Virginia Law

A. The provider shall implement a written assessment policy. The policy shall define how assessments will be conducted and documented.

B. The provider shall actively involve the individual and the individual's authorized representative, if applicable, in the preparation of initial and comprehensive assessments and in subsequent reassessments. In these assessments and reassessments, the provider shall consider the individual's needs, strengths, goals, preferences, and abilities within the individual's cultural context.

C. The assessment policy shall designate employees or contractors who are responsible for conducting assessments. These employees or contractors shall have experience in working with the needs of individuals who are being assessed, the assessment tools being utilized, and the provision of services that the individuals may require.

D. Assessment is an ongoing activity. The provider shall make reasonable attempts to obtain previous assessments or relevant history.

E. An assessment shall be initiated prior to or at admission to the service. With the participation of the individual and the individual's authorized representative, if applicable, the provider shall complete an initial assessment detailed enough to determine whether the individual qualifies for admission and to initiate an ISP for those individuals who are admitted to the service. This assessment shall assess immediate service, health, and safety needs, and, at a minimum, include the individual's:

1. Diagnosis;

2. Presenting needs, including the individual's stated needs, psychiatric needs, support needs, and the onset and duration of problems;

3. Current medical problems;

4. Current medications;

5. Current and past substance use or abuse, including co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders; and

6. At-risk behavior to self and others.

F. A comprehensive assessment shall update and finalize the initial assessment. The timing for completion of the comprehensive assessment shall be based upon the nature and scope of the service but shall occur no later than 30 days after admission for providers of mental health and substance abuse services and 60 days after admission for providers of developmental services. The comprehensive assessment shall address:

1. Onset and duration of problems;

2. Social, behavioral, developmental, and family history and supports;

3. Cognitive functioning, including strengths and weaknesses;

4. Employment, vocational, and educational background;

5. Previous interventions and outcomes;

6. Financial resources and benefits;

7. Health history and current medical care needs, to include:

a. Allergies;

b. Recent physical complaints and medical conditions;

c. Nutritional needs;

d. Chronic conditions;

e. Communicable diseases;

f. Restrictions on physical activities, if any;

g. Restrictive protocols or special supervision requirements;

h. Past serious illnesses, serious injuries, and hospitalizations;

i. Serious illnesses and chronic conditions of the individual's parents, siblings, and significant others in the same household; and

j. Current and past substance use, including alcohol, prescription and nonprescription medications, and illicit drugs.

8. Psychiatric and substance use issues, including current mental health or substance use needs, presence of co-occurring disorders, history of substance use or abuse, and circumstances that increase the individual's risk for mental health or substance use issues;

9. History of abuse, neglect, sexual or domestic violence, or trauma, including psychological trauma;

10. Legal status, including authorized representative, commitment, and representative payee status;

11. Relevant criminal charges or convictions and probation or parole status;

12. Daily living skills;

13. Housing arrangements;

14. Ability to access services, including transportation needs; and

15. As applicable, and in all residential services, fall risk, communication methods or needs, and mobility and adaptive equipment needs.

G. Providers of short-term intensive services, including inpatient and crisis stabilization services, shall develop policies for completing comprehensive assessments within the time frames appropriate for those services.

H. Providers of nonintensive or short-term services shall meet the requirements for the initial assessment at a minimum. Nonintensive services are services provided in jails, nursing homes, or other locations when access to records and information is limited by the location and nature of the services. Short-term services typically are provided for less than 60 days.

I. Providers may utilize standardized state or federally sanctioned assessment tools that do not meet all the criteria of this section as the initial or comprehensive assessment tools as long as the tools assess the individual's health and safety issues and substantially meet the requirements of this section.

J. Individuals who receive medication-only services shall be reassessed at least annually to determine whether there is a change in the need for additional services and the effectiveness of the medication.

K. This section does not apply to crisis services as crisis services shall comply with Part VIII of this chapter.