Section 388-61A-0620. What are the additional standards for shelter homes?

Shelter homes must meet the following additional standards in order for a domestic violence agency to contract with us:

(1) Shelter homes must provide at least one toilet, sink, and bathing facility for each fifteen clients or fraction of this number. The floors of all toilet and bathing facilities must be resistant to moisture.

(2) You must have at least one telephone at the shelter for incoming and outgoing calls. Next to the telephone in shelter homes you must post in English and other languages predominantly served by the domestic violence agency:

(a) Emergency telephone numbers.

(b) Instructions on how shelter residents can access domestic violence agency staff.

(3) In shelter homes all bathrooms, toilet rooms, laundry rooms, and janitor closets containing wet mops and brushes must have natural or mechanical ventilation in order to prevent objectionable odors and condensation.

(4) When staff serve food to clients in shelter homes, the staff must prepare the food in compliance with chapter 246-215 WAC, Temporary food service establishment.

(5) Shelter homes must request an annual fire and life safety inspection from their local fire department or fire marshal. The domestic violence agency must maintain documentation of the request as well as any report issued as a result of the inspection. Any violations noted by the inspector must be immediately corrected by the domestic violence agency.

(6) Shelter homes must meet the following requirements for bedrooms:

(a) Bedrooms must have a minimum ceiling height of seven and one-half feet.

(b) Bedrooms must provide at least fifty square feet of usable floor area per bed.

(c) Floor area where the ceiling height is less than five feet cannot be considered as usable floor area.

(7) When clients are residing in a shelter home at least one domestic violence agency staff member must be present or on-call to go to the shelter home twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week.

(8) When a shelter home is not a component of a domestic violence agency, the shelter home and domestic violence agency must have a written working agreement before the shelter home receives clients from the domestic violence agency. At a minimum, the written working agreement must include:

(a) Confirmation that the domestic violence agency has inspected the shelter home and that the shelter home complies with the general facility and additional standards for shelter homes.

(b) How supportive services will be provided to clients residing in shelter, and who will provide the supportive services.

(c) Verification that the staff providing supportive services, and staff supervisors, meet the training and experience requirements outlined in this rule.

[Statutory Authority: Chapter 70.123 RCW. WSR 10-22-040, § 388-61A-0620, filed 10/27/10, effective 11/27/10.]

Chapter 70.123 RCW. WSR 10-22-040, § 388-61A-0620, filed 10/27/10, effective 11/27/10.

Rules

246-215,