SECTION 415.275. Clinical Timeout and Quiet Time

(a) The facility shall develop, implement, and enforce policies and procedures that address the use of clinical timeout and quiet time as preventive and de-escalating interventions to prevent a behavioral emergency from occurring and to alleviate or otherwise reduce the necessity for any use of restraint or seclusion.

(b) The policies and procedures shall include the following requirements.

(1) Clinical timeout. A staff member may suggest that an individual initiate clinical timeout.

(A) Prior to clinical timeout, the staff member suggesting that an individual initiate clinical timeout shall explain to the individual that clinical timeout is voluntary.

(B) Each time an individual uses clinical timeout, a staff member shall document that use in the individual's medical record.

(C) The facility's documentation of any use of clinical timeout shall include a description of the conditions under which the clinical timeout was suggested and the individual's response to the suggestion.

(D) A decision by the individual to decline to begin, or remain in, clinical timeout or similar interventions may not result in the staff member's use of restraint or seclusion of the individual, unless the initiation and use of the restraint or seclusion is permitted under, and otherwise meets the requirements of, this subchapter. To physically force or use personal restraint or coercion to direct the individual to a clinical timeout areas or to prevent an individual from leaving an area separated from other individuals receiving services, constitutes a restraint and/or seclusion and renders the procedure subject to the requirements for restraint or seclusion, as applicable, described in this subchapter.

(2) Quiet time. An individual may request the use of quiet time and, unless clinically contraindicated, be granted quiet time.

(A) Under no circumstances may a staff member mandate quiet time for an individual. If a staff member does so, or if the individual wishes to terminate any self-initiated use of quiet time, and a staff member requires the individual to remain, the situation becomes a restraint and/or seclusion, as applicable, and becomes subject to the requirements for restraint or seclusion, as applicable, described in this subchapter.

(B) Unless a staff member terminates quiet time for clinical reasons, the individual may terminate quiet time at any time. Under no circumstances, except for clinical reasons, may a staff member coerce or force a client out of quiet time. If a staff member does so, the situation becomes a restraint and/or seclusion, and becomes subject to the requirements for restraint or seclusion, as applicable, described in this subchapter.

(C) On every occasion that quiet time is denied or terminated for clinical reasons, a staff member shall document in the medical record the conditions under which the quiet time was denied or terminated.

Source Note: The provisions of this §415.275 adopted to be effective July 22, 2014, 39 TexReg 5581