Section 350.650 Residents' Advisory Council

Section 350

Section 350.650  Residents'

Advisory Council

a)

Each facility shall establish a residents' advisory council

consisting of at least five resident members.  If there are not five residents

capable of functioning on the residents' advisory council, as determined by the

Interdisciplinary Team and based upon evaluations of the comprehensive

functional assessments, residents' representatives shall take the place of the

required number of residents.

The administrator shall designate a member of

the facility staff

(other than the administrator)

to coordinate the

establishment of, and render assistance to, the council.

(Section 2-203 of

the Act)

b)         Each facility shall develop and implement a plan for assuring

a liaison with concerned individuals and groups in the local community.  Ways

in which this requirement can be met include, but are not limited to, the

following:

1)         Including community members such as volunteers, family

members, residents' friends, residents' advocates, or community representatives

on the council;

2)         Establishing a separate community advisory group with persons

of the residents' choosing; or

3)         Finding a church or civic group to "adopt" the

facility.

c)         The resident members shall be elected to the council by vote

of their fellow residents, and the non-resident members shall be elected to the

council by vote of the resident members of the council.

d)         In facilities of 50 or fewer beds, the council may consist of

all of the residents of the facility, if the residents choose to operate in this

way.

e)         All residents' advisory councils shall elect at least a chairperson

or president and a vice chairperson or vice president from among the members of

the council.  These persons shall preside at the meetings of the council,

assisted by the facility staff person designated by the administrator to

provide assistance

dents of the facility, if the residents choose to operate in this

way.

e)         All residents' advisory councils shall elect at least a chairperson

or president and a vice chairperson or vice president from among the members of

the council.  These persons shall preside at the meetings of the council,

assisted by the facility staff person designated by the administrator to

provide assistance.

f)         Some facilities may wish to establish mini-residents' advisory

councils for various smaller units within the facility.  If this is done, each

unit shall be represented on an overall facility residents' advisory council

with the composition described in subsection (a).

g)         All residents' advisory council meetings shall be open to

participation by all residents and by their representatives.

h)

No employee or affiliate of any facility shall be a member

of any council.

Employees or affiliates persons may attend to discuss interests

or functions of the non-members when invited by a majority of the officers of

the council.  (Section 2-203(a) of the Act)

i)

The council shall meet at least once each month with the

staff coordinator who shall provide assistance to the council in preparing and

disseminating a report of each meeting to all residents, the administrator, and

the staff.

(Section 2-203(b) of the Act)

j)

Records of the council meetings shall be maintained in the

office of the administrator.

(Section 2-203(c) of the Act)

k)

The residents' advisory council may communicate to the

administrator the opinions and concerns of the residents.  The council shall

review procedures for implementing resident rights

and

facility

responsibilities and make recommendations for changes or additions

that

will strengthen the facility's policies and procedures as they affect

residents' rights and facility responsibilities

he Act)

k)

The residents' advisory council may communicate to the

administrator the opinions and concerns of the residents.  The council shall

review procedures for implementing resident rights

and

facility

responsibilities and make recommendations for changes or additions

that

will strengthen the facility's policies and procedures as they affect

residents' rights and facility responsibilities.

(Section 2-203(d) of the

Act)

l)

The council shall be a forum for:

1)

Obtaining and disseminating information;

2)

Soliciting and adopting recommendations for facility

programming and improvements;

and

3)

Early identification and for recommending orderly

resolution of problems.

(Section 2-203(e) of the Act)

m)

The council may present complaints on behalf of a resident

to the Department, the DD Facility Advisory Board or to any other person it

considers appropriate.

(Section 2-203(f) of the Act)

n)         Families and friends of residents who live in the community

retain the right to form family councils.

1)         If there is a family council in the facility, or if one is

formed at the request of family members or the ombudsman, a facility shall make

information about the family council available to all current and prospective

residents, their families and their representatives.  The information shall be

provided by the family council, prospective members or the ombudsman.

2)         If a family council is formed, facilities shall provide a

place for the family council to meet.