HEC assures through its intake procedures that parents or guardians provide, to the best of their ability, adequate clothing for each student. Clothing allotments are usually provided by funding agencies. All students within HEC’s care are furnished with clothing that is adequate, clean, reasonably fashionable and appropriate for each season of the year.
All clothing and personal belongings accompany each student upon discharge from HEC.
Anti-Bullying Statement:
Hillcrest understands that there are a number of factors that make our students vulnerable to bullying. We will take specific steps to create a safe, supportive environment for all of our students, and provide them with the skills, knowledge, and strategies to prevent or respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing.
We will not tolerate any unlawful or disruptive behavior, including any form of bullying, cyber-bullying, or retaliation, in our school buildings, on school grounds, or in school-related activities. We will investigate promptly all reports and complaints of bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation, and take prompt action to end that behavior and restore the target’s sense of safety. We will support this commitment in all aspects of our school community, including curricula, instructional programs, staff development, extracurricular activities, and parent or guardian involvement.
Our Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan (“Plan”) is a comprehensive approach to bullying and we are committed to working with students, staff, families, law enforcement agencies, and the community to prevent violence. In consultation with these constituencies, we have established this Plan for preventing, intervening, and responding to incidents of bullying, cyber-bullying, and retaliation. Campus Administration is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Plan.
Preventative Components:
There are basic components to our treatment approach, physical environment, and campus structure that naturally insure the prevention of bullying and cyber-bullying including, but not limited to:
• High student-to-staff ratios (no less than 3:1, and often 2:1). Students are kept within eyesight of staff at all times.
• All students (not at Housatonic Academy) receive weekly individual therapy where they are provided a safe environment to disclose incidents of bullying.
• All students participate in regular group therapy that addresses issues related to social skill development, assertiveness, self-esteem, violence, safety, etc.
• Cell phones are prohibited.
• Students do not have access to computers and/or the internet without direct adult supervision.
• All living and classroom spaces are under video surveillance for added security and safety.
• All campus staff are trained and certified in our two major treatment/intervention programs – Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) and Skills For Life (SFL), which promote therapeutic responses to any threat of aggressive and/or bullying behavior. Both programs include structured processes for preventing and responding to instances of violence and/or bullying. (see Appendices A and B)
• All pre-meditated acts of aggression, including bullying, are subject to a Panel Review of administrators, clinicians, teachers, and other relevant staff to determine corrective action/consequences ranging from relationship repair to the involvement of the local authorities.
Also see sections on:
• Student Grievance Procedures
• Communication, Notification, and Student/Parent/Guardian Involvement
• The TCI System
• Skills for Life
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Other elements of the Hillcrest Treatment Program
Program: BS-ITU___ HP___ FB___ HC___ ASD___ HA___
Date: _____________ Student Name:
Date of incident (if applicable): ______________ Time of Incident (if applicable): _________AM__ PM__
What is your complaint or your grievance? (Please be specific & write or print clearly
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
(Use another sheet if necessary)
Names of Witnesses (if applicable) _____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ideas you may have or actions you have taken for improving or resolving the situation, issue, condition or incident:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Person completing this report (check one): Student ___ Staff ___
Print Name ______________________________ Signature __________________________________
***********************************************************************************
Page 1 of ___
Student Complaint/Grievance Form – Page 2
Received by: _________________________________________________________ Date received___________
(Administrator)
Findings of the Administrator, including improvement / resolution if applicable,
and/or follow ups required (specify who, will do what & when):
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
(Use another sheet if necessary)
Attach Incident Report if applicable.
Name (print) __________________________Signature __________________________________ Date __________
**********************************************************************************************
Who discussed the findings of the review with the student?
Name (print) __________________________Signature __________________________________ Date __________
The findings of the review of my complaint/grievance were discussed with me.
Student’s name (print) _________________________Signature ______________________________ Date _______
********************************************************************************************
Copies of all Student Complaint/Grievance forms are to be sent to the Chairperson of the Human Rights & Organizational Ethics Committee for review.
Date the copy of this form was sent to the HROE Chairperson ________/______/_______
Name of the person who sent the form (Print) _________________________________________________
Others notified / by whom / date:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Was a 51A report filed? Yes_________ No ________
Additional Notes:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 2 of ___ REV 10/12
STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES:
Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc. has the legal and ethical responsibility to provide students with a procedure to follow in instances where they have a complaint/grievance that relates to any part of the program, it’s operation or staff or if they feel they have been subject to discrimination based on legally protected categories (race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness).
Effectively utilizing this procedure will provide the student with a prompt and equitable resolution to his/her complaint(s).
In the event that a student feels that their rights have been violated or compromised by a specific staff member or group of staff members, or in any other way while in the program, the student should do the following:
Communicate their complaint/grievance to their clinician in writing, if possible. The clinician will review the complaint/grievance and within 24 hours will notify the appropriate Program Director who will then conduct the investigation of the complaint/grievance.
The student’s clinician will submit the written complaint/grievance to the Program Director. The document will state the name of the student, staff (if this is a staff issue), and date and time of the incident that led to the grievance. The student will also outline the specifics of what happened which gave them cause for the complaint/grievance.
The Program Director, or designee, will meet with the student within 5 working days of receiving the written complaint/grievance. The Program Director, or designee, will communicate a response to the complaint/grievance to the student within 5 working days of the meeting or conversation.
If the student feels that the complaint is not satisfied, the student may send a copy of the original complaint, along with the response from the Program Director, to the Senior Vice President, requesting that the matter be further investigated. The Senior Vice President, or designee, will meet, or have a phone conversation, with the student within 10 working days of receiving the written complaint. The Senior Vice President, or designee, will communicate a response in writing to the student within 10 working days of the conference.
At any time in the process, the student has the right to communicate their complaint/grievance to his/her custodial or funding agency.
Every student of Hillcrest has the right to voice their concerns / complaints, without fear of reprisal. There are several people on the campus who can help you with this. If you have concerns that your rights have been violated, you were mistreated or you did not receive adequate treatment services, you may file a grievance. Your concerns must be written and submitted to your clinician. Your clinician will review the grievance and within 24 hours, will notify the appropriate individuals, who will then conduct the investigation of the allegation. These individuals may include, but are not limited to, Supervisors, Program Managers, Program Directors and the Human Rights Representative on your campus. Upon receipt of the grievance, the Human Rights representative will only be involved if it appears that the grievance involves a violation of your rights. The primary role of the individual is not of an advocate, but as an advisor to the investigative committee. You are free, at any time, to notify your agency, lawyer or guardian of your concerns.
The Human Rights representative for this campus is (print name)
____________________________________________________________
The Human Rights alternate representative for this campus is (print name)
_____________________________________________________________
As a student at Hillcrest Educational Centers I understand and have received a copy of Hillcrest’s Statement of Human Rights.
______________________________________________________ _________________
Student signature Date
This section should be completed only if the student may not be capable of
understanding their rights and/or the complaint/grievance procedure.
Parent, guardian or representative of the student: I understand and have received a copy of Hillcrest’s Statement of Human Rights.
Student’s name _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________ _________________
Parent/Guardian/Representative signature Date
Relationship to student (please print):
____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ _________________
Witness – print name Date
______________________________________________________
Witness – signature
TAKING SPACE
Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc. (HEC) teaches, encourages, and supports students to utilize skills so that they may more successfully negotiate life demands. Preferred individual coping skills are identified proactively by the student, agreed upon by the treatment team, and detailed as a part of the Comprehensive Treatment Plan and/or Safety plan. One supportive intervention that is always available to students to help them learn to successfully self regulate is “taking space,” or taking time away from the rest of the group of students. Taking space is voluntary when it is requested by a student or the student is willing to take space when prompted by staff. Sensory rooms are provided at some facilities as a preferred location of this supportive intervention. The goals of this intervention include:
• To avoid becoming overwhelmed and/or engaging in quick relief behaviors
• To decrease sensory input and/or access sensory modulation tools
• To provide support and/or practice the skills needed to negotiate a situation successfully
• To encourage self-responsibility, success and competency
TIME AWAY
Students are rarely removed from a situation to take space involuntarily. However, due to the severity of the behaviors and the difficulties HEC students demonstrate, it is necessary at times to separate a student from the rest of the group. If a student is removed from a situation, it is for the following purposes only:
• An attempt to prevent the need for physical intervention and/or,
• To maintain the safety of all involved.
Continuous observation by a staff member who will be with the student and immediately available to the student at all times. During school hours, the staff member will be an academic staff.
Time Away Process
Provide expectations
The student is given clear expectations for the out of program time. For example: “Joe, how about you take some time out of program in the lounge and calm yourself. After a few minutes, if you’re calm and in control, we will talk about what happened, and practice some skills to avoid these situations in the future. Until the student is calm and agrees to process the behavior, verbal communication should be kept to a minimum (i.e., periodic check-ins or coaching/reminders of calming strategies).
Establish Calm
Although time out of program should be limited to no more than 30 minutes, there is no set time limit for the student to calm. A student should rejoin program as soon as he or she is calm or safe enough to do so. Staff should use discretion based on circumstances and safety. Generalities may be used such as “a few minutes”, or “just another minute” as a guideline. The student should display patience, and self-control through their verbal interaction (agreeing with you, saying “yes,” “okay,” etc.) and body language (attentive, looking more relaxed, crying stopped, etc.) before moving to skill practices. Students will be provided the time that is needed to regain calm, process and re-enter program.
Staff with the student will communicate with their supervisor the status of the student’s time away. If the time exceeds 30 minutes, the supervisor will alert the Program Director, or designee, who will approve the continuation of the time away.
Skill Practices
A student is ready to process when they are reasonably calm, respectful, and attentive. Processing options include:
Life space interview
• Situational Analysis
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Skill Coaching exercises
Return to group and implementation
Upon successful completion of Skill Practice exercises the student can return to group. Staff should assist the student to return to the group safely and constructively.
INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAMMING
Individualized Programming (IP) as defined in this policy replaces all other policies and procedures where students are removed from regular programming, or separated from the other students, as a result of problematic behavior.
Individualized Programming (IP) Process:
Individualized Programming (IP) is a set of intervention tools. IP may be implemented in various settings of the program as deemed appropriate by the team and focuses on providing support, safety, and skill building and is specifically designed to avoid the trauma reactivity that can result from punishment, and instead focuses on trauma informed principles.
IP provides programming in a way that maintains the safety of the youth and those around them. The focus of IP is to re-establish safety as quickly as possible in order to return the youth to regular supervision status. IP plans are reviewed daily and may either be continued, modified or discontinued based on whether or not safety has been restored for the youth. Safety is the only measure utilized for readiness to return to regular supervision status/programming.
Hillcrest policies, DEEC regulations, JCAHO standards, and best practices for residential care and treatment all prohibit the denial of food and/or a nutritious diet as consequences for negative behavior, for disciplinary reasons, and/or as a behavior management technique (see citations below). However, this standard may sometimes be difficult to interpret and/or implement on a practical level when a student misses or refuses one or more meals or snacks, and/or requests special foods or foods at unscheduled times. This policy statement attempts to clarify some of the contingencies surrounding this issue and provide guidance on how to achieve an appropriate standard of care.
1) A student misses (but has not refused) a meal or snack.
In this case, the student has not refused food, but for whatever reason, was not able to be present when the food was provided.
If a student misses a meal or snack for a valid reason (including being involved in a treatment activity, disciplinary action or emergency intervention such as a hold), staff should provide a reasonable substitute or alternate meal or snack if the meal or snack is no longer available.
This should be done in a manner that clearly communicates to the student that the substitution is not a disciplinary action.
2) A student refuses a meal or snack.
a) If a student refuses to eat a scheduled meal, this is not denial or withholding of food. If the student later requests food at an unscheduled time, such as before the next meal or snack, staff may provide or offer any reasonable alternate form of food (e.g., fruit, sandwich, cereal) rather than providing or offering either the meal that was initially offered and refused, or any other complete meal.
If the student refuses such alternate offerings, staff are not obliged to offer or provide any additional food until the next scheduled meal.
This is consistent with policies, regulations, standards and best practices.
b) If a student refuses to eat a scheduled snack, this is not denial or withholding of food. If the student later requests food at an unscheduled time, staff should inform the student that he/she will have the opportunity to eat at the next scheduled meal. The provision of an alternate or substitute snack is neither necessary not required.
This is consistent with policies, regulations, standards and best practices.
c) Consistent with DEEC regulations, a student has the right to refuse a meal, snack, or a specific form of food. While staff can and should reasonably encourage the student to eat at least some nutritious food, the student must not be coerced by staff to eat, and the student should not receive disciplinary action or consequences (e.g., points, restrictions) for refusing to eat.
If a student refuses two or more consecutive meals (meals, not snacks), nursing and the student’s Clinician should be notified and consulted.
If there is concern associated with health and/or medications because the student is refusing meals, that is a medical issue rather than a disciplinary issue. In this case, disciplinary actions or consequences should not be imposed, but nursing, the Clinician and the Treatment Team should determine how the behaviors and/or concerns should be managed.
3) Food issues may be highly symbolic and meaningful for many students. Therefore, if eating patterns or food issues are causes for concern by any staff or the Treatment Team, the Team should determine how the Team will manage the behaviors or concerns in order to maintain consistency of approach.
As with other problem behaviors, consistency among staff in all disciplines is very important, and individual staff must take care not to “freelance” or unintentionally reinforce problematic behaviors.
With the primary goal of preparing students to function in a less restrictive setting and eventually return to the community, Hillcrest Educational Centers is committed to working collaboratively with student families. Our work is guided by the philosophy that it is in the best interest of children to grow up in a context of a caring family whether that is the child’s natural family or non-related or “elected” family. We also believe that if given the necessary guidance and skills, families have the capacity to work through traumatic experience and provide competent and non-abusive parenting.
This goal can best be accomplished by creating a collaborative atmosphere that invites families to become active and supportive members of their child’s treatment, respects family belongingness in the context of major stress, welcomes cultural differences, appreciates the impact of socio-economic factors on family functioning and promotes the courage to change in our mutual struggle to improve the quality of our students’ lives.
“Family work” at Hillcrest will thus specifically include:
While the residential programs operates 52 weeks a year, the academic program operates 216 days out of the year, with six vacation weeks. Students, in accordance with their Treatment Plans and with Treatment Team approval, may go home or to an approved visiting resource at these times. Students remaining at the program follow a structured recreational schedule.
HEC handles transportation arrangements for regular students’ vacations. Clinicians or Case Managers notify parents/guardians, and funding agencies, as necessary, of upcoming vacations and arrange transportation schedules with parents/guardians or visiting resources.
Although they should be minimized, if possible, alternative or additional visits home may be arranged between the student’s Clinician and the parent/guardian. Alternative or additional visits require administrative approval.
Whenever a student is on a home visit, HEC provides the parent/guardian with a telephone number to call for assistance in an emergency. Home visit emergency phone numbers and procedures are also included in the Parent / Guardian Handbook.
In order to ensure the highest standards for safety and accountability while transporting students, Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc. publishes the HEC Drivers List. Requirements for inclusion on this list include:
• Yearly License abstract review
• Yearly CORI
All staff wishing to transport HEC students in an HEC vehicle must be on the HEC Drivers list. Application for inclusion is mandatory for all new hires that currently possess a valid (Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut etc.) drivers license. The HEC driving privilege is valid for one year from the date of acceptance. The initial CORI, Driver’s Record Review and Physical are accomplished through normal channels during the hiring process. After a successful review of the driver’s historical abstract by the Human Resources Department, a staff members name will be placed on the list.
HEC has adopted the following recommendations from our insurance company for exclusion from the certified driver’s list:
1. Major Incident within the previous 3 years
2. 3 Minor Incidents within the previous 3 years
3. Any set of circumstances, combination of incidents or other matters warranting exclusion from the list.
Current staff members successfully completing the abstract review requirements are placed on the list pending positive review of their CORI check. Upon receipt of the CORI, an employee may be removed from the certified list, depending on the CORI results. Since no personal time or fees will be demanded of employees to participate in this process, no reimbursement for obtaining a place on the list will be offered.