MUI Definitions and Reporting

Major Unusual Incidents: Classification and Definitions

Timely reporting of MUI’s help improve the quality of services for those we support and help keep them safe.  Our MUI team is here to help you understand what to report and when.  All roles and responsibilities of County Board staff and providers can be found in the MUI Rule.  Also, check out the other resources found in the Department of Developmental Disabilities Health and Safety Toolkit. If you still have questions please contact us.

4 Hour Notifications

Immediate to 4 hour reporting is required for:

  1. Accidental or suspicious death: Death of an individual resulting from an accident or suspicious circumstances.
  2. Exploitation: Unlawful or improper act of using an individual or an individual’s resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain.
  3. Misappropriation: With intent to deprive, defraud, or otherwise obtain real or personal property of an individual.
  4. Neglect: When there is a duty to do so, failing to provide medical care, personal care or other supports that consequently results in the serious injury or places an individual or another person at risk of serious injury. (Serious injury means an injury that results in treatment by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner).
  5. Peer-to-Peer acts: One of the following incidents involving two individuals eligible for services:
    • Peer-to-peer exploitation: Unlawful or improper act of using an individual or an individual’s resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit or gain.
    • Peer-to-peer physical: Physical altercation that results in examination or treatment by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner; involves strangulation, bloody nose, bloody lip, black eye, concussion or biting that causes breaking of the skin; results in an individual being arrested, incarcerated, or the subject of criminal charges.
    • Peer-to-peer sexual: Sexual conduct and/or contact between two individuals served for the purpose of gratification without the consent of the other person.
    • Peer-to-peer theft: Intentional theft of an individual’s money or property. Must be $20+ or property of significant value.
    • Peer-to-peer verbal: One individual served uses words, gestures or other communicative means to purposefully threaten, coerce or intimidate the other individual served when there is the opportunity and ability to carry out the threat.
  6. Physical abuse: Physical force that can reasonably be expected to result in harm; does not have to actually result in harm.
  7. Prohibited sexual relations: County Board employee or provider staff engaging in consensual sexual conduct or contact with an individual served who is not their spouse.
  8. Sexual abuse: Unlawful sexual conduct or contact with an individual served including, public indecency, importuning, and voyeurism.
  9. Verbal abuse: Use of words, gestures, or other communicative means (i.e. texts, emails, etc.) to threaten, coerce, intimidate, harass, or humiliate an individual.
  10. Media Inquiry: Media contacts you regarding MUI.

4 Hour Reporting Steps

Step 1: Immediate Actions

  • Take immediate actions to ensure the health and safety of the individual

Step 2: Report immediately, but no later than 4 hours after discovery

  • How to Report
    • During business hours (8 am to 4 pm, M-F): 330-634-8MUI (8684)
    • Afterhours MUI Reporting Number: 877-271-6733
    • If there are difficulties in reporting to Summit DD you may reach the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities hotline at 866-313-6733

Please be prepared with as much information as possible when making this initial notification, including where the incident happened, who was present, as many details as possible about the incident (who, what, when, where, why), the immediate action taken to ensure health and safety, and what notifications were made.

Step 3: Submit written incident report by 3 p.m. the day after discovery

  • How to Report


    • MU********@su******.org











    • MUI Fax #: 330-634-8553

Written Report Only

Written reporting (by 3 p.m. the day after discovery) is required for:

  1. Attempted Suicide: A physical attempt that results in ER treatment, inpatient observation or hospital admission
  2. Non-suspicious or natural deaths: Death of an individual from natural causes, without any suspicious circumstances
  3. Failure to report: A person who is required to report per the Ohio Revised Code unreasonably failed to report abuse, neglect, misappropriation or exploitation that knew or should have known an incident occurred and failure to report would result in a substantial risk of harm to the individual.
  4. Law enforcement: Any incident that results in an individual served being arrested, charged, or incarcerated; incidents of individuals being tased by law enforcement should also be reported
  5. Missing individuals: An incident that is not considered neglect and an individual’s whereabouts, after immediate measures are taken, are unknown and the individual is believed to be at imminent risk of harm to self or others
  6. Medical emergencies*: Incident where emergency intervention is required to save an individual’s life
  7. Rights Code violation*: Any violation of an individual’s rights stated in Ohio Revised Code that creates a likely risk of harm to the health or welfare of the individual
  8. Significant injury*: An injury of known or unknown cause that is not considered abuse or neglect and that results in concussion, broken bone, dislocation, second or third degree burns or that requires immobilization, casting or five or more sutures
  9. Unapproved behavioral support*: Use of a prohibited or restrictive measures without being part of an approved plan as defined by the Ohio Administrative Code that results in risk to the person served
  10. Unanticipated hospitalization*: Any hospital admission or hospital stay over 24 hrs. that is not planned, unless admission is due to a pre- existing condition which is clearly specified in the ISP

*MUIs that only need filed when incident occurs while with a certified DD provider

MUI Incident Reports must be completed by any person who provides any type of service to an individual with developmental disabilities (even if they are not working at the time they found out about the incident).

Written Report Only Reporting Steps

Step 1: Immediate Actions

  • Take immediate actions to ensure the health and safety of the individual

Step 2: Submit written incident report by 3 p.m. the day after discovery

  • How to Report


    • MU********@su******.org











    • MUI Fax #: 330-634-8553

Please include as much information as possible when submitting incident reports. See the Report Writing Tips as a guide to writing your MUI report.

Report Writing Tips

  1. Stick to the facts (avoid opinions)
  2. Avoid use of initials and “I/we” in the descriptions (use names)
  3. Use the 5 Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why (causes)
  4. Include type/location of any injuries
  5. Include immediate actions taken after the incident to ensure the health and welfare of the individual(s) involved

Immediate Action Suggestions

  1. Assessed for Injury/Initiated first aid
  2. Called 911
  3. Separated individuals
  4. Removed PPI (primary person involved) from work schedule
  5. Notified law enforcement
  6. Secured the money
  7. Any other actions to keep individuals safe
  8. Important Note: Calling the MUI Unit is not considered an immediate action

Of course, the MUI email and phone numbers are not meant to handle real-time emergencies or life-threatening situations. If you see that a person is in a life-threatening situation, please call 911 immediately. Once an individual’s health and safety has been ensured, please then follow the appropriate notification steps and timeframes with the Summit DD MUI department.

MUI and UI Information and Documentation

Additional information about the MUI process 

Check out these helpful links:

Find the complete Major Unusual Incidents (MUIs) rule on the DODDD website.

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