Section 388-865-0545. Use of seclusion and restraint procedures—Adults.

Consumers have the right to be free from seclusion and restraint, including chemical restraint. The use of restraints or seclusion must occur only when there is imminent danger to self or others and less restrictive measures have been determined to be ineffective to protect the consumer or others from harm and the reasons for the determination are clearly documented. The evaluation and treatment facility must develop policies and procedures to assure that restraint and seclusion procedures are utilized only to the extent necessary to ensure the safety of patients and others:

(1) Staff must notify, and receive authorization by, a physician within one hour of initiating patient restraint or seclusion;

(2) The consumer must be informed of the reasons for use of seclusion or restraint and the specific behaviors which must be exhibited in order to gain release from these procedures;

(3) The clinical record must document staff observation of the consumer at least every fifteen minutes and observation recorded in the consumer's clinical record;

(4) If the use of restraint or seclusion exceeds twenty-four hours, a licensed physician must assess the consumer and write a new order if the intervention will be continued. This procedure is repeated again for each twenty-four hour period that restraint or seclusion is used;

(5) All assessments and justification for the use of seclusion or restraint must be documented in the consumer's medical record.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 71.05.560, 71.24.035 (5)(c), 71.34.800, 9.41.047, 43.20B.020, and 43.20B.335. WSR 01-12-047, § 388-865-0545, filed 5/31/01, effective 7/1/01.]

RCW 71.05.560, 71.24.035 (5)(c), 71.34.800, 9.41.047, 43.20B.020, and 43.20B.335. WSR 01-12-047, § 388-865-0545, filed 5/31/01, effective 7/1/01.