Monthly Archives: August 2025

Chapter 16A- Personnel Policy Manual

Fitness-for-Duty Assessments and Participation in Essential Job Duties Policy

Purpose

To ensure that staff maintain the physical capabilities necessary to perform essential job functions safely and effectively, protecting the wellbeing of both students and employees.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, including but not limited to:

  • Direct care staff in our residential and school programs
  • Staff responsible for emergency response, physical restraint, or de-escalation
  • All other positions as determined by Hillcrest leadership

Policy Statement

Hillcrest requires employees to undergo a job-related fitness-for-duty assessment to verify their ability to perform essential physical functions of their role. These assessments are:

  • Job-related and consistent with business necessity
  • Applied uniformly to all employees within the same position classification
  • Conducted by a qualified health provider identified by the employer and at no cost to the employee

Frequency of Assessments

  • Baseline Exam: Conducted as part of pre-employment onboarding for all new hires
  • Trigger-Based Assessment: May be required outside the regular schedule in cases such as:
    • Return from injury or extended medical leave
    • Observable difficulty in performing essential functions
    • Involvement in an incident suggesting possible diminished capacity

Assessment Components

The fitness-for-duty evaluation will include only those elements necessary to verify ability to perform essential physical functions. The evaluation will not include unrelated medical testing or inquiries.

Outcomes

The health provider will report only whether the employee is:

  • Fit for duty
  • Fit for duty with restrictions (restrictions must be clearly linked to essential job functions)
  • Not fit for duty

Confidentiality

All medical information will be handled in compliance with ADA, HIPAA, and applicable state laws, and kept in a separate confidential medical file.

Employee Rights

Employees have the right to:

  • Request reasonable accommodation for a disability
  • Provide additional medical documentation for review
  • Appeal determinations through Human Resources

Fitness-for-Duty and Participation in Essential Job Duties

Staff are expected to maintain fitness-for-duty to ensure their ability to perform essential job responsibilities, especially those safety-sensitive responsibilities related to critical and immediate responses to acute needs of students when indicated. Staff who are experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, or any other significant health concern that may impact their ability to carry out essential duties must promptly inform supervisory staff. If such symptoms arise during the course of a physical intervention or restraint, the staff member must alert other staff in the area so they can be safely replaced in the intervention and seek appropriate medical attention. Additionally, any staff member who observes a colleague exhibiting significant health symptoms that may impair performance of essential duties is obligated to report their observations to supervisory staff without delay.  Supervisors are authorized to reassign duties when necessary to protect staff and student safety.

Chapter 9 - Environment of Care

CALLING FOR COMMUNITY EMERGENCY SERVICES

Purpose

To ensure timely and appropriate activation of community emergency services (fire, rescue, emergency medical services, or police) in situations that threaten the health, safety, or well-being of students, staff, or others on site.

Policy Statement

In the event of urgent and/or life-threatening circumstances (as defined within), staff are authorized and expected to initiate emergency calls to 911 without delay. This policy applies to both students, staff, or others on site.

Procedures

  1. Direct Access to 911
    • If staff can access an outside telephone line, they are authorized to call 911 immediately for emergency assistance
  2. Indirect Access
    • If an outside telephone line is not accessible, staff will promptly notify the supervisor or available administrator, who will initiate the 911 call.
  3. Supervisor Notification for Non-Urgent Situations
    • If the circumstances are potentially dangerous, but not urgent and/or immediately life-threatening, staff will notify the supervisor for further instructions.
  4. Police Involvement
    • If the situation might require police intervention rather than fire/rescue or medical services, staff will notify the supervisor.
    • The supervisor is authorized to determine further action, including notifying external authorities or administration.

Special Note: When a staff member exhibits symptoms suggestive of a potential medical emergency (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, sudden confusion, loss of consciousness, severe allergic reaction), staff are authorized to initiate a 911 call immediately, even if the staff member verbally declines.  This decision prioritizes safety and ensures rapid medical evaluation by emergency responder.

Definitions

Urgent and/or Life-Threatening Circumstances
A situation that:

  • Poses an immediate and unexpected risk to health, life, or property, requiring urgent intervention from community services.
  • Cannot be safely or effectively managed by Hillcrest personnel, supervisors, managers, or administrators alone.
  • Represents a present and unfolding crisis that threatens lives or major property damage.

Examples

Examples of Urgent and/or Life-Threatening Circumstances (includes, but are not limited to):

  • A person (student, staff, or others on site) has lost consciousness, cannot breathe, or is bleeding heavily.
  • A person (student, staff, or others on site) exhibits symptoms suggestive of a serious medical emergency, such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, sudden confusion, and severe allergic reaction.
  • A fire in a building.
  • Major storm damage threatening safety.

Examples of Situations Not Constituting Urgent/Life-Threatening Circumstances:

  • A student is verbally or physically threatening, destroying property, or running away.
  • A student or staff has minor symptoms that should be checked by a nurse, but are not serious or life-threatening.
  • Situations that may eventually require police intervention, but are not immediately dangerous.