RESIDENTIAL

PROGRAMS

FAMILY/GUARDIAN

HANDBOOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section # / Section Title / Page #
1 / Introduction to YCS / 2
2 / YCS Mission / 2
3 / Introduction to the Residential Program / 3
4 / The Rights of Clients / 4
5 / Visitation and Communication / 6
6 / Who’s Who at Your Child’s Residential Facility / 7
7 / How To Reach Key People Helping Your Child / 10
8 / Informed Consent / 11
9 / Client Services
  • Milieu Therapy
  • Therapy
  • Medical and Dental Care
  • Educational/Vocational Services
  • Treatment Planning/Case Conferences
/ 11
11
12
12
13
13
10 / Living Environment at the Residence / 14
11 / Residential Procedures
  • Alert Procedures
  • Run-Away Procedures
  • Search and Seizure Policy
  • Policy on Controlled Dangerous Substances
  • Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy
  • Physical Controls
  • Smoking Policy
  • No Solicitation and Distribution Policy
/ 16
16
17
17
19
19
20
20
20
12 / Procedures For Reporting Concerns / 21
13 / Benefits of the YCS Foundation / 23
14 / Form Acknowledging Receipt of the Family/Guardian Handbook / 24

1. Introduction to YCS

Recently your child was placed in a Youth Consultation Service (YCS)residential program. This program is designed to help your childwithhis/her specific problem in a structured, supportive environment. We understand and respect that as family or guardian, you may have questions or concerns about the program in which your child was placed. You will probably find the answers in this handbook.

The goal of a YCS residential program is to have each clientimprove communications skills and acquire healthier behaviors by providing a structured and positive atmosphere where small successes are rewarded consistently. In time, it is hoped that these successes will enable the client to move from the residential program into a less structured environment. In the next placement, the client should be able to build on the progress made at the residential program and continue to reinforce the new skills and attitudes he/she has developed.

Please feel free to contact your child’s clinician, case manager, or program administrator if you have the need to discuss any issue concerning your child or the programming offered by YCS. Serious concerns should be discussed immediately with the site administrator.

2. YCS Mission

YCS partners with each client to build a healthy, happy, productive life within families and communities.

3. Introduction to the Residential Program

Each of the YCS residential programs serves a specific population with services designed to meet each client’s needs. You will receive additional documents from the program including:

  • History of the program
  • Description of residents: Age, Gender, etc.
  • Visitation policy
  • Telephone and written communication
  • Who’s who at your child’s residential facility
  • How to contact key people helping your child (treatment team)
  • Informed consent
  • Client services including:
  • Services provided
  • Behavior management system
  • Living environment at the residence including:
  • Personal effects
  • Allowances and savings
  • Residential procedures including:
  • Search and seizure policy
  • Procedures for reporting concerns including:
  • Grievance procedure for clients

4. The Rights of Clients

All clients have rights that are communicated to them at the time of their admission. Listed below are the rights that are observed at all YCS residential programs.

  1. All clients have the right to be safe.
  2. All clients have the right to be free of physical or sexual abuse and corporal punishment.
  3. All clients have the right to be free of intimidation and coercion by staff and other residents.
  4. All clients have the right to be free of unnecessary physical restraint and isolation.
  5. All clients have the right to contact their External Advocate (e.g., ombudsman, case worker from DYFS, CMO, Office of the Child Advocate, and Kid Connection, etc.) or the state child abuse hotline at any time.
  1. All clients have the right to receive quality care.
  2. All clients have the right to effective therapeutic activities conducted by appropriately trained personnel.
  3. All clients have the right to the least restrictive environment necessary to achieve the purpose of treatment.
  4. All clients have the right to prompt medical treatment.
  5. All clients have the right to discuss the dosage and type of medication prescribed by staff psychiatrist/Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) and to be free of unnecessary or excessive medication.
  6. All clients have the right to meet with their treatment team, participate in treatment planning and be informed of their condition and progress.
  7. All clients have the right to an appropriate education.
  8. All clients have the right not to be subjected to non-standard treatment or procedures, experimental procedures, research, or demonstration programs without the written informed consent of a parent or guardian.
  1. All clients have the right to live in a clean, safe and healthy environment, which includes:
  2. Clean, adequate and appropriate clothes.
  3. Three nutritious meals and two snacks a day.
  4. Supplies needed for good personal grooming and hygiene.
  5. Keeping and using personal grooming items.
  6. A private, safe and clean bed.
  7. Periods of time outdoors at regular and frequent intervals.
  8. Periods of play (or free time) and exercise daily.
  9. Individual storage space for client’s private use.
  10. Wearing own clothes
  1. All clients have the right to privacy and dignity.
  2. All clients have the right to receive and make unmonitored telephone calls, unless the treatment team has a compelling reason to restrict communication with an individual. The restriction will be limited to a specific person and time limited. Calls are supervised when clinically indicated.
  3. All clients have the right to have health information not disclosed without their consent after the age of fourteen.
  4. All clients have the right to have their treatment record kept confidential except when federal or state law requires.
  5. All clients have the right to privileged communication with those who examine and treat them. Information they disclose may not be disclosed unless:
  6. The client consents, or
  7. Disclosure is deemed necessary for the safety of the client and/or others.
  1. All clients have the right to communicate.
  2. All clients have the right to freely communicate with others, including supervisors and administrators.
  3. The right to normal opportunities for interaction with members of the opposite sex.
  4. All clients have the right to see visitors each day e.g., to be visited by family or guardians. If visits cannot be held on site, the program will work with the family to make alternative arrangements.
  5. All clients have the right to attend religious services. However, due to geographical and time constraints, clients may not be able to attend services in their home communities.
  6. All clients have the right to send and receive uncensored mail. Clients may be required to open their mail in front of staff so that staff can verify the absence of contraband material.
  7. All clients have the right to have ready access to letter writing materials, including stamps, and the right to mail and receive unopened correspondences under applicable supervision.
  8. Clients are able to keep and use own money as explained in YCS Personal Effects Policy and YCS Employment/Volunteer contract.
  9. All clients have the right to voice disagreements via the YCS Grievance Procedure.
  1. Each client shall have the ability to address safety and quality of care concerns. He/she may report their concerns to the appropriate agency:
  • If family/guardian of clients has a suspicion that a client residing at a YCS program is a victim of abuse or neglect, you must call IAU toll-free at 1-877-NJABUSE. Individuals may call in their concerns anonymously.
  • If family/guardian of clients has safety or quality of care concerns, they may report their concerns to the Joint Commission at the toll-free telephone number, 1-800-994-6610, from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
  • If family/guardian of clients has safety or quality of care concerns, they may also report their concerns to CARF at: 888-281-6521 or ww.carf.org.

5. Visitation and Communication

We encourage regular open communication between you and your child. Family/guardian involvement plays a vital role in his/her treatment process. Your participation in the process is critical to its success. There may be times when the facility will attempt to contact you, such as emergencies, unusual incidents or treatment planning meetings. We ask that you keep the facility staff informed of your current contact information so that you can be reached quickly when necessary.

Each site maintains its own specific policies regarding visitation, telephone and written communication. These policies will be explained to you and discussed with you at the time of your child’s admission. Your child’s clinician will help to arrange visitation, in accordance with your child’s treatment plan.

In some cases, the child’s treatment team may restrict visits from specific individuals for a period of time. The restriction will apply to a specific person or persons and is time limited. This will happen when there is a compelling reason to restrict the visitation, such as when a certain visitor may negatively impact the client’s emotional health and/or progress in treatment. The visits may also be restricted when a judge has ordered that visits with specific persons are not permitted, if the visitor appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs,or the visitor is uncooperative with program staff.

In every case, you, the family member or guardian, will have an opportunity to discuss problems with visitation with the program administrator.

6. Who’s Who at Your Child’s

Residential Facility

Ateam will be working with your child to meet his/her therapeutic and residential needs. Members of the team might include:

SITE ADMINISTRATOR – The site administrator is the individual in charge of the entire facility where your child is living. This person supervises all of the workers and ensures that all aspects of the program are operating within the guidelines that the state has established for residential programs. The site administrator is always available to answer any questions you may have about your child’s stay in our program.

COORDINATOR OF RESIDENTIAL SERVICES (CRS) – Some programs have a CRS. The client’s care and programming provided for your child is coordinated by this person. The CRS is responsible for all client care, staff supervision, scheduling, and training as well as all programming and activity scheduling at the residence at which your child resides.

SUPERVISOR – RESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT (RA) – The primary caregiver for your child while he/she is in residence with us is the Residential Assistant (RA). Every RA is supervised by the shift supervisor. The RA is responsible for providing the daily care and supervision for clients while they are in the residence. They assist the clients with bedtime routines, daily chores, recreational activities and meals. Every RA receives specialized training concerning the proper way to care for children/young adults while they are in the residence.

SUPERVISING CLINICIAN – Some of our larger residential programs are staffed with a supervising clinician. The supervising clinician is responsible for supervising the admission and discharge of your child at our facilities. Additionally, the supervising clinician supervises all of the clinicians at the facility. At our smaller facilities, the site administrator also serves in the dual capacity of the supervising clinician. A supervising clinician may be a licensed social worker, licensed professional counselor, or a licensed clinical/counseling psychiatrist.

LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER/PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR/MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST/OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL (abbreviated as “clinician”) – Your child’s clinician is the leader of the treatment team and will be your primary contact while your child stays at our facility. The clinician is a trained mental health professional who provides therapy to your child while he/she is in our care. Additionally, the clinician will require you to actively participate in your child’s treatment. This means that the clinician will ask you to attend treatment conferences and to participate in family therapy sessions. The clinician is always available to answer your questions and to help your child achieve the treatment goals that we have worked together to create.

CASE MANAGER/SOCIAL SERVICE COORDINATOR

Many residences have a case manager, who coordinates resources for the clients. The case manager works with the client and family to facilitate family visits, discharge services, and community services.

PSYCHIATRIST/PSYCHIATRIC ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE– Many of our sites have psychiatrists/psychiatric advanced practice nurses(APN) on staff. A psychiatrist is a trained physician who specializes in the treatment of emotional problems. A psychiatric APN is a nurse with specialized training and the ability to diagnose and treat clients with emotional problems. Each APN has a collaborative psychiatrist available at all times for consultation. At times, the psychiatrist/psychiatric APN will prescribe certain medications that are designed to improve your child’s ability to get along with other clients and adults as well as to improve the way he/she feels about him/herself.

  • Our staff nurse will discuss the medications that apsychiatrist/psychiatric APNhas prescribed, and you will be able to ask questions about the medications your child is receiving.
  • Please note that your consent must be given before medication is administered to your child.

PEDIATRICIAN/PEDIATRIC ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE-At all of our sites, a licensed pediatrician/pediatric advanced practice nurse (APN) provides medical services to your child. The pediatrician/pediatric APN evaluates your child on admission and periodically during the course of his/her stay with us. A pediatrician is a trained physician who specializes in the medical care of children. A pediatric APN is a nurse with specialized training and the ability to diagnose and treat the medical concerns of children. Each APN has a collaborative pediatrician available at all times for consultation. The pediatrician/pediatric APN evaluates the health of your child and makes specific recommendations for treatment. When specialized treatment is required, our staff nurse will discuss with you, the family or guardian, what needs to be performed and will obtain your permission before any specialized treatment is conducted.

  • In cases of emergency, the pediatrician/pediatric APN may treat your child to prevent any serious medical condition from worsening. When medical emergencies occur, every attempt will be made to contact you as soon as possible.

During times when the pediatrician/pediatric APN is not at the facility, YCS utilizes the services of the local hospital emergency room.

NURSE – Each of our facilities employs a professionally trained nurse. The nurse is responsible for ensuring that your child’s physical well-being is maintained on a daily basis. The nurse assesses his/her physical health, dispenses medications that the doctor/APN has prescribed, performs minor medical procedures (e.g., minor first aid, checks vision) and makes specific recommendations to our doctor/APN about your child’s overall health. Nurses are on-call when not physically at the facility.

PSYCHOLOGIST – Our facilities employ the services of psychologists. The psychologist administers tests to evaluate the status of your child’s mental health. Testing is an effective tool that can give our clinicians a clearer picture of your child’s personality, strengths, and needs.

DIETICIAN

A registered dietician evaluates the dietary needs of each client in a YCS residence and makes recommendations when a special diet is in order to optimize health. The regular menu for all clients is reviewed by the dietician to ensure that meals are balanced and nutritious.

SECRETARY – OFFICE MANAGER – COOK – MAINTENANCE WORKER – HOUSEKEEPER – DRIVER – All of our facilities employ workers who perform services that are important for the well-being of your child. These workers do not provide direct care services to him/her, but they have received training about the special needs of the clients in residential facilities. If you have any questions about the services that these staff members provide, please feel free to speak with the site administrator.

7. How To Reach Key People

Helping Your Child

(Contained in the Family/Guardian Handbook additional documents

provided to family/guardian by the program)

SITE ADMINISTRATOR

Name: ______

Reach Number: ______

CRS

Name: ______

Reach Number: ______

CLINICIAN

Name: ______

Reach Number: ______

CASE MANAGER

Name: ______

Reach Number: ______

NURSE

Name: ______

Reach Number: ______

EXTERNAL ADVOCATE

Name: ______

Organization: ______

Reach Number: ______

8. Informed Consent

Depending on the needs of your child, he/she may receive a variety of services while in a YCS residential facility. One of the most important goals of this handbookand additional documents is to inform you, the family or guardian, of the specific services that we will provide to your child. Your signature on the appropriate consent form will indicate that you understand these services.

All programs require consent for behavioral health care, psychotropic medication (if applicable), emergency medical and general medical and dental care. Additional consents may be required by different residences, depending on the specific services offered. All consents must be individualized for the specific service being provided.

9. Client Services

A variety of services are offered at each residence, depending on the age and needs of the clients served. These services include:

MILIEU THERAPY- The structured environment of the residential facility allows clients to feel safe and learn to deal with behavioral issues. Each program has a behavior management system which rewards the positive behavior of the client. The behavior managementsystem is tailored to the age and needs of the clients in the program. A copy of the behavior management system for the program your child is entering will be provided to you.