For concerns about or suspicious of child abuse or neglect, please refer to the policies cited above. The following policy pertains to concerns regarding safety and/or quality of care that do not or may not qualify as child abuse or neglect.

As stated in Hillcrest’s Policies and Procedures, and in the agency’s Code of Ethics, which is reviewed and formally accepted by all staff each year, the safety of students and staff, and the quality of the care and treatment of students are Hillcrest’s highest priorities. Therefore, staff are expected to report any and all concerns about safety or quality of care to their immediate supervisor, Program Director/Program Manager, Department Head or other agency administrator as soon as possible so that corrective action may be taken quickly and decisively.

However, if a staff member reasonably determines that Hillcrest has not adequately prevented or corrected problems that can or have had a serious adverse impact on students, and notifies the Joint Commission about such concerns, the notifying staff member will not be subject to retaliatory action, formal disciplinary actions, or informal punitive actions.