Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Appeal of a finding of noncompliance" means the action taken by a facility or program administrator after a certification audit when there is disagreement with a finding of noncompliance with an individual regulatory requirement.

"Audit team leader" means the person designated by the director or designee to organize and facilitate the certification audit or the audit of a VJCCCA program or office on youth.

"Board" means the Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice.

"Certification" or "certified" means the formal finding that a program or facility is approved to operate for a specific period of time as provided for in 6VAC35-20-100.

"Certification action" means the department's decision to issue or deny certification or to decertify a program or facility as provided for in 6VAC35-20-100 or the board's decision to take action pursuant to 6VAC35-20-115.

"Certification audit" means the process by which designated personnel assess a program's or facility's compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, which includes an on-site visit, the results of which are reported in a certification audit report for certification action as provided for in 6VAC35-20-100. All facilities and court service units regulated by the board shall be subject to certification audits.

"Certification audit report" means the official report of certification audit findings prepared by the audit team leader as provided for in 6VAC35-20-90.

"Certification status" means the type of certification issued to a program or facility, which includes the period of time specified in the certificate, during which the program or facility is approved to operate and must maintain compliance with its regulatory requirements and any corrective action plan.

"Compliance" means meeting the requirements of a standard or an applicable board policy.

"Compliance documentation" means specific documents or information including records, reports, observations, and verbal responses to establish or confirm compliance with a regulatory requirement by a program or facility.

"Conditional certification" means a temporary certification status issued to a new or newly opened facility as provided for in 6VAC35-20-100.

"Corrective action plan" means a written document that, in accordance with 6VAC35-20-91, states what has been or will be done to bring all deficiencies into compliance with regulatory requirements.

"Critical regulatory requirements" means those regulatory requirements for programs or facilities, as defined by the board, that must be maintained at 100% compliance. Critical regulatory requirements were previously termed "mandatory standards."

"Decertified" means a status imposed in accordance with 6VAC35-20-120 when it is determined that a program or facility has not met an acceptable percentage of compliance with its regulatory requirements as provided for in 6VAC35-20-85.

"Deficiency" and "noncompliance" means that the program or facility (i) does not meet or has not demonstrated that it meets regulatory requirements or (ii) does not comply with the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act local plan approved by the board.

"Department" means the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

"Health, welfare, or safety violation" means any action or omission that causes an immediate and substantial threat to the health, welfare, or safety of the juveniles or staff in juvenile residential facilities.

"Juvenile residential facility" or "facility" means a publicly or privately operated facility or placement where 24 hour-per-day care is provided to residents who are separated from their legal guardians and that is certified pursuant to this chapter. As used in this regulation, the term includes juvenile group homes and halfway houses, juvenile secure detention centers, and juvenile correctional centers.

"Monitoring review" means a review by designated department personnel assessing the program's or facility's compliance with regulatory requirements. A monitoring review may be conducted via electronic means and does not require on-site examination of the program or facility. A monitoring review may be done in conjunction with a program's or facility's self-audit, which is provided for in 6VAC35-20-61.

"Monitoring visit" means an on-site evaluation and inspection by designated personnel to assess a program's or facility's compliance with regulatory requirements.

"Newly opened facility" means (i) a facility that is newly constructed or (ii) an existing facility that is being placed in service as a juvenile residential facility.

"Office on Youth" means nonresidential programs funded via the Virginia Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development Act (Chapter 3 (§ 66-26 et seq.) of Title 66 of the Code of Virginia).

"Preliminary summary suspension order" means an order issued by the director as provided in 6VAC35-20-37 taking immediate action against a program or facility when there is a known substantial health, welfare, or safety threat. This order is issued summarily prior to review by the board and is subject to due process protections after issuance.

"Probationary certification" means the temporary status granted to a program or facility to provide a period of time in which to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.

"Program" means a court service unit or a nonresidential service subject to applicable regulatory requirements. For the purpose of this regulation, VJCCCA programs and offices on youth are not included in this definition.

"Program or facility administrator" means the individual responsible for the operations of a program or facility subject to regulatory requirements.

"Regulatory requirement" means a provision of a regulation promulgated by the board to which a program or facility must adhere. A section, subsection, or subdivision of a regulation may include multiple regulatory requirements as provided for in 6VAC35-20-85.

"Status report" means a report that summarizes a review of the areas on which there was a finding of noncompliance and states the program's or facility's compliance standing indicated through the review. For a status report, the regulatory requirements are monitored at the same level of compliance as assessed in the certification audit.

"Summary suspension order" means an order issued by the director in accordance with § 66-24 of the Code of Virginia and 6VAC35-20-37 temporarily suspending a program's or facility's certification.

"Variance" means a board action that relieves a program or facility from having to meet a specific regulatory requirement or develop a corrective action plan for that regulatory requirement for a determined period of time.

"VJCCCA program" means a nonresidential program established under the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (Article 12.1 (§ 16.1-309.2 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 of the Code of Virginia).

"VJCCCA program or office on youth audit" means the on-site visit by designated department personnel to assess a program funded through the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (Article 12.1 (§ 16.1-309.2 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 of the Code of Virginia) or the Virginia Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development Act (Chapter 3 (§ 66-26 et seq.) of Title 66 of the Code of Virginia) for compliance with the regulatory requirements as provided for in 6VAC35-150 (Regulation for Nonresidential Services) and 6VAC35-60 (Minimum Standards for Virginia Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development Act Grant Programs), as applicable.

"VJCCCA program or office on youth audit report" means an official report of a VJCCCA program or office on youth audit.

"Waiver" means a formal statement from the department temporarily excusing a program or facility from meeting a noncritical regulatory requirement pending board action on a formal variance request.

"Written" means the required information is communicated in writing. Such writing may be available in either hard copy or electronic form.