Youth Opportunity Center, Inc.

CLIENTS RIGHTS, OPPORTUNITIES, RESPONSIBILITIES & PROBLEM SOLVING PROCEDURES

Reference # 8-1-1

Upon the admission to any YOC program, the “Clients Rights, Opportunities, Responsibilities, and Problem Solving Procedures” will be thoroughly explained to the client and guardian as part of the orientation meeting. The client and guardian will sign the Problem Solving Procedures and Client’s Rights, Responsibilities, and Opportunities form to verify that it was reviewed.  The signed form will be included in the client’s master file.  A copy of this document “Clients Rights, Opportunities, Responsibilities and Problem Solving Procedures” will be included in the orientation packet. The resident orientation will occur at the initial intake with the program.  The parent/ guardian orientation will occur at the convenience of the parent/guardian.  Accommodations will be made in the event that a client/guardian has special communication needs or language barriers that require additional assistance when reviewing this document.  Client and guardian grievances will be reviewed with the designated program and/or clinical director for awareness and follow up.  All grievances will be tracked and reviewed quarterly by the outcomes committee.

Clients serviced by the YOC have the following rights:  

• The right to participate in decisions and make informed choices regarding available service options, including benefits, alternatives, and potential risks of services. You will also be informed on how YOC supports your achievement of desired outcomes.
• The right to have your opinions heard and be included, to the greatest extent possible, when any decisions are being made which affect your life or your treatment.
• The right to participate in the development, revisions, and reviews of your individualized treatment plan.
• The right to refuse services, treatment, or medications provided that you are voluntarily participating in programs, not under the jurisdiction of the courts.
• The right to be treated with respect by other clients and staff.
• The right to be educated about the program rules/expectations.
• The right to be informed of behavior expectations and the possible incentives that might be awarded or the consequences issued.
• The right to receive services in a manner that is non-coercive, fair and equitable and non-discriminatory.
• The right to be free from physical abuse and inhumane treatment, and to be protected from all forms of sexual exploitation while in our care.
• The right to receive reasonable and appropriate adult supervision, guidance, and support while in our care.
• The right to freedom of thought and religious beliefs.
• The right to live in a clean and safe environment, if residentially placed at YOC.
• The right to reasonable privacy.
• The right to limited confidentiality regarding your case.
• The right to receive appropriate food, clothing, and housing if residentially placed at the YOC.
• The right to wear your own clothes and keep your own personal possessions, in accordance with the rules of the program.
• The right to receive adequate and appropriate medical and psychiatric care in the least restrictive setting possible suited to meet your individual needs.
• The right to receive counseling and behavioral health services.
• The right to request copies of your own medical records, to see the records at reasonable times, and to be given written reasons if the request is denied.
• The right to the same consideration and treatment as anyone else, regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, political affiliation, sexual orientation, financial status, or disability.
• The right to be given the names and professional status of all staff members responsible for your care.
• The right not to be finger printed unless required by law.
• The right not to be photographed for fundraising or marketing events on campus without the consent from the parent or legal guardian. (Clients photographs will be taken at intake for identification and administrative purposes; however, these will not be released without the consent of the parent or guardian).
• The right to receive assistance from the Client Representative (Director of Quality Assurance, Ext. 2205) in making complaints and to receive copies of the complaint procedures.

Opportunities while placed at the YOC:

• You will have opportunities for recreation, wellness, community involvement and other special activities.
• You will have frequent and convenient opportunities to meet with visitors who have been approved by the placing agent and the courts. The frequency and duration of these visits will be based upon your individual needs and treatment goals.
• You will have opportunities to communicate, in privacy, in writing or on the telephone, with significant others outside the facility who are designated on the “approved contact list” by the placing agent and the courts.
• You will have opportunities to participate in educational programs that meet your individual needs and help maximize your potential.
• You will have opportunities to visit, correspond, or telephone your attorney, clergyman, physician, client representative, legal custodian or placing agent at appropriate times.

Responsibilities while serviced by the YOC:

• It is your responsibility to be courteous and respectful to others.
• It is your responsibility to participate in all services and programs ordered by the court.
• It is your responsibility to provide treatment relevant information as a basis for receiving services and participating in service decisions.
• It is your responsibility to follow the rules of the program and daily schedule, as applicable.
• It is your responsibility to follow the directives of staff/counselor.
• It is your responsibility to ask questions when you do not understand the expectations.
• It is your responsibility to communicate problems or concerns in an appropriate manner (see problem solving procedures).
• It is your responsibility to maintain a clean living environment as applicable.
• It is your responsibility to care for the facility property.

Miscellaneous Expectations:

• Refusal of services may result in consequences up to and including termination of services.
• The YOC provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Business Hours for the YOC are 8am-5pm Monday through Friday.  In the event of an after hours emergency, contact the supervisor on duty for further direction.

It is the goal of the YOC to ensure that all clients and guardians are treated with respect, honesty, and professionalism.  As a client or guardian, you have a role and a responsibility in reporting any problems or concerns, which you may be a part of or witness.  Therefore, we need you to follow these steps when problems or concerns arise.

Concern: Concern is defined as a problem, difficulty, or disagreement, involving any of the rights above. Any client or other person (including staff) acting on behalf of any client may use the problem solving procedure.

 Client Representative: The YOC will post in each building in a central location, the name and address of an employee who will act as the Client Representative.  The Client Representative is the Director of Quality Assurance, who will be responsible to investigate any concern regarding services, staff, programs or the agency in general.

Incident Reports: An incident report is a form that clients and guardians can use to document their concerns.  Incident reports will be available in each program and building and should be provided by staff.

Time Limit: The concern should be reported as quickly as possible or within 25 days of becoming aware of the incident in question.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality of all client information relating to the concern shall be maintained throughout all steps.

• Step 1– Informal Discussion: The client and/or the parent/guardian should talk over the concern with the Program Manager or Counselor. In most cases, concerns are easily resolved through discussion; however, if one feels uncomfortable doing this, one may go to the next step.
• Step 2– Problem Solving Procedure: If an agreement is not reached during the informal discussion, the client/guardian should fill out an incident report, letter or other form of written documentation. Client/guardian should request an incident report from the Program Manager, Counselor, or other YOC staff.  The completed form or letter should be placed in a sealed envelope and sent to the Director of Quality Assurance. The client or guardian may request assistance from staff to help with this process in any way.  The Director of Quality Assurance will review the concern; talk with the Program Manager or Counselor and gather all information and documentation relating to the concern.  The Director of Quality Assurance will then contact the client/guardian to discuss the concern, the information that was reviewed, and any follow up action that has been taken.  The Director of Quality Assurance will document this on the “action taken” section of the incident report or on the bottom of the letter.  Additionally, written communication will be provided to the client/guardian as to the response or action taken by the Director of Quality Assurance.
• Step 3– If the client/guardian is not satisfied with the Director of Quality Assurance decision at Step 2; client/guardian should contact the Program or Clinical Director for further action. The appropriate Program/Clinical Director will meet with the Director of Quality Assurance to review the information that was obtained during step 2.  The Program/Clinical Director may investigate further and will make a decision.  The Program/Clinical Director will contact the client/guardian to discuss the concern, the information that was reviewed and any additional follow up action that may be taken.  The Clinical/Program Director will follow up in writing to the client/guardian in a timely manner.
• Step 4– If the client/guardian is not satisfied with the Step 3 decision, client/guardian should contact the Chief Operations Officer for further action. Step 4 is a review of the concern by the Chief Operations Officer, Chief Executive Officer and other Management Team representatives (as applicable).  The CEO or his/her designee will contact the client/guardian, communicate the decision and communicate any additional follow up needed internally or with the client/guardian.  Written documentation will be provided to the client/guardian and copied to the Director of Quality Assurance.

The Youth Opportunity Center is licensed through the State of Indiana and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation.  These agencies may be contacted for further assistance if needed.

Department of Child Services
Council on Accreditation
Residential Licensing Unit

45 Broadway, 29^th Floor
302 W. Washington Street
New York, NY 10006
Room E 306 MS 08
1-212-797-3000

Indianapolis, IN 46204
1-317-232-8116

Discrimination is Against the Law

The Youth Opportunity Center complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

The Youth Opportunity Center does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

The Youth Opportunity Center:

• Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us.
• Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

If you need these services, contact Paula Anderson, Director of Compliance or Justin Wallen, Director of Quality Assurance.

If you believe that the Youth Opportunity Center has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Paula Anderson, Director of Compliance or Justin Wallen, Director of Quality Assurance is available to help you.

Mason Radabaugh, Director of Quality Assurance
mradabaugh@yocinc.org

Lynn Doppler, Chief Operations Officer
ldoppler@yocinc.org

3700 W Kilgore Ave, Muncie, IN 47304
(p) 765.289.5437 (f) 765.751.7999
(p) 765.289.5437 (f) 765.741.5269

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC) by calling 1-800-628-2909 or filing electronically at in.gov/icrc/

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or telephone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F
HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019; 1-800-537-7697 (TDD)

Discrimination is Against the Law (Continued)

Español (Spanish): The Youth Opportunity Center cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo.

繁體中文(Chinese): The Youth Opportunity Center 遵守適用的聯邦民權法律規定，不因種族、膚色、民族血統、年齡、殘障或性別而歧視任何人。

Deutsch (German): The Youth Opportunity Center erfüllt geltenden bundesstaatliche Menschenrechtsgesetze und lehnt jegliche Diskriminierung aufgrund von Rasse, Hautfarbe, Herkunft, Alter, Behinderung oder Geschlecht ab.

Deitsch (Pennsylvania Dutch): The Youth Opportunity Center iss willich, die Gsetze (federal civil rights) vun die Owwerichkeet zu folliche un duht alle Leit behandle in der seem Weg. Es macht nix aus, vun wellem Schtamm ebber beikummt, aus wellem Land die Voreldre kumme sinn, was fer en Elt ebber hot, eb ebber en Mann iss odder en Fraa, verkrippelt iss odder net.

العربية (Arabic): وأ نوللا وأ قرعلا ساسأ ىلع زیمی لاو اھب لومعملا ةیلاردفلا ةیندملا قوقحلا نیناوقب The Youth Opportunity Center مزتلی .سنجلا وأ ةقاعلإا وأ نسلا وأ ينطولا لصلأا

한국어(Korean): The Youth Opportunity Center 은(는) 관련 연방 공민권법을 준수하며 인종, 피부색, 출신 국가, 연령, 장애 또는 성별을 이유로 차별하지 않습니다.

Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese): The Youth Opportunity Center tuân thủ luật dân quyền hiện hành của Liên bang và không phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da, nguồn gốc quốc gia, độ tuổi, khuyết tật, hoặc giới tính. 

Français (French): The Youth Opportunity Center respecte les lois fédérales en vigueur relatives aux droits civiques et ne pratique aucune discrimination basée sur la race, la couleur de peau, l’origine nationale, l’âge, le sexe ou un handicap.

日本語(Japanese): The Youth Opportunity Center は適用される連邦公民権法を遵守し、人種、肌の色、出身国、年齢、障害または性別に基づく差別をいたしません。 

Nederlands (Dutch): The Youth Opportunity Center voldoet aan de geldende wettelijke bepalingen over burgerrechten en discrimineert niet op basis van ras, huidskleur, afkomst, leeftijd, handicap of geslacht. 

Tagalog (Tagalog – Filipino): Sumusunod ang The Youth Opportunity Center sa mga naaangkop na Pederal na batas sa karapatang sibil at hindi nandidiskrimina batay sa lahi, kulay, bansang pinagmulan, edad, kapansanan o kasarian. 

Русский (Russian): The Youth Opportunity Center соблюдает применимое федеральное законодательство в области гражданских прав и не допускает дискриминации по признакам расы, цвета кожи, национальной принадлежности, возраста, инвалидности или пола.

ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi): The Youth Opportunity Center ਲਾਗੂ ਸੰਘੀ ਨਾਗਿਰਕ ਹੱਕ? ਦੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ? ਦੀ ਪਾਲਣਾ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਨਸਲ, ਰੰਗ, ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮੂਲ, ਉਮਰ, ਅਸਮਰਥਤਾ, ਜ? ਿਲੰਗ ‘ਤੇ ਅਧਾਰ ‘ਤੇ ਿਵਤਕਰਾ ਨਹ? ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ।

हंद (Hindi): The Youth Opportunity Center लागू होने योग्य संघीय नागरक अिधकार क़ानून का पालन करता है और जाित, रंग, राीय मूल, आयु, िवकलांगता, या लग के आधार पर भेदभाव नह करता है।