Seclusion and restraint: developmental services: health facilities.

Existing law requires the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to develop technical assistance and training programs to support the efforts of community care facilities, group homes, skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, and mental health rehabilitation centers, among others, to reduce or eliminate the use of seclusion and behavioral restraints in these facilities. Existing law requires specified entities within the California Health and Human Services Agency to take steps to establish a system of mandatory, consistent, timely, and publicly accessible data collection regarding the use of seclusion and behavioral restraints in state hospitals operated by the State Department of State Hospitals, facilities operated by the State Department of Developmental Services, and other specified facilities that utilize seclusion or behavioral restraints. Under existing law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, the State Department of Developmental Services contracts with regional centers to provide services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities. Existing law requires all vendors and long-term health care facilities, as defined, to report special incidents to a regional center, including, among other things, incidents of physical and chemical restraint. Existing law requires a regional center that receives information from a special incident report regarding the use of physical or chemical restraint, to report that information to the department, as specified. This bill would require the department to ensure the consistent, timely, and public reporting of data it receives from regional centers and other specified facilities regarding the use of physical or chemical restraint and to publish that information on its Internet Web site. This bill would also require regional center vendors that provide residential services or supported living services, long-term health care facilities, as defined, and acute psychiatric hospitals, as defined, to report each death or serious injury of a person occurring during, or related to, the use of seclusion, physical restraint, or chemical restraint, as specified. This bill would make related findings and declarations.