(1) On days your facility is operational, you must have an on-site program manager at your facility during business hours when youth are present. Staffed residential facilities licensed for five or fewer are required to have an on-site program manager during business hours when youth are present if the focus of the program is behavioral and a child's behavior poses a risk. The on-site program manager must meet the qualifications to:

(a) Coordinate the day-to-day operations of the program;

(b) Supervise the case management and direct care staff; and

(c) Have the responsibility to ensure the completion of each child's plan of care and treatment.

(2) When youth are not present and the program manager is not on-site, he or she must be available by telephone.

(3) An on-site program manager must have one or more of the following:

(a) A master's degree in social services or a closely related field from an accredited school and one year of experience working with children or youth;

(b) A bachelor's degree in social services or a closely related field from an accredited school and two years of experience working with children or youth;

(c) Five years of successful full-time experience in a relevant field working with children or youth; and

(i) Supervisory abilities that promote effective staff performance; and

(ii) Relevant experience, training and demonstrated skills in each area that he or she will be managing or supervising.

(4) An on-site program manager must not provide clinical oversight to case management staff unless they meet the supervision requirements in WAC 388-145-1440(3).

(5) A case management staff or person with equivalent training and experience of an on-site program manager may satisfy this requirement.

(6) For overnight youth shelters, the required prior experience must be in working with adolescents.