Section 102.10 Use of
Department Campuses and Property
a) Site visitations
1) The Department may provide visiting privileges to voluntary
organizations that wish to review living conditions and the nature of
publicly-sponsored services.
2) Voluntary organizations shall request authorization for
visiting privileges in writing. The request shall be made to the Assistant
Associate Director of the Office of Mental Health or the Assistant Associate
Director of SODC Operations, as appropriate and shall specify the
center/program to be visited. If the organization agrees to the conditions set
out in subsection (a)(2)(A) of this Section, the request shall contain those
agreements.
A) The Assistant Associate Director shall authorize an
organization to make visits to one or more centers/programs for a period of one
year if:
i) The organization agrees that its visits will not interfere
with the center's/program's treatment or habilitation programs;
ii) The organization agrees to abide by the provisions of the
Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act (Confidentiality
Act) [740 ILCS 110] concerning records and communications of individuals
served; and
iii) The organization provides evidence that volunteers have
received training on the topics specified in subsection (a)(3) of this Section
within 12 months prior to the date of the application for authorization. Such
evidence shall, at a minimum, include a list of the training sessions and
instructors and any documents distributed as part of the training session.
B) The Assistant Associate Director shall revoke his or her
authorization or not renew the authorization if he or she has information that
the organization has not abided by the conditions set out in subsection
(a)(2)(A) or complied with the requirements of this Section. Any person having
information that the organization has not abided by the conditions or complied
with the requirements shall submit that information in writing to the
appropriate Assistant Associate Director's office. Within 30 calendar days
after the receipt of such information, the Assistant Associate Director shall
decide whether to revoke or renew the authorization.
C) When the Assistant Associate Director denies, revokes or does
not renew an authorization, he or she shall send written notice of the decision
to the agency within 30 calendar days after receipt of the application or
receipt of information as set out in subsection (a)(2)(B) of this Section. The
notice shall include the appeal procedure and time in which the agency must
appeal.
D) Any organization whose authorization has been revoked or not
renewed may appeal the decision within 30 calendar days after receiving the
notice. The organization must submit its request for review in writing to the
Secretary, and may submit any other documents in support of its appeal with the
request for review. The Secretary shall review the decision and the documents
and accept or reverse the decision within 30 calendar days. The Secretary
shall uphold the decision if he or she finds that the organization has not
abided by the agreements as set out in subsection (a)(2)(A) of this Section or
complied with the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section.
3) Organization site visits shall be conducted in a manner that
is consistent with center/program operating needs in compliance with the
Confidentiality Act and be authorized by the Assistant Associate Director of
the Office of Mental Health or the Assistant Associate Director of SODC
Operations, as appropriate to the center/program. Disruption of individuals
and their programs shall be minimized. Except as set by prior agreement with
the appropriate Assistant Associate Director, visitation groups shall not
exceed five persons on a given unit on any one day. The Assistant Associate
Director shall allow more than five persons on a unit if, after consulting with
the Director or Administrator, he or she determines that the proposed number of
visitors would not interfere with the center's/program's treatment or
habilitation plans and would not violate the individuals' privacy. Directors or
Administrators who receive requests for visitation privileges shall either
forward them to the Assistant Associate Director or advise the organization to
send a written request to the Assistant Associate Director. The purpose of the
authorization process is to ensure that organization members have received
training and orientation concerning the Department's service delivery system
with a focus on mental health services and/or developmental disability
services, advocacy services, and legal issues such as the rights of individuals
and confidentiality. The Assistant Associate Director shall distribute to
centers/programs a listing of organizations that are authorized to conduct site
visits. Although visitation privileges shall be authorized annually,
organizations meeting the standards of this subsection (a) (3) may be included
in the listing at any time during the year.
4) Site visits shall be announced 48 hours in advance to the
Director or Administrator and shall occur between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Following two scheduled visits to any center/program, voluntary organizations
may make unannounced visits to any center/program.
5) Before conducting any site visit, organization visitors shall
report their presence to the Director or Administrator or the unit
administrator on duty, who shall confirm the visitors' identity and
authorization and make available a staff member to escort the visitors. All
organization visitor's must produce a valid photo identification, such as a
driver's license, passport, identification card issued by the Secretary of
State to non-drivers, student identification or identification card issued by
the visitor's organization or employer before the visitor will be permitted to
enter the unit.
6) All visitation activities shall conform to the Confidentiality
Act. Clinical records of individuals shall be examined during site visits only
in accordance with the Confidentiality Act. During the visit, visitors may
request and receive verbal authorization from individuals for interviews with
the individuals. If center/program staff are to be included in the interviews
or are to be questioned separately in regard to a specific individual, a
written consent for release of information shall be obtained from that
individual prior to or during the visit. The release shall be filed in the
individual's clinical record. Unless a release is obtained, center/program
staff shall not participate in the interview or respond to such questions.
7) Authorized visitors shall be permitted access to individuals'
living units and program areas, except when, in the Director's, Administrator's
or Unit Administrator's clinical judgment, such access poses a threat to their
or the individuals' security, or constitutes an interference with individuals'
programming. Before visitors are permitted access to living units or program
areas, the Director or Administrator shall give individuals advance notice.
Before inspecting an individual's room, visitors shall obtain the individual's
written or verbal permission. The center/program staff member shall document
the verbal permission or receive the written permission and file it in the
individual's clinical record.
8) The organization shall provide a written report of its
findings to the Director or Administrator within 14 calendar days after the
visit. If no negative findings were noted during the visit, the organization
should document this finding. The Director or Administrator shall provide the
Assistant Associate Director, the Associate Director and the Department
Secretary with a copy of all written reports within 48 hours and shall provide
a written response to all exit reports within five working days after receipt
to the visitors with a copy to the Assistant Associate Director, the Associate
Director and the Department Secretary. If the organization has not received a
response 15 working days after it submitted its report, it shall notify the
Assistant Associate Director, who shall inform the Director or Administrator.
b) Sales or solicitation
The Director or Administrator shall not permit organizations
or individuals to solicit funds or memberships, other than union memberships,
nor sell or take orders for goods or services from employees in the buildings
or on the campuses or property of Department centers/programs without the
Secretary's prior approval. The Secretary may approve these activities if they
do not interfere with the employees' job duties and if the activities are not
directed toward individuals.
c) Game preserve
1) All Department center/program campuses and property shall be
closed as game reservations and posted accordingly. The Director or
Administrator may, however, grant fishing privileges to individuals at
centers/programs where fishing is possible.
2) No hunting or trapping shall be permitted on the campuses or
property of any Department center/program.
d) Liquor, controlled substances, cannabis, firearms and other
weapons
1) Sale or gift of alcoholic beverages, liquor, controlled
substances or cannabis to employees or individuals on center/program campuses
or property is prohibited. Visitors or employees who show signs of intoxication
or a drug-induced state shall not be admitted to center/program campuses or
property.
2) Firearms or other weapons such as bludgeons, metal knuckles,
tear gas, broken bottles or glass, knives, hatchets or bombs of any sort shall
not be brought or permitted on center/program campuses or property. Armed law
enforcement officials are allowed on the center/program campus or property when
responding to an emergency situation. An emergency occurs when there is a
threat of bodily harm that could result in the death or serious injury of
individuals served or center/program staff. The delivery of an individual by a
law enforcement official to a center/program for admission does not constitute
an emergency. The Director or Administrator shall request that law enforcement
officials secure their weapons in a locked squad car or store their weapons in
a locked safe upon arrival at the center/program except during an emergency.
e) Center/program access
Only persons on official business, such as employees,
authorized visitors, persons providing required goods and services shall have
access to center/program campuses and property.
f) Identification of employees and visitors
The Director or Administrator shall develop and implement
written policies and procedures to ensure that employees and visitors are
properly identified at all times while they are on the center/program campus or
property. Employees shall have on their person an employee identification
card. All visitors must produce a photo identification as described in
subsection (a)(5), and shall have on their person a visitor identification
card. No Department employee shall wear a badge such as those issued to sworn
law enforcement officials. The requirement of identification shall not hinder
or preclude unannounced visits by voluntary organizations pursuant to this
Section.
g) Traffic rules
All persons driving on center/program campuses or property
shall operate their vehicles consistent with the Illinois Vehicle Code [625
ILCS 5] and shall observe the traffic rules established by the Director or
Administrator that include, but are not limited to, the use of designated
parking areas, observance of posted stop signs, speed limits, reckless driving,
failure to yield to individuals, employees, and other persons crossing
roadways, failure to display a decal, and leaving unattended vehicles
unlocked. The Director or Administrator may bar vehicles from the
center/program campus or property after notice is given for three violations of
this subsection. Traffic rules shall be prominently posted.
(Source: Amended at 26 Ill. Reg. 8520, effective May 30, 2002)