:
RESIDENTS
Policy Number:
Page:
2 of 2
alteration of the "suicide precaution" status. Residents placed on "suicide precaution" are considered priority cases by both the psychiatrist and the Children's Village administration. Any resident placed on "suicide precaution" is to be seen daily (excluding holidays and weekends) by the appropriate Children's Village clinician. If in the course of this daily clinical review, a Children's Villageclinician finds that the resident has improved or worsened clinically with regard to his/her suicidal potential, the clinician is to strictly adhere to the followingprocedures with regard to updating our psychiatrist: •
The clinician is to contact the psychiatric coordinator to request a person-to-person consultation with the psychiatrist.
•
Because residents placed on "suicide precaution" are considered priority cases, the psychiatrist will make himself/herself available for consultation.
After consulting with the Children's Village clinician, and reassessing the resident on suicide precaution, the psychiatrist may alter the "suicide precaution" directive in one of several ways. The psychiatrist may determine that the "suicide precaution" be lifted altogether; the psychiatrist may determine that the "suicide precaution" be changed to "close observation" status; the psychiatrist may determine that the child's condition has worsened, and recommend the child be immediately taken to a hospital for assessment for emergency admission; the psychiatrist may choose to make other specific changes in his original directive; or the psychiatrist may determine that the original directive remain unchanged. Under no circumstances is any Children's Village staff person, including Children's Village clinicians, case coordinators, or supervisory staff,-authorized to make any alteration in any medical directive given by our psychiatrist. All directives by our psychiatrist are to be strictly followed, until such time that the psychiatric directive is changed by the psychiatrist.
NOTE: Children's Village policy and procedure discourages and disallows the
utilization of "one-on-one" staffing with a potentially suicidal resident. "One-on-one" staffing encourages the suicidal contagion effect. Instead, the appropriate Administrator is to be notified whenever there is concern about the possible need of extra support staff, in order to enable staff to fulfill the requirements of a "suicide precaution" or "close observation."
Effective Date:
Upon Receipt
Approved By:
Joanna J. Overall - Manager
Updated:
March 07, 2006