Security policy

Printed Name________________________

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  Staff must review and sign off on the IAPPs, Protocols/Snapshot, and CSSP/ISP for each individual they are supervising. Resident IAPP’s and Behavior Support Plans/Positive Behavior Transition Plans, and Snapshot supervision requirements must be followed and enforced without exception. These documents are found in each resident’s book at the site and are updated after each Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) meeting. All staff at the site must read and sign these documents every time they are updated.
  
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  Alarms on the exit doors and applicable bedroom windows will be armed whenever a resident is in the facility. They will only be unarmed when someone is entering or exiting the house, and then will be re- armed immediately. This includes times when individuals are frequently coming in or going out, such as when they are going out to smoke or arriving home from their day programs.
  
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  Staff will not permit admittance to the group home or apartment program to any unknown person. Incoming staff will have the key code and will use the key to gain entry into the site. This will ensure that strangers are not let into the sites by mistake. New staff and on-call staff will be provided the key code by the lead counselor. Anyone trying to gain entry who does not know the key code should be directed to contact the lead counselor to obtain the code.
  
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  Residents of the group homes cannot, under any circumstances, be in other residents’ bedrooms. Residents of the apartment programs can invite other residents into their apartments with the documented pre-approval of the IDT of both individuals.
  
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  In the interest of community safety, while an individual is exhibiting unsafe behavior, non-essential activities in the community will be postponed until the person is exhibiting a period of safe behavior as determined by the LC and PD.
  
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  Staff must never deviate from the activity schedule without prior approval from the Lead Counselor. Changes to the activity schedule will only be approved in circumstances such as inclement weather or safety-related situations – never based on the preference of the staff. Staff will not take residents anywhere that is not explicitly listed on the activity schedule. For example, stopping at Super America for a snack would not be acceptable unless it was part of the approved activity schedule. Staff will not do any personal errands, complete personal shopping or engage in any related personal activity during their shifts, as that would likely distract them from providing the required visual range.
  
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  Visits between Zumbro House sites or inviting an individual to an activity at another site must be preapproved by the Program Director and must then be scheduled on the activity schedule. In situations in which the visit between sites or individuals from two or more ZH sites has been approved, staff from both sites must be present to supervise the individuals from their respective sites. Never assume that another sites staff will be supervising residents from your site.
  
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  Ordering take-out food to be delivered to any of the Zumbro House sites or apartment programs is not permitted. Delivery personnel may be under 18 years of age and would pose serious repercussions to the individuals living at the sites and apartments.
  
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  Rated R movies and video games with a rating of M or AO are not permitted in the common areas of the sites. Individuals may watch rated R movie or play rated M or AO video games in their bedrooms upon team approval. Activities that are primarily child-focused, such as water parks, carnivals, etc. will not be approved activities.
  
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  Individuals must be within visual range in the community. For example, while shopping at Walmart, the individuals must remain in the same aisle as the staff and are not permitted to go around the corner or shop even one aisle away out of visual range, unless unsupervised shopping time is approved by the IDT.
  
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  Residents are not to have personal computers, cell phones, or any devices that have internet capability unless approved by their interdisciplinary team. If a team has approved this type of device, staff must follow the process that has been established by the IDT to monitor the inability or limited access the internet.
  
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  At the library, residents are not to access the internet unless approved by their interdisciplinary team. Residents who have been given approval must be directly supervised by staff while accessing the internet. This means that staff must be positioned immediately next to him/her while he or she is accessing the internet so that staff are in direct view of the computer screen at ALL times. Staff cannot supervise more than one resident at a time on the internet.
  
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  Residents are not able to access chat rooms or social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, etc. unless the interdisciplinary team has approved this. If a team has approved this type of access, staff must follow the process that has been established by the IDT.
  
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  Any items purchased, rented, or checked out (such as from the library), must be looked over by staff to ensure that they do not contain any material that is sexually provocative, photos of scantily clad individuals, or are child-focused. If there is any question about the appropriateness of an item, the individual will not obtain the item at that time and the PC and IDT will determine if that item can be purchased/rented at the next visit to the library or store.
  
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  Visits to the mall must be on the activity schedule and must be for a specific purpose. Under no circumstances will residents enter stores that sell inappropriate items, such as stores that sell primarily women’s clothing/undergarments (with the exception of the female residents), that sell only children’s clothing, or that sell pornographic media of any kind unless prior approval has been obtained by the IDT and documented by the PC.
  
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  The medication cabinet and any other locked cabinets or offices must remain locked when not in use. The medication cabinet must be secured (locked) if staff is more than one arm’s length away from it. Keys must remain in a staff person possession at all times or the keys must be locked with the medication cabinet key locked in the key code lock box. Staff may not hand keys (including staff keys, alarm keys/codes, vehicle keys, etc.) over to a resident for any reason.
  
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  Residents may not be left in a vehicle, for example, while the staff runs back into the house to grab something they have forgotten. Staff is permitted to leave the vehicle to escort a resident to the door of a house or building but must be in visual range of the vehicle and residents in the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle should never leave the vehicle without shutting off the engine and taking the keys with them, even if a second staff is present in the van.
  
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  Personal belongings should be left in employee cars if possible. If items are brought into the house, such as a purse, these items should be locked in the staff desk and should never be left out in areas where they could be accessed by residents. It is best to not bring personal items with you to the work site.
  
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  Kitchen knives must remain locked in a cabinet when not in use. When a resident is using a knife or any other sharp item or tool, staff will remain within line of sight supervision. (unless the resident is living in his/her own apartment)
  
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  Staff will carry the house phone on their person or be within visual range of the phone.
  
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  Residents are able to use the house phone to make calls and are asked to be mindful of sharing the phone with other residents and staff. Some residents may have an IDT determined call list or do not call list. Please refer to each individuals Snapshot for clarification. If someone from a do not call list calls the individual, staff will tell the caller that the individual is unable to speak to them at that time, take their name and phone number, and report that information to the Lead Counselor or Program Coordinator.
  
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  Residents must be within staff’s visual range when a resident goes outside to smoke or for any other reason, unless approved for unsupervised time by their IDT. It is not acceptable to periodically check on the resident while he or she is alone outside of the house. Failure to provide this visual range could result in the individual’s elopement or other behavioral challenges. If a staff is going outside with a resident to smoke and residents are remaining inside, the door must be re-armed or the staff must stay within 10 feet of that door to ensure that another individual is unable to go out the door unnoticed. Residents will be able to smoke once per hour at the designated time. Staff will not offer the availability to smoke any more or less often.
  
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  Borrowing or giving of any items between residents and staff or residents and their peers is not permitted. This includes borrowing of CD’s, games, movies, money, cigarettes, candy, or any other item. Residents are able to play games or listen to music together in the common area.
  
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  There are no minors allowed in any Zumbro House location or at any Zumbro House organized function. If staff is unsure of the age of an individual or if they appear under the age of 18, staff will ask the person to provide identification to verify their age.
  
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  No visitors of employees are permitted at Zumbro House locations during working hours.
  
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  Staff must remain awake and alert at all times, unless you work a designated sleep overnight shift. When residents are awake, staff must be engaged and interacting with them. Staff is not to operate personal electronic devices (cell phones, iPods, ear phones, etc.) during work time as this will diminish the staff ability to supervise and monitor residents and perform work duties.
  
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  Residents should not be watching violent or sexually suggestive television shows, such as Cops, NCIS, CSI, etc. While residents are awake, the television should only be on if residents are watching it. Staff should not be watching television, as it can be a distraction which limits their ability to supervise and be aware of the individuals.
  
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  Residents must be visually checked on at the specified intervals as identified in each individual’s IAPP. During awake hours, staff is to interact and check on each resident at least once per each half hour at the houses and at least once per each two hours at the apartment programs. The overnight staff is to check on the residents as identified in each individual’s IAPP but at a minimum of three times per shift.
  
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  Any changes to the staff schedule must be approved by the Lead Counselor. Leaving the house with one staff to four residents (or one staff to more than six residents in the apartment programs) without notifying the Program Coordinator will be considered a safety infraction.
  
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  Staff will never assume that something is approved or okay for a resident based on their observation of other staff. Any exception to the policies listed above must be communicated clearly in the Snapshot supervision section, individual protocol, IAPPs, or directly from the Lead Counselor or Program Coordinator.
  
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  If a staff witnesses a violation of any of the above-mentioned policies, they must report the violation to the Lead Counselor or Program Coordinator immediately.
  
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  Staff working at the apartment programs must update the in/out board as individuals enter and exit the building. This board must be reflective of the individual’s presence and absence at all times.
  
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  Staff working at the apartment programs must complete the outing binder, by recording all individual’s in attendance of the outing. This must be completed prior to leaving the premises, and again prior to returning.
  

The preceding policy was explained to me and I’ve had the opportunity to ask questions.

Staff Signature Date

Staff Name Date