Revised 10/28/04
Revised 9/25/97
Policies which apply to volunteer placement (Section 14.2) are also applicable to student placements. In addition, the following policies/ procedures are also applicable to students.
The student internship mission of the District 19 Community Services Board (D19 CSB) is to work in partnership with Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) in offering area students supervised opportunities for hands-on experiences in the delivery of community-based services to consumers with Mental Illness, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse issues in District 19. The discipline of Prevention Services is also available. Non-clinical student interns in such fields as accounting, finance, MIS, and other administrative areas may also be utilized.
A D19 CSB "Student Placement Application" (ADMINPERS #22) and Employment Authorization (ADMINPERS #1) will be received by the appropriate program director. A resume should be included if available. Selection of the student is subject to the final approval of the Division Director. Approval will be formal and on file. Completion of a D19 CSB "Application for Employment" is required upon acceptance. There will be no monetary compensation for student internships.
A personnel file on each student will be maintained by the Human Resources Office. The file shall contain the Employment Authorization,"Student Placement Application," "Application for Employment," approval of the appropriate Director, reference checks, "Student Placement Agreement" (ADMINPERS #23), documentation of orientation, and test documentation indicating the absence of tuberculosis in a communicable form in accordance with licensure regulations. Students may not substitute for regular staff. If a staff should pursue an internship/student placement with D19 CSB, regular job duties should be distinguished from student placement. Students are subject to the standard criminal history check and DMV record check, which are required for all employees. District 19 Community Services Board will be responsible for any costs associated with the criminal history check and DMV record check.
A supervisor/Field Instructor at D19 CSB will be identified, and a faculty liaison will be clearly stated for student placements.
Field Instructors are encouraged to first discuss their interest in providing field instruction with their supervisors. Supervisors must approve the appointment of a staff member as a Field Instructor, taking into consideration the staff member’s clinical skills, his or her available time for working with a student, the potential student’s level of experience, and the suitability of the potential program or site in providing the needed clinical learning experience. Supervisors are expected to supervise field instruction as they would any other aspect of that staff member’s responsibility.
Field Instructors are expected to participate in any supervision training required by the IHE. Field Instructors are expected to encourage site visits across divisions. Field Instructors are limited to one student per semester / block. They will be granted one half day of leave per semester (or block) of field instruction or one full day of leave per academic year (two semesters) of field instruction.
The designated Field Instructor will closely monitor the work being assigned and completed by students in D19 CSB. Schedules are determined by the Field Instructor. The clinical Field Instructor will report student performance directly and at least monthly to the appropriate supervisor.
Students will be assigned all tasks and cases by their primary supervisor, who has professional responsibility for first assessing their intern’s knowledge, skills, and abilities and making assignments consistent with those knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Students will be assigned cases in such a way to maximize agency revenue as is consistent with consumer treatment and training goals. All chart entries must be counter-signed by Field Instructor/supervisor.
14.1.5 Liaison/coordination with Institutions of Higher Education (IHE)
District 19 will have a Student Internship Committee, which will be the vehicle through which all D19 CSB student interns will be placed. The Committee will have a representative from each Division area appointed by the Division Directors. The Committee will serve as the contact for IHE’s. District 19 staff interested in supervising a student intern will send the Committee information (with supervisor’s and/ or Director’s approval) about the type of placement they can offer based on the student’s level of education and specific discipline. This information will be used in handling placement requests as they are received from IHE placement offices. All student referrals must come through the IHE’s internship placement offices. Direct requests for placements by students will not be processed, as this would bypass the role of the IHE in this collaborative effort.
When possible, interviews will be scheduled during the semester prior to the anticipated placement for students who have applied for an internship at D19 CSB. Interviewers will be one member of the Student Internship Committee and the appropriate Field Instructor. The “interview” will consist of a site tour and information about D19CSB, as well as the interview. The meeting will consist of a few key questions drawn from the Interview Questionnaire, which is included in the packet sent to the IHEs. The goal of this meeting is to determine the best fit for the student intern and Field Instructor.
The Student Internship Committee will be responsible for ensuring that there is a current, signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with each Institution of Higher Education. (IHE). Field Instructor requirements are addressed in each Memorandum of Agreement with each school.
The Student Internship Committee will host the agency-wide orientation program at least once per calendar year. Orientation is a mandatory program for new employees and students that provides education on the many service programs of the agency. All students are expected to attend agency-wide orientation and student orientation. Students are considered to be members of the D19 CSB staff during their placement, and as such, are expected to comply with all applicable D19 CSB policies and procedures. In particular, they will be required to comply with D19 CSB policies and procedures regarding confidentiality. Field Instructors are responsible for arranging all required agency-wide training for their student as soon as placement occurs.
At the discretion of the Student Internship Committee, peer group functions may be organized or initiated by Field Instructors and/or students. Topics will be selected in collaboration with the Student Internship Committee, Field Instructors, and student interns.
At the end of the placement, Field Instructors will evaluate student interns according to criteria and forms required by their respective IHEs. In addition, student interns will complete an evaluation of their placement experience at the D19 CSB. The Student Internship Committee will use the placement evaluations to make recommendations for continued internship program development. Students are not expected to be evaluated in accordance with the Board’s Employee Performance Evaluation process.
Continued placement is at the sole discretion of D19 CSB as determined by the appropriate Director. Placement may be suspended or terminated without notice at the discretion of the Board.
Revised 10/28/04
Revised 9/25/97
14.2 VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT POLICIES
District 19 Community Services Board actively supports the placement of volunteers within its organization. District 19 Community Services Board recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for volunteers and the potential benefit to both D19 CSB and its consumers of such placements. Volunteers may not be utilized for providing therapy, counseling, or other related activities. Additionally, volunteers will be prohibited from any functions involving the receipt or disbursement of cash.
All volunteer placements will involve the participation of volunteers in meaningful activities which are consistent with their level of training, experience, and skills. District 19 Community Services Board provides a variety of functions or duties for volunteers to perform.
A primary supervisor will be identified for every volunteer placed with D19 CSB. This primary supervisor will be responsible for directing and supervising the volunteer's work at D19 CSB. The supervisor will assure that regular opportunities are provided for consultation and supervision from the D19 CSB staff. Regular in-service training opportunities may also be provided.
Every volunteer placed at D19 CSB will be given an orientation to D19 CSB by his/her primary supervisor. This orientation will be appropriate to the type of placement and scope of placement activities and will include familiarization with the written policies and procedures regarding expectations of work for staff and volunteers, as well as familiarization with the various services provided by the D19 CSB staff. Volunteers are considered to be members of the D19 CSB staff during their placement, and as such, are expected to comply with all applicable D19 CSB policies and procedures. In particular, they will be required to comply with D19 CSB policies and procedures regarding confidentiality.
Liability insurance covering the supervised activities of volunteers will be provided, at no cost to the volunteers under the provisions of the professional liability insurance policy carried by D19 CSB.
Volunteers will not be reimbursed for travel associated with a placement at D19 CSB.
Whenever a person or group is interested in securing a volunteer placement with D19 CSB, they may contact the appropriate Director to determine if any placement opportunities are available in these respective service areas or they may contact the supervisor of a service which particularly interests them. If placement opportunities are available at the time of the request, the following procedures will be implemented to respond to that request:
A. Each volunteer should obtain and complete a D19 CSB "Volunteer Placement Application" (ADMINPERS #24) from and forward it to the appropriate Director, or his/ her designee.
B. Upon receipt of a completed placement application, these materials will be reviewed by the Director and/ or any other appropriate D19 CSB staff. A screening interview will then be scheduled for the volunteer placement with the Director or his/ her designee and any other appropriate staff members. The purpose of this screening interview will be to ask questions or seek elaboration about the information in the application materials, to exchange information about opportunities for placement existing with D19 CSB and the applicant's particular interests, and to generally evaluate the suitability of the applicant for any specific placement opportunities. Following the screening interview, a decision will be made regarding selection and placement of the volunteer. This decision will be communicated as soon as possible to the volunteer by the Human Resources Director.
C. The Human Resources Director will be responsible for
1. Maintaining appropriate records;
2. Complying with Privacy Protection and the Confidentiality of Information Acts;
3. Assuring that proper orientation is provided; and
4. Minimizing the potential for any inherent liability when there is inappropriate placement of a volunteer.
D. Upon selection for a placement and prior to beginning work with D19 CSB, the volunteer will be scheduled for an orientation session. These will include interviews with the appropriate Director and the volunteer's primary supervisor. This orientation session is for the purpose of acquainting the volunteer with D19 CSB's overall policies and procedures (especially those regarding confidentiality), general administrative and/ or record keeping requirements, methods for resolving any conflicts which may arise during the placement, and general placement duties and responsibilities. The volunteer will be asked to read the appropriate D19 CSB policies and procedures and to sign the "Volunteer Placement Agreement" (ADMINPERS #25), which will also be signed by his/ her primary supervisor.
E. As previously indicated, each volunteer will be assigned a primary supervisor and will be given regular opportunities for consultation and supervision from the D19 CSB staff. The schedule of supervision and amount and type of supervision will be negotiated with the volunteer by the primary supervisor. The amount, frequency, and type of supervision provided will be determined based upon the volunteer's prior training and experience and the type of service activities in which he/ she is engaged.
F. A volunteer's primary supervisor will be responsible to assist the volunteer in resolving any conflict or difficulty which may arise during the placement. If for any reason, however, the volunteer believes he/ she is unable to successfully resolve a conflict with his/ her primary supervisor, he/ she may arrange a meeting with the appropriate Director to express his/ her concerns. The Director is responsible for mediating any potential conflicts or difficulties.
G. If a volunteer violates any of the D19 CSB policies or procedures (particularly in regard to confidentiality), such violation may be grounds for termination of his/ her placement. Should the issue of inappropriate behavior arise, the primary supervisor will discuss the situation with the volunteer to clarify the nature and extent of any violations of policy or procedure. If there has been a misunderstanding that can be clarified and the volunteer's performance returns to appropriate limits, further administrative response will not be necessary. If the original, or other, inappropriate actions or violations continue to occur, however, the primary supervisor will notify the volunteer and then consult with the appropriate Director regarding the violations. Depending upon the nature and seriousness of the violations, the volunteer may be immediately terminated from his/ her placement with D19 CSB. If such a decision is reached, the Director will provide notification to the volunteer indicating the nature and reason for the decision to terminate the placement.
H. All volunteers working in a placement with D19 CSB will have an individual personnel file maintained for them. This file will serve to document their placement and will contain their complete application materials, signed volunteer placement agreement, any evaluation forms completed for them, and any other pertinent correspondence or information (such as letters of recommendation). These files will be considered confidential and will be held by the program Supervisor. Access to these files and any use of the material in them will be governed by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Protection Act and D19 CSB personnel policies.
I. Volunteers are subject to standard criminal history checks required for all employees. District 19 Community Services Board will be responsible for any costs associated with the criminal history check.
14.3 STUDENT AND VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT COORDINATION
The Human Resources Director will be the central source of information and coordination concerning both student and volunteer placements at D19 CSB. The Human Resource Director will be responsible for assisting D19 CSB in preventing potential inherent liability associated with inappropriate placement of either volunteers and/ or students.