00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 223                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to the qualifications for residential psychiatric treatment center                                     
02 caregiver staff; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 47.32 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
05            Sec. 47.32.055. Residential psychiatric treatment caregiver qualifications                                 
06       and training. (a) In addition to the other requirements of this chapter, an applicant for                       
07       a license or renewal of a license to operate a residential psychiatric treatment center                           
08       must comply with the standards set out in this section relating to training and                                   
09       scheduling of caregivers.                                                                                         
10            (b)  A caregiver employed by a residential psychiatric treatment center must                                 
11       have                                                                                                              
12                 (1)  a bachelor's degree;                                                                               
13                 (2)  completed not less than two years of work experience in the                                        
14       treatment of severely emotionally disturbed children and                                                          

01                      (A)  have an associate degree; or                                                                  
02                      (B)  have completed not less than two years of full-time course                                    
03            work toward a bachelor's degree;                                                                             
04                 (3)  completed not less than four years of work experience as a                                         
05       caregiver of severely emotionally disturbed children and                                                          
06                      (A)  have a high school diploma or general educational                                             
07            development diploma; or                                                                                      
08                      (B)  have completed the training provided or approved under (c)                                    
09            of this section; or                                                                                          
10                 (4)  completed the training provided or approved under (c) of this                                      
11       section and                                                                                                       
12                      (A)  have a high school diploma or general educational                                             
13            development diploma; and                                                                                     
14                      (B)  be assigned to work at the center only during hours in                                        
15            which an individual is on duty at the center who has a bachelor's degree in a                                
16            human-services-related field or who meets the requirement of (1) or (2) of this                              
17            subsection.                                                                                                  
18            (c)  The department shall provide or approve mandatory training for caregivers                               
19       employed by a residential psychiatric treatment center in the state.                                              
20            (d)  In this section, "caregiver" means an individual employed by a residential                              
21       psychiatric treatment center to provide direct care and supervision of children admitted                          
22       to the center and who is not a physician, registered nurse, or mental health                                      
23       professional.                                                                                                     
24    * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
25 read:                                                                                                                   
26       TRANSITION. Applications approved or renewed by the Department of Health and                                      
27 Social Services for licensing of a residential psychiatric treatment center before the effective                        
28 date of this Act shall be reviewed for compliance with this Act, and a notice shall be mailed to                        
29 licensees notifying the licensees of the requirements under AS 47.32.055.                                               
30    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).