Failure to Employ Qualified Social Worker After Bed Count Increase
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to employ a qualified, certified social worker after its bed count exceeded 120, as required by regulations. Interviews with the Administrator confirmed that the facility had 130 beds and had surpassed the 120-bed threshold since July 2024, but did not have a certified social worker on staff. The current Social Services staff member, who had been employed for two and a half years, lacked formal education or certification in social work and believed she could work under the Administrator's degree in social work. Both the Administrator and the Social Services staff member acknowledged the requirement for a certified social worker given the facility's size, and the Administrator further indicated that there was no policy in place for staffing a social worker.