Arkansas DHS presents new Division of Youth Services operations manual; aims for accreditation and July rollout

Officials from the Arkansas Department of Human Services told the Senate Children and Youth Committee they have produced a completely new operations manual for the Division of Youth Services and plan to publish it after administrative rules review.

"Today we're bringing forth the DYS's new operations manual. This is a completely new manual," said Isaac Lynam of DHS’s Office of Rules Promulgation. Mark Golden, assistant director of DYS, said the manual is intended to support accreditation and to set expectations for facility operations, services, health and safety.

DHS said it updated the manual as part of a rules-promulgation process and because the prior version lacked detail required for accreditation. Notable additions include a use-of-force section, a family bill of rights and a consent-for-medical-treatment provision that DHS officials said is necessary to avoid gaps in juveniles’ access to care.

The manual is already posted online, officials told the committee, and DHS received no public comments during the comment period. The agency will seek review by the administrative rules subcommittee; if approved, DHS aims to make the manual effective on July 1. Committee members asked whether all facilities were currently accredited; DYS said facilities have historically been accredited by the American Correctional Association but are in the reaccreditation process and expect reaccreditation within the next two years.

The committee voted to record the item as reviewed and to proceed through the normal administrative rules process.