(a) Commencing on January 1, 2018, the department shall register any religious, faith-based, or church nonprofit, other nonprofit, or for profit affiliated youth residential facility, youth social rehabilitation facility, community treatment facility for youths, youth transitional care facility, long term youth residential facility, private alternative boarding school, private alternative outdoor program, and any organization entrusted with the residential care of children in any organizational form or combination defined by this section, whenever children are housed at the facility or location of the program for a period of more than 24 hours. At a minimum, registered youth residential institution or organization under this section shall do all of the following:
(1) Be owned and operated on a for profit or nonprofit basis.
(2) Prepare and maintain a current, written plan of operation, as defined by the department.
(3) Offer 24-hour, nonmedical care and supervision to youth who are voluntarily admitted by a parent or legal guardian, or referred by a court.
(4) Admit only children 12 years of age or older.
(5) Provide written notification on a standard form to the department or local county Department of Human Resources office where the facility is located within 48 hours of the arrival, enrollment, or admittance of any child to the institution, facility, or program as directed by the department.
(6) Have a ratio of one staff person to every four youths.
(7) Provide each prospective youth and his or her parent or legal guardian with an accurate written description of the programs and services to be provided while the child is a resident at the facility. If it advertises or promotes special care, programs, or environments for persons with behavioral, emotional, substance abuse, or social challenges, the written description shall include how its programs and services are intended to achieve the advertised or promoted claims.
(8) Ensure that all individuals providing mental health or behavioral-based services to youth at the facility are licensed or certified by the appropriate agency, department, or accrediting body, as specified by the department through agency rules.
(9) Prepare and implement a comprehensive health plan to ensure that each medical, dental, mental health, and other health needs of the child are met adequately and promptly.
(10) Explain its disciplinary practices individually with each child at the time the child is placed or enrolled in the institution, facility, or program.
(11) Obtain written consent for the use of any restrictive behavior management practice from the parents or legal guardian of the child.
(12) Not use secure containment or manual or mechanical restraints.
(13) Not allow the performance of any acts, tactics, techniques, or procedures for purposes of abusing, humiliating, degrading, isolating, or ostracizing a child from other children located or housed at the institution, facility, or program by any staff member or child.
(14) Not utilize restrictive behavior management practices as a means of punishment, for the convenience of staff members, or as a substitute for a treatment program.
(15) Ensure that each child is provided with three nutritious meals daily, either at the institution, facility, program operations site itself, or in the community.
(16) Select, store, prepare, and serve food in a sanitary and palatable manner.
(17) Ensure that every child is afforded the opportunity to participate freely in religious activities and or services in accordance with his or her own faith or with that of his or her parents.
(18) Maintain a bond or liability insurance of no less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per incident and show proof of the current status of the policy or bond prior to registration by the department.
(19) Include its facility, institution, or program registration number in all advertisements.
(20) Require that all employees of the facility or program undergo a child abuse and neglect clearance and a criminal background check prior to the approval of the registration of the facility or program and require that all employees obtain a criminal background check and child abuse and neglect clearance annually thereafter.
(21) Ensure that prior to employment, residence, or initial presence in the facility, institution, or with the program, all employees undergo a criminal background check.
(22) Maintain a smoke free environment in all buildings on the facility, institution, or program premises and in all vehicles used to transport children.
(23) Obtain a fire safety clearance approved by the local fire authority.
(24) If it offers access to, or holds itself out as offering access to, mental health services, ensure that those services are provided by a licensed mental health provider.
(25) If it advertises or includes in its marketing materials reference to providing alcohol or substance abuse treatment, ensure that the treatment is provided by a licensed or certified alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility.
(26) Not admit a child who has been assessed by a licensed mental health professional as seriously emotionally disturbed, unless the child does not require care in a licensed health facility and the State Department of Mental Health has certified that the facility houses a program that meets the standards to provide mental health treatment services for a child having a serious emotional disturbance, as defined in Rule 290-8-9 of the Alabama Administrative Code.
(27) Immediately provide a written report on a standard form to the department and law enforcement agency of all fatalities and accidents requiring hospitalization or medical care by a physician occurring at the facility, institution, or program.
(28) Prohibit any staff member or child to possess any firearms, harmful chemicals, or other weapons within or on the grounds of the institution, facility, or program.
(b) Submit a staff training plan to the department as part of its plan of operation. In addition to the training required of facility, institutional, or program staff, the staff training plan shall include, but not be limited to, training in all of the following subject areas:
(1) Children's rights, as described in subsection (c).
(2) Physical and psycho-social needs of youth.
(3) Appropriate responses to emergencies, including an emergency intervention plan.
(4) Laws and regulations pertaining to residential care and housing facilities for children.
(c)(1) Any child that is enrolled in or a resident of a religious, faith-based, or church nonprofit, other nonprofit, or for profit affiliated youth residential facility, youth social rehabilitation facility, community treatment facility for youths, youth transitional care facility, long term youth residential facility, private alternative boarding school, private alternative outdoor program, and any organization entrusted with the residential care of children in any organizational form or combination defined by this section shall be afforded the following rights and any other rights adopted by the department through rule, which shall be publicly posted and accessible to youth:
a. To be afforded dignity in his or her personal relationships with staff, youth, and other persons.
b. To live in a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment where he or she is treated with respect.
c. To be free from physical, sexual, emotional, or other abuse or corporal punishment.
d. To be granted a reasonable level of personal privacy in accommodations, personal care and assistance, and visits.
e. To confidential care of his or her records and personal information, and to approve release of those records prior to the release of them, except as otherwise authorized or required by law.
f. To care, supervision, and services that meet his or her individual needs and that are delivered by staff who are sufficient in numbers, qualifications, and competency to meet his or her needs and ensure his or her safety.
g. To be served food and beverages of the quality and in the quantity necessary to meet his or her nutritional and physical needs.
h.1. To present grievances and recommend changes in policies, procedures, and services to the facility's staff, management, and governing authority, or any other person without the possibility of restraint, coercion, discrimination, reprisal, threat, or other retaliatory actions.
2. To have the registered entity take prompt actions to respond to grievances presented pursuant to subparagraph 1.
i. To be able to contact parents or legal guardians, including visits and scheduled and unscheduled private telephone conversations, written correspondence, and electronic communications, unless prohibited by court order.
j. To be fully informed, as evidenced by the youth's written acknowledgment, prior to, or at the time of, arrival or admission to the facility, institution, or program, of the rules governing the youth's rights, conduct, and responsibilities.
k. To receive in the admission agreement information that details the planned programs and services for the youth.
l. To have his or her parents or legal guardians remove him or her from the facility at any time unless prevented from doing so by a court order.
m. To consent to have visitors or telephone calls during reasonable hours, privately and without prior notice, if the visitors or telephone calls do not disrupt planned activities and are not prohibited by court order or by the youth's parent or legal guardian.
n. To be free of corporal punishment, excessive medication, physical restraints of any kind, and deprivation of basic necessities, unnecessary seclusion including education, as a punishment, deterrent, or incentive.
o. To be afforded the opportunity to enroll in, make progress toward, and complete a program leading to a General Education Development Certificate or other high school diploma equivalent upon being housed or located at the facility, institution, or program for a period of more than 30 days.
p. To have fair and equal access to all available services, placement, care, treatment, and benefits and to not be subjected to discrimination or harassment on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic group identification, ancestry, national origin, color, religion, sex, mental or physical disability, or physical condition.
q. To be free from abusive, humiliating, degrading, or traumatizing actions.
r. To be free to attend religious services of their choice.
s. Any other rights the department adopts by rule; however, the department is not responsible or liable for violation of the above rights, including acts or omissions by facility employees.
(2) This section shall not apply to any facility administered, operated, licensed, or certified by the State Department of Education, Department of Corrections, Department of Youth Services, the Military Department, state recognized military academies, institutes, or boot camps, the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science, Alabama School of Fine Arts, any state school for the deaf or blind, or any other governmental entity or to a school that does not require residency as requirement for services provided. This section further shall not apply to outdoor activities for youth designed to be primarily recreational or for entertainment, including, but not limited to, any camp inspected and permitted by the Alabama Department of Public Health, activities organized by Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire, or other similar church sponsored organizations, or any camp exclusively serving children with a medical diagnosis for a physical condition or illness, or any runaway or homeless shelter, or any similar place that supplies room and or board only, provided that the resident is free to leave that facility by his or her own volition at any time.
(3) The Department of Public Health shall regularly license and inspect the food preparation areas of the facilities under this statute for health and safety purposes.
(4) Law enforcement agencies shall have access to the private property of the facilities under this statute in furtherance of their duties to investigate abuse or neglect, or for any other lawful purpose.
Last modified: May 3, 2021