Section 411.110  Admission Requirements

a)         Only children and youth who are 13 years of age or older but less than 18 years of age for whom the Department is legally responsible may be placed in the secure child care facility in accordance with Section 5(m-1) of the Children and Family Services Act [20 ILCS 505/5(m-1)].  Each child or youth admitted to a secure child care facility must fully meet the admission requirements established by the Department.

b)         Prior to admission to a secure child care facility, an independent examiner approved by the Department shall complete a face-to-face clinical evaluation of the child or youth and shall complete a written report in the required format that states the child or youth meets the requirements of this Section for admission to a secure child care facility and the reasons for admission.  This report shall include the following components:

1)         An analysis of the child's or youth's presenting problems;

2)         An assessment of the child's or youth's response to his or her current treatment plan and the capacity of the current placement to meet the child's or youth's clinical needs;

3)         A mental status examination, estimate of intellectual functioning level, and DSM-IV or ICD-9-CM diagnosis;

4)         An assessment of the child's or youth's level of risk to self and/or others;

5)         An assessment of the appropriateness of less restrictive placement and treatment options;

6)         A listing of the conditions under which the child or youth may be placed in a non-secure treatment program;

7)         An assessment of the appropriateness of psychiatric hospitalization; and

8)         An assessment of the communication requirements of the child or youth and family, to include oral and written communication in a language other than English and alternative modes of communication for the visually, speech and hearing impaired.

c)         The facility director shall review the referral material to assure that the child or youth meets the admission requirements, and shall submit the application to the Director or designee.

d)         If a child or youth meets the requirements established by the Department for admission to a secure child care facility, the Director or designee shall review the child's or youth's case history, permanency goals, and clinical evaluation in order to determine whether admission to a secure child care facility is in the best interests of the child or youth. The decision to admit requires this level of approval.

e)         Upon approval by the Director or designee, a written request for consent to admit the child or youth to a secure child care facility shall be submitted to the Department's Office of the Guardian.

f)         Admission to the secure child care facility shall be consistent with the requirements for child residents set forth in the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code [405 ILCS 5]. At a minimum, this shall include the following:

1)         An application for admission written in clear non-technical language and including a statement in bold face type notifying the child or youth of his or her right to object to the admission and of the right to a hearing;

2)         A statement listing the child's or youth's rights along with the address and telephone number of the regional offices of the Guardianship and Advocacy Commission and Equip for Equality, Inc., and documentation that notice of submission of the application has been provided to the child's or youth's attorney, Guardian ad Litem, foster parents, and parents;

3)         Completion of necessary release of information forms that are in full compliance with the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act [740 ILCS 110]; and

4)         A written description of the secure child care facility's program.

g)         A child or youth shall not qualify for admission to a secure child care facility based solely on a history of elopement.  Admission must be based on a documented clinical finding that the child's or youth's behavior poses an established pattern of foreseeable serious risk of bodily harm to self or others.