CHARTIABLE VENTURES OF ORANGE COUNTY (DBA PROJECT KINSHIP)

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MS cnaritableventn n., Policies and Procedures I PARTICIPANT PROTECTION POLICY To maintain a safe environment for participants of all ages, Project Kinship abides by the following participant protection policies: • All Project Kinship staff/volunteers must submit to Live Scan fingerprinting and clear a Federal Bureau of Investigations background check. Any individuals who have a history of sexual offenses, crimes against children, or any other incidents that would pose a risk to participants will not be permitted on agency premises or allowed to engage with participants. • All Project Kinship staff/volunteers are mandated reporters and required by law to report any disclosed incidents of abuse, suicidal/homicidal ideation, and/or Tarasoff related threats to the proper authorities. Failure to report is subject to immediate dismissal and criminal prosecution when appropriate. • All Project Kinship staff/volunteers are encouraged to maintain clear and consistent communication boundaries with participants. Project Kinship staff/volunteers are discouraged from carrying on conversations with participants via text message as context and affect can be easily misconstrued. Physical touch, such as direct hugs, rubbing, or sitting in close proximity that necessitates touch, is highly discouraged as it may be unwelcomed or mistaken in nature by the recipient. Initiating any behavior that can be classified as flirting or sexual in nature with participants is strictly prohibited. Failure to redirect participants who are initiating such behavior is also prohibited. Failure to report ongoing exchanges, as a witness to or recipient of, may result in dismissal from the agency and appropriate legal consequences. • Project Kinship staff/volunteers are prohibited from being in a room or closed space alone with a participant, unless there are clear visual sight lines and/or others present within audible proximity to the interaction. • Project Kinship staff/volunteers are required to observe gender -specific staff -to - participant matching during transportation. It is prohibited for a female staff to transport a male participant without being accompanied by a male staff/volunteer and vice versa. Volunteers are prohibited from transporting participants at any time. • Project Kinship staff/volunteers are prohibited from engaging in any personal relationship with participants outside of work -related hours. This includes the exchange of personal cell phone numbers, befriending/accepting friend requests from participants on personal social media accounts, exchanging personal gifts, or meeting up with participants during non -work -related events. Project Kinship staff/volunteers are highly encouraged to set their personal social media account settings to "private". • Physical relationships between Project Kinship staff/volunteers and participants is strictly prohibited. Any incidents will be subject to immediate dismissal and criminal prosecution when appropriate.