Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Communication and Auxiliary
Aids Plan 2017 - 2018
Communication Services and Auxiliary Aids Plan for Persons with Disabilities and Limited English Proficiencies 2017- 2018
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
It is the policy of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to unlawful discrimination under any program or activity administered by Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Inc. (“Crisis Center”).
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY
It is the policy of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay that each applicant and employee is assured equal opportunity without regard to age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, marital status or disability, except when such requirement constitutes a bona-fide occupational qualification necessary to perform tasks associated with the position. Equal Employment Opportunity is attained using both objective and subjective merit principles and applies to recruitment, examination, appointment, training, promotion, demotion, compensation, retention, discipline, separation, and other employment practices at Crisis Center.
NON-RETALIATION POLICY
It is the policy of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay that no person shall be retaliated against, harassed, intimidated, threatened, coerced or discriminated against for making a charge, testifying, assisting or participating in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing, or for opposing alleged unlawful discriminatory practices prohibited by state and federal laws.
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INTRODUCTION
Keeping in mind that the preservation of the rights of all clients is based on a fundamental human and civil right, this document does not identify the needs of this population at the exclusion of other cultures that experience barriers to service.
Conversely, the document establishes the continued commitment of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Inc. (Crisis Center) to the Hillsborough County, Florida community specifically and to all persons that call upon our services in their time of need.
PURPOSE
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Communication Services and Auxiliary Aid Plan for Person with Disabilities and Limited English Proficiencies (Auxiliary Aid Plan) is written annually to adhere to all statutes and regulations surrounding service to special populations.
The following plan of action is formulated and implemented at the to ensure that the agency mission to serve those who are experiencing crisis is in no way compromised by mitigating factors that impede access to Crisis Center services.
GOAL
Design and implement an organizational plan that clearly articulates policies, processes and procedures implemented by the Crisis Center when providing service to clients, customers, and identified third parties presenting with communication needs that would traditionally prohibit access to services. Crisis Center promotes a culturally sensitive, professionally- informed working environment that embraces diversity in all its forms, and promotes client rights.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Objectives 4 Crisis Center Policy 5 Definitions 6 Staff Training and Development 10 Communicating Client Rights 11 The Role of Coordinators and Single Points of Contact 14 Translation, Interpretation and Advocacy Services 15 Quality Assurance and Improvement 17 Attachments 18
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OBJECTIVES
The following objectives will be the focus of the Auxiliary Aid Plan and will guide the implementation of company practice that enhances current levels of service to the community:
1. The organization will develop a training platform that addresses the needs of special populations and ensures compliance with the: a. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 United States Code (USC) 2000d et seq; 45 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), Part 80. b. Section 504, Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 230 USC 1681 et seq; 45 C.F.R., Part 80, 84 and 28 C.F.R. Part 41 of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987. c. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. d. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, as amended, 42 USC 9849 and Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Public Law 100-259. e. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Title I and II as amended. f. CFOP 60-16, Civil Rights, Methods of Administration: Equal Opportunity in Service Delivery. g. CFOP 60-10, ADA Accommodation Procedures for Applicants/Employees/ General Public. h. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Civil Rights, Policy Guidance – Title VI Prohibition Against National Origin Discrimination As It Affects Persons with Limited-English Proficiency, Executive Order 13166. i. Section 110.201(3), Florida Statutes (F.S.), requires each state agency to comply with all federal regulations necessary to receive federal funds.
a) Training activities will include the importance of and right of all customers to receive services in a coordinated and timely manner.
2. The organization will communicate to existing and potential clients in writing and electronically their rights to appropriate accommodations that promote service access.
3. The organization selects, trains, and develops single points of contact representatives in each service division to support clients who enter the operation requires special service accommodations.
4. The organization will seek and develop working relationship with internal and external resources that possess the knowledge, skill and ability to address the needs of special populations.
5. The organization will develop a protocol for internal quality monitoring of the effectiveness of all accommodation services
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SECTION ONE: THE POLICY
It is the policy of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay that employees and its contracted providers of client services will provide (at no cost to service recipient) appropriate auxiliary aids, including certified American Sign Language interpreters, to persons with disabilities and qualified foreign-language interpreters to persons with limited-English proficiency where necessary to afford such persons an equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from the organization’s programs and services. Auxiliary aids include, but are not limited to Florida Relay Service, certified interpreters, readers, assistive listening devices and systems, or other assistive devices.
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SECTION TWO: DEFINITIONS
A. ADA/Section 504 Coordinators – Any individual charged with implementing the requirements of Titles I and II of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, ensuring the provision of auxiliary aids and services for deaf or hard-of-hearing, LEP customers, and customers with disabilities requiring aid essentials. B. Aid Essential Communication Situation – Any circumstance in which the importance, length, and complexity of the information being conveyed is such that the exchange of information between parties should be considered as an aid essential communication situation, meaning that the requested auxiliary aid or service is always provided. C. Assistive Listening Devices and Systems (ALDS) – Amplification systems to improve hearing ability in large areas and in interpersonal communications systems. These systems deliver the desired signal directly to the ears or hearing aids of the listener, thus overcoming the negative effects of noise, distance and echo. Four main types are available: hard wire, loop, infrared, and FM radio. D. Auxiliary Aids and Services – Includes qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making aurally delivered materials available to individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing; qualified readers, taped texts, or other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals with visual impairments; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; and other similar services and actions. These auxiliary aids and services will enable clients to fully benefit from and participate in Crisis Center’s programs and services. See 45 C.F.R. § 84.52(d) (3); 28 C.F.R. § 35.104; and P.L.110-325, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. E. Blind – See Visual Impairment F. Captioning (Closed) – Refers to converting the spoken word to text displayed in the visual media (video, television, etc.) in a way that it is available only to individuals whose televisions are equipped with captioning decoders.
G. Captioning (Open) – Refers to converting the spoken word to text displayed in the visual media (videos, television, etc.) so that it is seen by everyone who watches the film (i.e., it cannot be turned off). H. Captioning (Real Time) – The simultaneous conversion of spoken words to text, through computer-assisted transcription or court reporting, and displaying that text on a video screen. This communication service is beneficial to individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing that do not use sign language or for whom assistive listening devices and systems are ineffective. I. Certified Interpreter – A person who is certified by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or other national or state interpreter assessment and certification program. J. Client – As used in this plan, this term includes anyone applying for or participating in the services provided by Crisis Center and its contracted services providers. It includes persons making general inquiries or in any way seeking access to or receiving information from Crisis Center, and it’s contracted services providers, either in person, in writing or via telecommunications. May also be referred to as “patient or patients”.
K. Companion or Companions – Any individual who is deaf or hard-of-hearing or limited English proficient and is one of the following: (a) a person whom the client indicates should communicate with Crisis Center staff
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about the client, such as a person who participates in any treatment decision, a person who plays a role in communicating the client’s needs, condition, history, or symptoms to Crisis Center staff, or a person who helps the client act on the information, advice, or instructions provided by Crisis Center staff; (b) a person legally authorized to make healthcare or legal decisions on behalf of the cl i e n t ; or (c) such other person with whom the Crisis Center staff would ordinarily and regularly communicate about the client.
L. Contracted Services Provider – Any public, private or nonprofit agency or corporation that has entered into a contractual agreement with Crisis Center to provide services directly to the public. M. Deaf – A term used to describe a person having a permanent hearing loss and being unable to discriminate speech sounds in verbal communication, with or without the assistance of amplification devices. N. Disability – A condition that substantially limits a major life activity, such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, lifting, sleeping, and working. O. Discrimination – The failure to treat persons equally because of their race, sex, color, age, religion, national origin, political beliefs, or disability. P. Dual Sensory Impairment – A term used to describe a person having both a visual impairment and a hearing impairment. The term includes all ranges of loss, which would necessitate the use of auxiliary aids and services for communication. Q. Employee(s) – All persons working for Crisis Center R. Florida Relay Service (FRS) – A service offered to all persons in the state that enables a hearing person to communicate with a person who is hearing or speech impaired and must use a TDD/TTY, through a specially trained operator called a communications assistant. S. Hard-of-Hearing – A term used to describe a person having a permanent hearing impairment, which is severe enough to necessitate the use of auxiliary aids or services to discriminate speech sounds in verbal communication. T. Hearing Impairment – An all-inclusive term used to describe any hearing loss. A person with a hearing impairment could be either deaf or hard-of-hearing. U. Interpreter – i. Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI)/Deaf Interpreter (DI) – Individuals who are certified or qualified to interpret as part of a team to facilitate communication. ii. Certified Interpreter – A qualified interpreter who is certified by the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or other national or state interpreter assessment and certification program. iii. Intermediate Interpreter – A Certified Deaf Interpreter or Deaf Interpreter, also known as a relay or intermediary interpreter, can be used in tandem with an ASL interpreter. iv. Oral Interpreter – Qualified oral translators have knowledge and abilities in the process of speech reading, speech production and the communication needs of speech readers. v. Qualified Interpreter – an individual, who is able to interpret competently, accurately, impartially and effectively, both receptively and expressively, using any specialized terminology necessary for
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effective communication with a deaf or hard-of-hearing Customer or Companion. vi. Sign Language Interpreter – A person who engages in the practice of interpreting using sign language. vii. Tactile or Close Vision Interpreter (For Deaf-blind Individuals) – An individual who accurately facilitates communication between hearing and deaf-blind individuals.
In addition, someone who has rudimentary familiarity with sign language or finger spelling is not a qualified sign language interpreter. Likewise, someone who is fluent in sign language but who does not possess the ability to process spoken communication into proper signs or to observe someone else signing and change their signed or finger-spelled communication into spoken words is not a qualified sign language interpreter.
V. Limited English Proficient (LEP) – Individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English. W. Manual Disability Impairment – A term used to describe a condition, which limits or prevents the use of a person’s upper extremities (arms, hands). X. Mental Disability Impairment – Any mental or psychological disorders such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. Y. Mobility Impairment – For the purpose of this plan, this term is used to describe a condition that substantially limits a person’s upper or lower body mobility. It includes those persons who have limited use of arms, shoulders; persons who are in wheelchairs or on crutches; people of short stature; those who cannot perform certain hand movements or have difficulty controlling movement; and people with breathing difficulties or stamina limitations. It also includes person with visual impairments.
Z. Non-Aid Essential Communication Situation – Situation where Crisis Center is provided the flexibility in its choice of an appropriate auxiliary/accessibility aid or service for deaf or hard-of-hearing clients or companions. AA. Physical Disability – A broad term, which includes physiological disorders or conditions, cosmetic disfigurement and anatomical loss. It includes orthopedic, visual, speech, and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV disease (symptomatic or asymptomatic), tuberculosis, drug addiction and alcoholism. BB. Program Accessibility – An ADA standard, which means a public entity’s programs, services, or activities, when viewed in their entirety, must be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. The concept of program accessibility is intended to make the contents of the program, service or activity equally available and accessible to persons with disabilities without excessive renovations of facilities. (See also: “Undue Burden”).
CC. Crisis Center Contract Agency – Any public, private or nonprofit agency or corporation that has entered into a contractual agreement with Crisis Center to provide services directly to the public.
DD. Crisis Center – Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Inc.
EE. Sensory Impairment – This is a general term, which is used to describe impairment of vision or hearing. For the
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purpose of this document, it also includes impairment of speech. FF. Single-Point-of-Contact – Any individual charged with implementing the terms of the HHS Settlement Agreement within each DCF Direct Service Facility and shall also mean any individual within each DCF Contract Agency charged with coordinating services to deaf or hard-of-hearing Customers and Companions according to their obligations under Section 504 and/or the ADA.
GG. Staff – As used in this plan, defines all employees of Crisis Center
HH. Translator – Individuals able to interpret the meaning of a text in one language (the "source text") and the production, in another language (the "target language"); of an equivalent text (the "target text," or "translation") that communicates the same message.
II. TTY/TDD. TTY (Teletypewriter) or TDD (Telecommunications Device for Deaf) – are devices that are used with a telephone to communicate with persons who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or who have speech impairments by typing and reading communications. JJ. Undue Burden – This term, used in conjunction with programs and services (ADA Title II), means an unreasonably excessive financial cost or administrative inconvenience in altering building or facilities in which programs, services or activities are conducted, in order to ensure equal benefit to persons with disabilities NOTE: Program access requirements of ADA Title II should enable individuals with disabilities to participate in and benefit from the programs, services and activities of public entities in all but the most unusual cases. Determination of undue burden can be made only by the agency head or his/her designee, after considering all resources available for use in the funding and operation of the program.
KK. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Office for Civil Rights. The federal agency responsible for compliance with federal regulations including but not limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX, Section 504, the Age Discrimination Act of 1978, and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Action of 1981, as amended.
LL. Visual Impairment – A generic term used to describe any loss of vision.
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SECTION THREE: STAFF TRAINING AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Crisis Center will develop a training platform that addresses the needs of special populations and ensure compliance with all previously listed acts and or procedures.
All qualified and potential clients are entitled to an equal opportunity to use and benefit from the programs and services from Crisis Center. This includes reasonable accommodations to ensure that programs and services are equally accessible to and equally effective for otherwise qualified persons with disabilities who have hearing, vision or mobility impairments.
Crisis Center believes all employees share in the responsibility of providing or navigating services to clients that enter or contact the organization. Crisis Center is equally committed that those encounters with our client base are productive and lead to service that meet the right needs at the right time. To accomplish this goal, Crisis Center mandates training opportunities which are tracked and monitored through the Talent Management department and agency wide in the respective service divisions.
All Crisis Center employees and its contracted service providers will take reasonable steps to provide services and information in appropriate languages, other than English, to ensure that limited-English proficient persons are effectively informed and can effectively participate in and benefit from its programs, services and activities. Auxiliary aids or language interpreters will be available for use by clients and potential clients with impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills in each phase of the service delivery process (e.g., telephone inquiries, requests, intake interviews, service delivery, counseling, complaints, testing, treatment, and training, etc.)
Employees receive training ranging from employee orientation (within thirty days of hire), department meetings, supervision, coaching and monthly in-service opportunities. All employees will receive training and ongoing refreshers on serving diverse populations including the deaf and hard of hearing, and limited English proficiency population. Cultural competence and service planning to special populations are addressed in these offerings.
Mandated online electronic training formats such as the Department of Children and Families, Deaf and Hard of Hearing training is assigned to each Crisis Center service division based on role and amount of client contact.
Community members that take advantage of training offered at the Crisis Center will be asked during registration if they need special accommodation to meet hearing or learning needs. All reasonable efforts to accommodate special needs will be addressed up to and including providing assistive listening devices.
Annual training refreshers are tracked by department management for consistency in the agency protocols and practices. Training records are maintained in the employee’s human resource record.
Crisis Center policy is reviewed and approved annually by the Chief Executive Officer, Vice President of Client Services and/or the Vice President of Talent Management.
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SECTION FOUR: COMMUNICATING CLIENT RIGHTS
Crisis Center will communicate to existing and potential clients in writing and electronically their rights to appropriate accommodations that promote service access.
Client Rights Statements: To accomplish this objective, Crisis Center Operations Managers and Directors will coordinate efforts to increase awareness of agency client rights information. Signage that describes the rights of individuals in special populations and/ or requiring translation and interpretation services will be posted in common areas such as reception areas, designated Crisis Center common areas, in offices etc. Written documents will be posted in these areas in hard copy or made available through electronic formats on the agency website(s).
Statement of client rights documents will also be provided to clients receiving direct services from Crisis Center employees, contractors and volunteers. These documents will be relevant in the initiation of service and will be assessed throughout service delivery in the event circumstances, wishes or desires of the client change.
As language is diverse, client rights documents will be posted in languages most prevalent to the demographic served in our immediate community. Crisis Center employees, contractors and volunteers that are bilingual may be required to provide assistance to clients in other service programs during first contact to ensure they are made aware of their rights, identify needs and ensure Crisis Center is the appropriate service provider to meet articulated needs.
Communication Planning: Once client rights have been clearly articulated to the client, an assessment of the client's preferred mode of communication will be performed by designated Crisis Center staff. Communication planning supports the Crisis Center priority to expedite service access.
The goal of communication planning addresses the following priorities: 1) identify translation and interpretation services required to facilitate client communication with Crisis Center employees, 2) determine the type of communication and/or the type of auxiliary aid or related communication device that will be required to facilitate the service and 3) provide a guide for service continuity through formal documentation of the agreed communication need.
Formal meetings may be required to create an effective communication plan. These meetings are to be completed no later than two business days after contact with the client. Team members, client companions and family and service providers may be called upon to assist in the planning process. Crisis Center will exhaust all medium to connect potential team members to this meeting.
Telephonic (TTY/TDD), electronic (email, chat services), and written mediums that are encouraged to ensure an optimal plan is developed. Additionally Crisis Center employees, contractors and volunteers that are bilingual may be required to provide assistance to clients during this time. All plans are written on the
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appropriate planning forms (See Attachment: Forms) and filed in the clients record. These service records are maintained throughout service delivery and retained by Crisis Center after services are rendered. The duration of the retention of records is dependent on the service area. In cases where the client seeks services with another organization, and wishes to obtain a copy of their record, Crisis Center will follow established guidelines for release of information and record request.
All communication plans require review and approval from the designated department Manager or Program Director prior to service implementation.
Third Parties, Family Members and Companions Many of our clients rely on their formal and informal supports to facilitate their receipt of needed service. In the event that a client presents a third party, family member, a companion or an interested third party, all Crisis Center protocols that are afforded to the client will also be provided to the designated resource. It is the practice of Crisis Center that formal and informal supports may not provide formal translation or interpretations services during the course of service with the agency in lieu of Crisis Center employee, contractors and volunteer’s assistance or certified interpretation services.
During engagement clients and their supports will receive this information as well as reasons why the companion will not be able to provide ongoing translation or interpretation. The companion may participate in the planning process if the client asks for them to be present. All decisions made about formal and informal supports must be included in the communication plan. Client has the right to change the conditions of the communication plan up to and including terminating the plan at any point of service delivery.
Refusals In all of the aforementioned, Crisis Center will not impose a plan of action on any client against their wishes. All communication planning can be refused. Refusal should be captured in the waiver forms (See Attachment Forms)
Auxiliary Aids Auxiliary aids for individuals that are deaf or hard of hearing and those that may have limited English proficiency will be provided to the client and or their companion directly by Crisis Center upon approval or through a community resource that is capable to meet the identified need.
In the event there is a request for an auxiliary aid that Crisis Center cannot accommodate, effort to meet the need through community resources will be coordinated.
In the event an auxiliary aid is provided yet does not meet the clients need or is inoperable, service coordinators in the respective departments will immediately make efforts to revise the communication plan and obtain updated aids if possible or appropriate resources if the aid exceeds Crisis Center scope.
Auxiliary Aid Denials Crisis Center will assure requests for auxiliary aids are fully vetted prior to deciding to accommodate a client or their companion. Employees, contractors and volunteers are required to discuss all requests for auxiliary aids
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with their department supervisor prior to approving any auxiliary aid or device. Supervisory staff will ensure that requests can be fulfilled in the most fiscally responsive way for auxiliary aids. Crisis Center does not inventory or maintain auxiliary aids on site. TTY/TDD devices are available in the Gateway call center and used when callers are not relayed by Florida Relay (7-1-1) to the facility. Community resources will be required to assist callers with special requests for specific aids and listening devices.
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SECTION FIVE: THE ROLE OF COORDINATORS AND SINGLE POINTS OF CONTACT
Crisis Center selects, trains, and develops single points of contact representatives in each service division to support clients who enter the operation and requires special service accommodations.
Crisis Center designates a Coordinator of the Client Rights program. This person or their designee ensures agency wide compliance with laws, rulings and any related policy procedure guiding the treatment of all clients with any outstanding need based on disability, language, or resource. They ensure proper access is provided to the community and problems that occur are reviewed and resolved. Ultimately, they are responsive to all client rights issues and assist in the development and implementation of policy and procedure to eliminate potential service gaps.
Crisis Center appoints a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to each service division agency wide. This role assists employees as they work through issues associated with serving clients with limited English proficiency, communication planning, and securing auxiliary aids. When issues arise that are beyond the scope of employees and their designated supervisors/management team, the SPOC will consult on the issue providing guidance on best practice, community resources and company policy. The assigned SPOC is responsible to have up to date training in all agency and regulatory training requirements.
SPOCS in each service area will respond to service needs, conduct meetings, as needed, with clients and employees to assess service needs and provide technical assistance / training when required. SPOCS report status of department compliance with all Crisis Center policy and procedures. SPOC is responsible for monthly reporting requirements for regulatory bodies and Crisis Center leadership. Gap reviews are conducted as a quality measure to ensure compliance (see Section Six: Quality Assurance and Improvement).
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SECTION SIX: TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION AND ADVOCACY SERVICES
Crisis Center will seek and develop working relationships with internal and external resources that possess the knowledge, skill and ability to address the needs of special populations.
Crisis Center is committed to protecting the rights of its clients. Crisis Center leadership creates a wide service array for the community, yet is aware that not all client needs will be met through the array alone. Encountering diversity is inherent to servicing the community; In response Crisis Center seeks out and develops contractual and non-contractual relationships with community service providers.
Interpretation Crisis Center addresses interpretation needs to establish a clear understanding of the presenting client need. Through the Gateway, callers can be warm transferred to our designated language interpreting service. This is a paid service of the Crisis Center and available at no cost to the caller. Once the service need is properly assessed callers can receive interpretation services to allow callers to speak with an individual that speaks in their primary language or language they have greatest comfort.
When services begin onsite, interpreters may be used based on the communication plan established. As the interpreter is essential to facilitating communication between the client and Crisis Center service staff, listings of certified resources are maintained and updated annually. (See Attachment: Interpretation Services).Crisis Center will provide foreign language interpretation for any consumer who requests such assistance. For foreign language interpretation, Crisis Center staff will utilize foreign language interpretation service.
The Florida Relay System (7-1-1) is also made available to clients identified as deaf or hard of hearing. To call Florida Relay, dial 7-1-1, or use the toll free numbers: 1-800-955-8771 (TTY) 1-800-955-8770 (Voice) 1-800-955-1339 (ASCII) 1-877-955-8260 (VCO-Direct) 1-800-955-5334 (STS) 1-877-955-8773 (Spanish) 1-877-955-8707 (French Cr)
As Crisis Center does not provide video relay or video remote services on site, access to these interpretation formats will be determined by through communication planning and community services. Listings of these services will be made available to clients within this plan, through the Crisis Center website and available in the Crisis Center 2-1-1 Resource Directory.
Translation: Crisis Center provides written materials in English and Spanish. Translation services may be provided for other languages upon development of an approved communication plan.
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Advocacy: When service needs exceed the Crisis Center scope of service, community experts and special advocates will be solicited to assist in proper service provision. Crisis Center will maintain lists of community providers that advocate for special need populations up to and including those in the deaf and hard of hearing community. Crisis Center maintains a community resource directory with access to resources in the Hillsborough county area which will be used to address immediate client needs and will also be used in ongoing service information and referral activities.
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SECTION SEVEN: QUALITY ASSURANCE AND IMPROVEMENT
The organization will develop a protocol for internal quality monitoring of the effectiveness of all client access accommodation services
Record Review: As scheduled by the department designee, reviews of client records will occur to ensure all protocols and standard of performance in this plan are being met. Compliance reviews that identify gaps in service will be addressed with program management and corrective actions developed to resolve the identified gaps. A tool that can be incorporated into the quality assurance process will be employed with the assistance of the agency SPOC. Special reviews will be conducted for all Deaf and Head of Hearing cases.
Service Providers: Qualified service providers are maintained in the Crisis Center 2-1-1 Resource Directory and in similar resource guides located in each service area. Clients are encouraged to provide feedback to Crisis Center of any service provider we refer them. Our goal is to collaborate with companies that are equally committed to the goals we aspire. To this end, we will work with companies with a proven track record of performance to special populations.
Surveys: All clients will receive surveys to discuss the strengths and opportunities for immediate and long term improvement of the service they receive at Crisis Center. These survey results roll into larger organizational strategic planning efforts.
Complaints/Grievances: When clients express dissatisfaction or have a suggestion regarding a Crisis Center service or the individuals(s) providing that service, the client will be advised on the agency procedure to voice their concern(s). Each service area and department has a monitoring and tracking procedure in place to ensure review of information. If there concerns regarding the decision, a final decision will be made by the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the agency. Decisions made by the SMT will be considered final, placed in writing and documented in the client record. The DCF Office of Civil Rights will be contacted in the event the issue requires third party review.
On at least a quarterly basis, a report of all grievances, complaints and suggestions will be provided to Risk Prevention Management Committee for review.
Plan Reviews This plan is reviewed annually and revisions are made based on regulatory or agency practice changes.
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