In the event that an emergency occurs while off grounds with students, staff shall notify the campus of the emergency. The administrator on duty will instruct the staff on procedures to follow, depending on the nature of the emergency. The campus will provide any immediate assistance needed to remedy the situation.

A. All off-campus trips must minimally carry the following items:
1) a cellular phone in the transporting vehicle.
2) a First Aid Kit to be kept with the group at all times.

B. All off-campus trips must be staffed with a person with Red Cross certification in First Aid and CPR.

C. All participants on the trip must be informed of their responsibility in case of an emergency.

D. Steps to be followed in the event of an injury:
1) The First aid/CPR-certified facilitator will take immediate charge of the situation.
2) Administer necessary first aid; protect injured from further injury.
3) Determine extent of injury and if an evacuation is necessary.
4) If an evacuation is necessary and the victim is able to move safely without injury, take victim to the nearest evacuation point where help can be reached, or to the Hillcrest van and transport to the nearest hospital.
a) Notify the campus Nurse prior to departing for the hospital, or while on the way to the hospital.
5) If an evacuation is necessary but the victim is unable to move safely without injury, have one or two staff members (depending on the location, general conditions and condition of the student) go to the nearest phone to call for help, while the First Aid/CPR-certified facilitator stays back with the injured person.
a) Staff making the call should be able to provide:
Name of victim
Sex
Age
Present condition
Any current medications student is taking
Any allergies
Location (access to location)
Insurance coverage
6) Notify the campus Nurse as soon as is reasonably possible.

In the event of the death of a student, the supervisor will immediately contact the Program Director, who will then contact the President/Executive Director/Senior Vice President and the local police.
(Also see Sentinel Event Policy)

No potentially dangerous objects (i.e., matches, lighters, volatile substances, glass bottles or items made of glass, weapons) are allowed on Hillcrest campuses. Individuals in charge of activities must ensure that all objects, i.e., scissors, knives, tools, glass, keys, etc. are inventoried at the completion of each activity and secured in a designated locked area. If it is found that a dangerous object is missing the following measures will be taken.

A. The administrator on duty is to be notified immediately with all available information.

B. Upon notification, the administrator will organize a campus-wide search for the missing object, beginning with the most logical sites. Students and staff who might have information related to the missing object will be interviewed as soon as possible. If necessary and with reasonable cause, a specific student or students, and their personal space areas (e.g., bedrooms, common areas) will be subject to search. (Also see procedures on Contraband Searches above.)

C. If the dangerous object is not located during the search, the administrator on duty will draft a memo to be distributed to all staff describing the object and the time and location of the disappearance. This memo will be posted in a central location.

D. Staff members on subsequent shifts will be notified promptly of the missing object at the commencement of their shift by the supervisor (e.g., during Stand Up).

E. The investigation of the disappearance of a dangerous object will continue until the object has been found or until the Program Director/Program Manager or his/her designee concludes the investigation.

There are some objects that, although not dangerous, may not be appropriate in the possession of students. Some objects may not be good for treatment purposes. Each program within the HEC system may seek to prevent students from keeping such objects on their person or in their dorm. The campus may need to do searches to prevent theft on the part of students. To accomplish prevention, the campus administration may permit staff to search a dorm area or to search a particular student. Administration should be working in conjunction with treatment teams to optimize treatment benefits of searches. The following guidelines must be followed:

A. The administrator on duty must give permission for any searches.

B. Upon permission, the shift Supervisor will direct staff in the search.

C. Staff must take care to search students and their areas in a respectful manner. Belongings should be respected and replaced in at least as good a condition as staff found them.

D. Any items removed must be itemized, documented and stored in a secure area or packaged and shipped to the student’s home. Staff should communicate to students what objects are at issue and why they are not permitted.

E. In each step of the procedure care must be given to ensure that reasons for searches are based on treatment needs and not done in a punitive manner.

Investigation ID Number: ____________________
(campus initials – date of initiation – student first/last initials)

I. Immediate Response/Fact Finding to Complaint/Incident:

YES N/A
❑ ❑ Obtain sufficient documentation of allegation/incident including statements, incident reports, etc.
❑ ❑ Obtain written statement from staff suspected of misconduct.
❑ ❑ Notify Executive Vice President and/or Vice President of Residential Programs of complaint/incident.
❑ ❑ Suspend alleged staff (with or without pay – depending on initial evidence).
❑ ❑ Formal Witness Statements from all staff witnesses (signed and dated).
❑ ❑ Interview summaries from all student witnesses – when appropriate (signed and dated).
❑ ❑ Document video surveillance review and save relevant material on compact disc.
❑ ❑ Gather relevant records, schedules, logs, medical documents, etc.
❑ ❑ Other investigatory activity (please specify):

______________________________________________________________________________

II. Notifications – Within 24hrs

YES N/A
❑ ❑ Report to DCF local screening unit (or state hotline if evening/weekend).
❑ ❑ Submit requested initial documentation to DCF.
❑ ❑ Call DEEC Licensor (must talk with a person).
❑ ❑ Submit EEC Employee Information Checklist (one for each staff alleged to have exhibited misconduct) and other requested documentation.
❑ ❑ Call/leave message for DESE liaison that Form 2 will be sent.
❑ ❑ Fax Form 2 (one for each student mistreated) along with required information to contact at Malden DESE office. (See DESE contact information for required information)
❑ ❑ Notify student’s legal guardian.
❑ ❑ Notify student’s family when appropriate.
❑ ❑ Other notification procedures specific to student’s funding/referral source.
❑ ❑ Notification to the JOINT COMMISSION (sentinel events only – CEO approval required)

❑ ❑ Other notifications completed (please specify):

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

III. Internal Investigation Completion – Within 10 Business Days

YES N/A
❑ ❑ Internal Investigation Conclusion
❑ ❑ Corrective/Preventative Action plan
❑ ❑ Obtain investigator(s), Program Director/Program Manager, and Executive Vice President and/or Vice President of Residential Programs signatures.
❑ ❑ Submit copy of Internal Investigation Form and appropriate attachments to DEEC.
❑ ❑ Submit copy of Internal Investigation Form and appropriate attachments to DESE.
❑ ❑ Submit original Internal Investigation Form and appropriate attachments to Executive
Vice President.

IV. Incident Closure:

YES N/A
❑ ❑ Obtain documentation of DCF closure. Submit original to Executive Vice President and/or Vice President of Residential Programs and copies to DEEC and DESE.
❑ ❑ Obtain documentation of DEEC closure. Submit original to Executive Vice President and/or Vice President of Residential Programs and a copy to DESE.
❑ ❑ Obtain documentation of other investigating agency’s closure and submit to
Executive Vice President and/or Vice President of Residential Programs.
❑ ❑ Attach any requirements for further action and respective progress.

Additional Tasks/Comments:

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

CASE CLOSURE AUTHORIZATION:

______________________________ ____________________
Signature Date

Investigation ID Number:
(campus initials – date of incident/complaint – student first/last initials)

CAMPUS: ITU_____ AUT_____ HP_____  HA_____

STUDENT(s) INVOLVED IN INCIDENT (must include: name – DOB – SS#):

DATE and TIME OF INCIDENT / ALLEGATION / COMPLAINT:

DATE INVESTIGATION INITIATED – COMPLETED:

Initiated: Completed:

INCIDENT LOCATION/BUILDING:

INVESTIGATOR(s) / REPORTER(s) (must include: name – title):

STAFF INVOLVED IN INCIDENT (must include: names – titles – DOB – SS#):

WITNESSES / OTHER PARTICIPANTS (must include: names – titles):

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF ALLEGATION (state what prompted the investigation):

INTERVIEWER(S) (must include: names – titles – name of subject interviewed):

DETAILED SUMMARY OF FACTS LEARNED IN THE INVESTIGATION:

RELEVANT STAFF HISTORY (work performance, prior 51A involvement, etc.)

POLICY/PROTOCOL REVIEW (list any issues related to staffing ratios, communication, compliance, etc.)

CONCLUSIONS (Hillcrest’s judgment on the matter as a result of the investigation.)

CORRECTIVE / PREVENTIVE ACTIONS AND/OR RECOMMENDATIONS:

RELEVANT ATTACHMENTS (All documentation related to investigation activities):

NOTIFICATIONS (must include: name – agency/relationship – date – by whom):

STUDENT DEBRIEFING(s) (If appropriate – must include: student – date – by whom)

EXTERNAL FINDINGS or ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

SIGNATURES:

INVESTIGATOR / REPORTER: _________________________________________________/___/__
(signature) (date)

INVESTIGATOR / REPORTER: _________________________________________________/___/__
(signature) (date)

INVESTIGATOR / REPORTER _________________________________________________/___/__
(signature) (date)

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: _________________________________________________/___/__
(signature) (date)

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: _________________________________________________/___/__
(signature) (date)
SC 9/11

FORMAL WITNESS STATEMENT
Please answer all of the following questions that apply to the incident/complaint:

1. What was the exact time/day of the incident? If you are unsure of the exact time, use other indicators (i.e. after lunch, before 3rd period, etc.)
   2. What was the activity leading up to the incident? (i.e. we were getting ready to transition to the dorm; we were cleaning up the baseball equipment, etc.)
   3. Exactly what did you see, hear, feel, etc.? Remain factual – do not include opinions or what you think may have happened. Be specific (e.g. which hand was the bat in? what were the exact words spoken? Etc.)
   4. Where did the incident occur? Be specific as to the location of the room, area, field, etc.
   5. How did the incident end? (i.e. supervisor walked out of the dorm with student, student went into room for a time out, etc.)
   6. Name all others that may have seen or heard the incident (staff and students). What was their exact proximity to the incident? Did some leave or come into the area during the incident? Be specific.
   7. Sign and date this statement at the bottom.

Staff Statements:

1) When an internal investigation requires a statement from a staff member(s), he/she should be given a Formal Witness Statement Form for completion.

2) A supervisor or campus administrator MUST review the statement prior to dismissing the staff member to assure that the all required information is obtained.

3) If the statement is poorly written or illegible, it must be written again. If a staff member is unable to produce an intelligible, legible statement, the supervisor or campus administrator must interview the staff member along with another manager. The interview must be documented and signed by all parties present.

4) If a staff member is currently on shift, the statement must be obtained PRIOR his/her dismissal or suspension.

5) The investigator will determine whether or not to call an off-duty staff member in for a statement or wait until his/her next scheduled shift.

6) If an investigator requires additional information, he/she will interview the staff member with another manager present. All interviews must be documented and signed by all parties present.

Student Statements:

1) When an internal investigation requires a statement from a student, the statement must be obtained in an interview conducted by the investigator or designated campus administrator with a member of the clinical department present as determined by the Program Director/Program Manager and/or Lead Clinician.

2) Documented Interviews must be signed by both adults present.

3) If an investigator requires additional information, he/she will re-interview the student with the same clinical staff present in the initial interview whenever possible.

4) Upon learning of an allegation or incident that may require an internal investigation, staff and supervisors are NOT to conduct their own interviews with the students. Supervisors may ask the student a few exploratory questions in order to obtain the information needed to begin an investigation (i.e. who, where, when), but should refrain from probing into the details of the allegation or incident.

I. Purpose:
Hillcrest is committed to providing safe and effective services to our students. Safety and effectiveness go hand in hand. In order for students to be able to concentrate on their treatment and education, they must feel safe and protected. In order for staff to be able to focus on the care, treatment and education of students, they must feel safe and protected. HEC is committed to satisfying the expectations of its licensing agencies, and will consult agency liaisons as necessary to assure regulatory compliance and clear communication.

II. Objectives:
Allegations of abuse and neglect, injuries, emergencies, and incidents resulting in the potential for harm are taken very seriously. These types of events warrant a timely, thorough, and objective internal investigation, if indicated by the initial inquiry or by the nature of the incident itself. All events/incidents requiring an Internal Investigation require the immediate notification of the Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President or designee. The Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President will determine if the investigation will be conducted by the campus administration, the Director of Quality Assurance, or any other neutral party designee. If at any time during the Internal Investigation it appears that any illegal or criminal behavior was performed, the investigation will either cease or proceed under the direction of the local law enforcement.

III. Procedure:

 
1. A formal Internal Investigation must be conducted should any of the following occur:

 
• Allegation or complaint of abuse or neglect as defined by MA DCF and/or student’s referring state
• Major injury to student resulting in EMT response, emergency treatment, and/or physician intervention
• Allegation or complaint of sexual contact between students
• Missing child
• Vehicular accident
• Significant property destruction
• Stolen property
• Fire
• Discovery of illegal contraband (i.e. illegal substance, weapon, etc.)
• Significant program disruption (i.e. group violence, students left unattended, etc.)
• Sentinel events as defined by the JOINT COMMISSION
• A request for internal investigation by any state licensing and / or external reporting agencies
• Any other occasion when the Program Director determines the need for a formal investigation

2. Upon discovery of any of the above scenarios, a campus administrator, supervisor, or designee will contact the Program Director or Administrator on-call to determine the need for an Internal Investigation.

3. If it is determined that criteria is met for Internal Investigation, the Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President or designee will be notified immediately. The Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President, in conjunction with the Program Director and Quality Assurance Director, will determine if the event meets criteria for a reportable incident. This determination may be made initially, or at any time during the investigation as more information is gathered.

 
4. An official Internal Investigation File will be established by the Program Director, Quality Assurance Director, or designee, which minimally MUST include an official Internal Investigation Form, an Internal Investigation/Notification Checklist, and copies of any initial statements/reports related to the matter. The file will be given an Investigation ID code number using the campus initials first, the date of the incident/complaint second, and lastly, the primary student’s first and last initials. In the unlikely event that more than one investigation begins on the same day involving the same student, the code numbers will end with “a”, “b”, respectively. The Program Director (if investigation is conducted by campus administration) or Executive Director, Senior Vice President, and/or Quality Assurance Director (if investigation is conducted by a neutral party) will oversee all activities related to the investigation according to the timelines outlined in the Internal Investigation/Notification Checklist. The Executive Director, Senior Vice President, and/or the Director of Quality Assurance will provide support and supervision throughout the investigation as needed.

 
5. Immediate Response to Complaint / Incident

A. Campus administration and / or supervisory staff must collect initial written statements from all staff involved or may be witness to any reported incident or allegation. An HEC Formal Witness Statement form must be utilized when obtaining statements from staff related to an Internal Investigation. Depending on the nature of the event / incident and the initial information gathered, staff alleged to have been involved may be immediately suspended with or without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
B. The Program Director, On-Call Administrator, or designee with consideration for causing as little disruption as possible to the daily routines of the students in the program, evaluate the situation and immediately take appropriate action to assure the health and safety of the students involved in the reportable incident / allegation and any other students similarly situated in the program. If determined to be necessary, the Program Director, On-Call Administrator, or designee will take additional action to prevent future acts of abuse and neglect including temporary removal of the student(s) from the program and/or reassignment of the student(s) within the facility. This would be conducted as an emergency measure if it is determined that there is a risk to the health or safety of such student(s) remaining at the program. If such immediate action is taken, HEC immediately make notifications to any Massachusetts licensing agencies and any out of state agencies appropriate to the student referring state, including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and the commissioner.
C. In all instances of alleged physical or sexual abuse, the campus Head Nurse or designee must be contacted immediately for medical consultation. The campus Head Nurse, agency Director of Nursing, and/or designee will determine if further medical treatment and / or evaluation is to be conducted by an off campus medical facility. The nursing department will document any evidence regarding a student’s body check and/or treatment provided to the student. The campus Program Director and / or Head Nurse will collect any and all documentation received by an outside medical facility for evidence of a reportable incident.
D. The Program Director, Director of Quality Assurance, or designee will begin to preserve any potential evidence to include, but not limited to:
• Securing the area wherein the suspected reportable incident occurred, if appropriate, and preserve relevant video surveillance material.
• Obtain sufficient documentation of the allegation / incident such as written initial statements, incident reports, medical information, etc.
• Conduct interviews and provide written summaries from all staff and students involved and / or witness to the reportable incident, when appropriate.
E. The program will provide counseling to the student(s) involved in any reportable incident or allegation, if appropriate. This will be conducted by the students primary clinician or designee, if possible.
F. Throughout the process of the internal investigation, HEC will cooperate with any external investigation conducted by DCF, DEEC, DESE, and law enforcement. In addition, HEC will cooperate with any out of state external investigation appropriate to the student(s) referring state. This includes cooperation with the New York Justice Center by complying with the procedures for the protection of New York state referred students in subdivision 5 of section 490 of the New York Social Services Law.

 
6. Notifications

 
A. The Program Director, the Director of Quality Assurance or designee will assure that all external communication / notification occurs in accordance with Hillcrest policy, state and licensing regulations, and the requirements of the students referring state agencies. These notifications are to include:
• Immediate report to the DCF local screening unit or state hotline if evenings or weekend.
• Notification to DEEC and DESE licensures via agency portals.
• Immediate reports to any out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state. These out of state agencies may include agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, New York State Education Department and any local New York social services district, school district, and/or state agency funding the placement of any student involved in a reportable incident.
• Notification to student(s) legal guardian.
• Submit all required and requested initial documentation to all Massachusetts and out of state agencies.
B. The Program Director, Director of Quality Assurance, or designee will promptly make notifications to DCF, DEEC, DESE and any out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs regarding the resignation or termination of a subject of a report of alleged abuse or neglect from his or her position while an investigation is pending.

 
7. Internal Investigation Completion

 
A. The Program Director, Director of Quality Assurance, or designee will complete the HEC Internal Investigation Report Form upon the conclusion of the internal investigation. Every applicable item on both the Investigation/Notification Procedure Checklist and the Internal Investigation Report Form is critical and must be thoroughly completed in order to properly conduct, document and conclude any Internal Investigation. The Executive Director, Senior Vice President, and/ or the Director of Quality Assurance (if investigation is conducted by program administration) will assure the timely completion of every applicable item of the official Internal Investigation Report Form. The official Internal Investigation Report Form is required to be completed for all HEC Internal Investigations. The Executive Director, Senior Vice President, and/ or the Director of Quality Assurance (if investigation is conducted by program administration) will also assure the completion of every applicable item in sections I, II, and III of the Investigation / Notification Procedure Checklist according to the time lines required by all reporting and licensing agencies.
B. Upon completion of the internal investigation, the internal investigation report form and investigation / notification procedure checklist, the entire original file will be forwarded to the Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President for review and signature. Per DEEC, only reports signed by the Executive Director and/or Senior Vice President will be considered to be the “official” version of the investigation report.

C. If appropriate, The Program Director or designee will implement a program corrective / preventative action plan if the internal investigation determines that such abuse or neglect may have attributed in whole or in part to noncompliance by the program. In addition, the Program Director or designee will take such action as is necessary to prevent future acts of abuse and neglect including such actions as provision of increased training and/or supervision to staff pertinent to the prevention and remediation of abuse and neglect.
D. The Program Director, Director of Quality Assurance, or designee will submit a copy of the internal investigation report form and appropriate attachments to DCF, DEEC, DESE, and any out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and the New York State Education Department.
E. The Program Director, Director of Quality Assurance, or designee will take appropriate action to support a request for additional information from DCF, DEEC, DESE and any out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and the New York State Education Department.

 
8. Incident Closure

 
A. Obtain documentation of recommended and/or required corrective action from DCF, DEEC, DESE, and any out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs and the New York State Education Department. If corrective action is required due to noncompliance by the program that may in whole or in part contributed to the reported event of abuse or neglect, the program will implement a plan of prevention and remediation. This shall address at minimum the areas in which the program has been found to be out of compliance and shall indicate the manner in which the program will come into compliance. The corrective action plan shall be developed and all documentation will be submitted for approval to the appropriate agency within the timeframe specified on the report.
B. Obtain documentation of external investigation closure from DCF, DEEC, DESE, and any out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Any Massachusetts agency external investigation reports will be forwarded to out of state agencies appropriate to the student(s) referring state no later than 90 days, if made available to HEC.
C. The Executive Director, Senior Vice President, Director of Quality Assurance or designee will assure the timely completion of every item in incident closure section of the Investigation/Notification Procedure Checklist, and will maintain the entire original file at the Administrative Offices throughout the remainder of the process.

Child Abuse Policy
Following Massachusetts’s law, HEC prohibits any form of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of its students, and mandates all staff to report incidents of suspected child abuse.
Abuse: the non-accidental commission of any act by a caretaker, which causes or creates a substantial risk of harm or threat of harm to a child’s well-being.

 
Neglect:
1. Failure by a caretaker, either deliberately or through negligence, to take actions necessary to
provide a child with minimally adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, or other essential care.

 
2. Serious physical injury (any non-trivial injury); death; malnutrition; and failure to thrive.

 
3. Serious emotional injury: an extreme emotional condition such as a severe state of anxiety, depression or withdrawal.

 
Child Abuse Reporting
1. Each and every one of the employees of HEC is required by law to report to their supervisor the awareness of any student who may be abused or neglected. Under M.G.L. Chapter 119, staff are categorized as mandated reporters, liable to civil or criminal action for failure to report a potentially abusive or neglectful situation or incident.

 
2. The term, mandated reporter, specifically addresses the fact that any person who works in a residential treatment center is required to report to DCF (Department of Children & Families). At HEC, once the staff member reports an incident or allegation to the person in charge, the employee is then relieved of any liability and the liability for not reporting belongs to the person in charge, i.e. the Program Director. All HEC staff are permitted to call in a report to any external reporting agencies if necessary, including out of state reporting agencies such as the New York State Justice Center.

3. All new HEC employees are provided with initial training regarding the HEC policy and procedure for staff responsibilities regarding abuse and neglect incidents and / or allegations. Before the commencement of duties, all new employees receive mandatory training during orientation titled “Preventing Abuse and Neglect / Mandated Reporting Responsibilities.”

 
4. Staff must immediately report to his/her supervisor any abusive behavior toward a student and complete a written report on the matter within 24 hours. The supervisor will ordinarily immediately notify his/her Program Director who, in turn, will notify without delay to the Senior Vice President and/or Executive Director. On the next business day, the Program Director will ordinarily submit a brief written statement of concern to the Senior Vice President and/or Executive Director.

 
5. HEC requires the Director of Quality Assurance, Program Director or, if absent, his/her administrative designee to immediately report to the Department of Children & Families (DCF), Early Education and Care (EEC), and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). In addition, reports will immediately be made to any out of state agencies appropriate to the student referring state, including agencies such as the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, New York State Education Department and any local New York social services district, school district, and/or state agency funding the placement of any student involved in a reportable incident.

 
6. At the time of the allegation, the staff person alleged to have abused a student would ordinarily be suspended without pay pending a full investigation.

 
7. If the charge of abuse / neglect is not supported by the DCF, the staff member may be considered exonerated and reinstated with back pay. Depending upon the circumstances, the employee may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension without pay and re-training.

 
8. If the charge of abuse / neglect is supported, the staff person may be terminated from employment and may face legal sanctions.

9. Employees not reporting suspected abuse or neglect are subject to discipline up to and including dismissal.

 
10. DCF regulations provide the following pertinent definitions as guidelines for reporting:

 
A. Abuse – the non-accidental commission of any act by a caretaker, which causes or creates a substantial risk of harm or threat of harm to a child’s well-being
B. Neglect – Failure by a caretaker, either deliberately or through negligence, to take actions necessary to provide a child with minimally adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, or other essential care.
C. Serious physical injury (any non-trivial injury); death, malnutrition; and failure to thrive.
D. Serious emotional injury: an extreme emotional condition such as a severe state of anxiety, depression or withdrawal.

On-Campus Swimming Activities

• A Designated Staff must be assigned to each swimming activity.
• The Designated Staff must not be included in the staffing ratios for that group.
• Approved student-to-staff ratios for the group swimming must be maintained for the entire duration of all swimming activities.
• Each Designated Staff must have current First Aid and CPR certifications.

The following rules apply at all times:

• No students allowed in pool area without staff
• All swimmers must rinse prior to using pool
• Staff or students with cuts or bandages may not use the pool
• Staff or students with communicable diseases may not use the pool
• No items are to be placed in the pool except those approved for pool usage
• No jumping/diving/horseplay
• Ladder must be used to enter and exit the pool
• Only one student can enter or exit the pool at a time
• No food or drink in the pool area
• No swimming after sunset
• Students must follow the instructions of the Staff at all times

Failure to follow any of the above rules will result in restriction from pool use.

Off-Campus Swimming Activities

• Swimming events at locations that already have a lifeguard will not require a HEC lifeguard to accompany the students.
• CPR-trained staff must be assigned to accompany any off-campus swimming activity where we will be relying upon the lifeguard on duty at the swimming area.
• Students will follow all rules imposed by the lifeguard on duty.
• No Hillcrest staff or student shall attend an off-campus swimming event at a location not employing their own lifeguard unless an HEC lifeguard is accompanying the group.

Revised 7/2013 DH
Policy & Procedures
Emergency Manuals