Risk Management and Student Community Service Groups: F ocus on Programs That Interact with Minors

1. Risk Management and Student Community Service Groups: Focus on Programs That Interact with Minors Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing. – Denis Waitley

2. As Student Service Leaders YOU set the standard

3. On Safety While Serving the Community: Consider the Following If you are participating in a Vanderbilt Sponsored Event or Activity, Vanderbilt can assist if an incident occurs. • Personnel • Who's working? • Are personnel trained? • Who's attending/participating? • Vulnerable Populations (more about this later) • Have liability release forms been completed (will apply to certain populations)? • Location • Geographically • Structurally • What is the service (operations) and does it pose additional safety concerns? • What are the Emergency Responses I need to know? • Weather • Hazard • Injury • Violence • Abuse Reporting

4. Vulnerable Populations • Minors • Elderly • Disabled • Mentally Ill • Homeless • Addicted • Victimized • Facing Poverty • Displaced • Marginalized

5. Reactions to Personal Vulnerability • Negative • Suspicious • Fearful • Mistrust • Entitlement • Indifference • Over-trusting • Defeat • Pessimism • Positive • Trusting • Optimism • Thankfulness • Relief • Appreciation • Grateful • Change • Growth • Hope

6. ...Be the change

7. In 2013, a VU Protection of Minors Policy was put into place – WHY? • To better understand • The scope of VU programs that involve minors • How personnel interact with minors • To put into place • Standards that improve safety and protection of minors • An office responsible for being a resource to those programs serving minors • Best practices for interacting with minors • To improve • Communication with parents about what VU does to prevent harm to their children that participate in VU programs • The response if a case of abuse is detected • All personnel’s understanding of how to protect minors from harm

8. VU Policy on the Protection of Minors • A minor is a person under 18 • Program personnel are all persons, including students, volunteers, staff, and faculty that participate in a VU program involving minors. • Campus implications include visitors in residence halls and babysitting, tutoring, etc. • The Policy does NOT include • Single public events open to the public and not targeted toward children • Social functions that minors attend with their parents

9. The VU Policy on the Protection of Minors Contains Reporting Procedures AND Required Compliance AND the Definition and Detection of Abuse AND The Code of Conduct when Working with Minors Find it on the Risk Management Website or the VU Human Resources Website

10. By Tennessee law, we are all mandatory reporters of Child Abuse Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403 “Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that is has been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect or that, on the basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect.” TN DCS Reporting Hotline 877-237-0004 ---------------------------------------------------------- VU also requires internal reporting to Risk Management 615-936-0660 or the University Hotline 866-783-2287

11. Protection of Minors • P – Prevent situations that increase vulnerability • O – Observe the child(ren) and all others around • M – Manage a great program • Policy requirements: • Register (if applicable) • Clear volunteers with a background check • Train on how to identify, prevent, and respond to child abuse • Train on expected code of conduct when working with minors (VU policy) • Report suspected incidents of abuse

13. If you are: Volunteering/working/leading a VU sponsored program that is a part of VU operations (academic, research, center, institution, medical, service) and not affiliated solely with a third party organization. OR A third-party contractor/provider using VU facilities or space for a program serving minors AND It is a program for minors and minors are enrolled without parental supervision, Then Obtain a cleared background check (Names and emails with program name and request to PEBC@vanderbilt.edu) (Third Party Vendors Can Validate through the Office of Conferences) And Complete Training on Both Child Abuse VU POM Policy (Sample Template Form Here) VU Policy on the Protection of Minors (POM): WHO is affected?

14. What if? • My student org only recruits VU students who volunteer with another group. • I’ll be offering my group’s tutoring services to existing after school programs on their sites. • We have an event at a school, but the school isn’t requiring us to have background checks. • I won’t know who’s coming to my activity until the day of the event.

15. What paperwork or trainings does my organization need to complete? – Register your Program Online Registration of Your Program with Risk and Insurance Management (if you use the hyperlink above, scroll to the bottom of the page or click the image to the right)

16. How does my program comply? – Volunteer Background Clearance, Training, and Policy Agreement 1. Contact HR at PEBC@vanderbilt.edu for background check requests, and clearance dates (a Peabody Background Clearance will also meet the requirement). HR will need the student’s name, VUNET ID, and email • Check with your volunteers to make sure they haven’t already completed the background clearance for other service, employment or academic requirements. 2. Require all Volunteers complete the Online Training with United Educators (linked instructions HERE) and collect the completion dates – certificates of completion will be issued by the provider (RIM can verify this for you if necessary) 3. Have all your volunteers read and complete the agreement to follow the policy and code of conduct (link to form). You can combine steps 2 and 3 by having the volunteers come to an OACS group training on the Protection of Minors 4. Certify Compliance of your Personnel by completing this Form and send to protectionofminors@vanderbilt.edu.

17. Suggestions Update your organizations description in AnchorLink to include that you will be asking for all volunteers to be in compliance with the Protection of Minors policy. Remind your volunteers that service with vulnerable populations requires specialized requirements and training. Let you partner organizations know the steps you are taking to assure your group follows best practices when working with minors – they will appreciate it!

18. If you lead a program involving children that is VU sponsored: Do - Register it with Risk Management – If you’re not sure if it will fall under the policy, register and someone will contact you (there’s a place for notes on the registration page) Do - make sure the volunteers are in compliance. Do – train your volunteers on other items not in the policy Do – (If applicable) Make sure all parents sign a University Participation Agreement that allows the child to take part (this protects You). Do - Have fun!

19. Some student organizations will not fall under the policy However: Risk Management recommends ALL students who work with minors receive training on how to make a report, prevention of child abuse and the Code of Conduct when working with minors (this will increase your knowledge and make you less vulnerable)

20. If my program is exempt, do I still need training? Ask yourself… • Does your volunteer organization provide training? • Does it answer all your questions? • Do you feel like you know what to do if a child discloses abuse or you see something that is suspicious?

21. “Take aways” to remember when working with minors Rule of three (at minimum) If you see something, say something TN is a mandatory child abuse reporting state: 877-237-0004 Know and understand how to keep healthy boundaries Group communication always – no one-to-one

22. Questions? protectionofminors@vanderbilt.edu Dawn Riddle, Director, Protection of Minors, Risk and Insurance Management 615.936.0660