(a) Any person may request an inspection of any community care facility, or certified family home or resource family of a foster family agency, in accordance with this chapter by transmitting to the state department notice of an alleged violation of applicable requirements prescribed by statutes or regulations of this state, including, but not limited to, a denial of access of any person authorized to enter the facility pursuant to § 9701 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. A complaint may be made either orally or in writing.

(b) The substance of the complaint shall be provided to the licensee, or certified family home or resource family and foster family agency, no earlier than at the time of the inspection. Unless the complainant specifically requests otherwise, neither the substance of the complaint provided to the licensee, or certified family home or resource family and foster family agency, nor any copy of the complaint or any record published, released, or otherwise made available to the licensee, or certified family home or resource family and foster family agency, shall disclose the name of any person mentioned in the complaint except the name of any duly authorized officer, employee, or agent of the state department conducting the investigation or inspection pursuant to this chapter.

Terms Used In California Health and Safety Code 1538

  • certified family home: means an individual or family certified by a licensed foster family agency and issued a certificate of approval by that agency as meeting licensing standards, and used exclusively by that foster family agency for placements. See California Health and Safety Code 1506
  • Community care facility: means any facility, place, or building that is maintained and operated to provide nonmedical residential care, day treatment, adult daycare, or foster family agency services for children, adults, or children and adults, including, but not limited to, the physically handicapped, mentally impaired, incompetent persons, and abused or neglected children, and includes the following:

    California Health and Safety Code 1502

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • department: means State Department of Health Services. See California Health and Safety Code 20
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Foster family agency: means any public agency or private organization, organized and operated on a nonprofit basis, engaged in any of the following:

    California Health and Safety Code 1502

  • Group home: means a residential facility that provides 24-hour care and supervision to children, delivered at least in part by staff employed by the licensee in a structured environment. See California Health and Safety Code 1502
  • Person: means any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, corporation, limited liability company, or company. See California Health and Safety Code 19
  • Residential facility: means any family home, group care facility, or similar facility determined by the department, for 24-hour nonmedical care of persons in need of personal services, supervision, or assistance essential for sustaining the activities of daily living or for the protection of the individual. See California Health and Safety Code 1502
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23
  • state department: means the State Department of Social Services. See California Health and Safety Code 1502

(c) (1) Upon receipt of a complaint, other than a complaint alleging denial of a statutory right of access to a community care facility, or certified family home or resource family of a foster family agency, the state department shall make a preliminary review and, unless the state department determines that the complaint is willfully intended to harass a licensee, certified family home, or resource family, or is without any reasonable basis, it shall make an onsite inspection of the community care facility, certified family home, or resource family home within 10 days after receiving the complaint, except where a visit would adversely affect the licensing investigation or the investigation of other agencies. In either event, the complainant shall be promptly informed of the state department’s proposed course of action.

(2) If the department determines that the complaint is intended to harass, is without a reasonable basis, or, after a site inspection, is unfounded, then the complaint and any documents related to it shall be marked confidential and shall not be disclosed to the public. If the complaint investigation included a site visit, the licensee, or certified family home or resource family and foster family agency, shall be notified in writing within 30 days of the dismissal that the complaint has been dismissed.

(d) Upon receipt of a complaint alleging denial of a statutory right of access to a community care facility, or certified family home or resource family home of a foster family agency, the department shall review the complaint. The complainant shall be notified promptly of the department’s proposed course of action.

(e) The department shall commence performance of complaint inspections of certified family homes upon the employment of sufficient personnel to carry out this function, and by no later than June 30, 1999. Upon implementation, the department shall notify all licensed foster family agencies.

(f) Upon receipt of a complaint concerning the care of a client in an Adult Residential Facility for Persons with Special Health Care Needs or a Group Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs licensed pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 1567.50), the department shall notify the appropriate regional center and the State Department of Developmental Services for the purposes of investigating the complaint.

(g) Upon receipt of a complaint concerning the vendorization of an Adult Residential Facility for Persons with Special Health Care Needs or a Group Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs, the department shall notify the State Department of Developmental Services for purposes of investigating the complaint.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 76, Sec. 8. (AB 136) Effective July 16, 2021.)

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