Virginia Law

A. Except for placements pursuant to a court order or resulting from a transfer between residential facilities located in Virginia and operated by the same governing authority, all admissions shall be based on evaluation of an application for admission.

B. Providers shall develop and fully complete, prior to acceptance for care, an application for admission that is designed to compile information necessary to determine:

1. The educational needs of the prospective resident;

2. The mental health, emotional, and psychological needs of the prospective resident;

3. The physical health needs, including the immunization needs, of the prospective resident;

4. The protection needs of the prospective resident;

5. The suitability of the prospective resident's admission;

6. The behavior support needs of the prospective resident; and

7. Information necessary to develop a service plan and a behavior support plan.

C. Each facility shall develop and implement written procedures to assess each prospective resident as part of the application process to ensure that:

1. The needs of the prospective resident can be addressed by the facility's services;

2. The facility's staff are trained to meet the prospective resident's needs; and

3. The admission of the prospective resident would not pose any significant risk to (i) the prospective resident or (ii) the facility's residents or staff.