Section 350.650  Residents' Advisory Council

a)         Each facility shall establish a residents' advisory council consisting of at least five resident members.  If there are not five residents capable of functioning on the residents' advisory council, as determined by the Interdisciplinary Team and based upon evaluations of the comprehensive functional assessments, residents' representatives shall take the place of the required number of residents.  The administrator shall designate a member of the facility staff (other than the administrator) to coordinate the establishment of, and render assistance to, the council. (Section 2-203 of the Act)

b)         Each facility shall develop and implement a plan for assuring a liaison with concerned individuals and groups in the local community.  Ways in which this requirement can be met include, but are not limited to, the following:

1)         Including community members such as volunteers, family members, residents' friends, residents' advocates, or community representatives on the council;

2)         Establishing a separate community advisory group with persons of the residents' choosing; or

3)         Finding a church or civic group to "adopt" the facility.

c)         The resident members shall be elected to the council by vote of their fellow residents, and the non-resident members shall be elected to the council by vote of the resident members of the council.

d)         In facilities of 50 or fewer beds, the council may consist of all of the residents of the facility, if the residents choose to operate in this way.

e)         All residents' advisory councils shall elect at least a chairperson or president and a vice chairperson or vice president from among the members of the council.  These persons shall preside at the meetings of the council, assisted by the facility staff person designated by the administrator to provide assistance.

f)         Some facilities may wish to establish mini-residents' advisory councils for various smaller units within the facility.  If this is done, each unit shall be represented on an overall facility residents' advisory council with the composition described in subsection (a).

g)         All residents' advisory council meetings shall be open to participation by all residents and by their representatives.

h)         No employee or affiliate of any facility shall be a member of any council.  Employees or affiliates persons may attend to discuss interests or functions of the non-members when invited by a majority of the officers of the council.  (Section 2-203(a) of the Act)

i)          The council shall meet at least once each month with the staff coordinator who shall provide assistance to the council in preparing and disseminating a report of each meeting to all residents, the administrator, and the staff. (Section 2-203(b) of the Act)

j)          Records of the council meetings shall be maintained in the office of the administrator.  (Section 2-203(c) of the Act)

k)         The residents' advisory council may communicate to the administrator the opinions and concerns of the residents.  The council shall review procedures for implementing resident rights and facility responsibilities and make recommendations for changes or additions that will strengthen the facility's policies and procedures as they affect residents' rights and facility responsibilities.  (Section 2-203(d) of the Act)

l)          The council shall be a forum for:

1)         Obtaining and disseminating information;

2)         Soliciting and adopting recommendations for facility programming and improvements; and

3)         Early identification and for recommending orderly resolution of problems.  (Section 2-203(e) of the Act)

m)        The council may present complaints on behalf of a resident to the Department, the DD Facility Advisory Board or to any other person it considers appropriate. (Section 2-203(f) of the Act)

n)         Families and friends of residents who live in the community retain the right to form family councils.

1)         If there is a family council in the facility, or if one is formed at the request of family members or the ombudsman, a facility shall make information about the family council available to all current and prospective residents, their families and their representatives.  The information shall be provided by the family council, prospective members or the ombudsman.

2)         If a family council is formed, facilities shall provide a place for the family council to meet.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 10519, effective June 2, 2022)