Shelter centers should provide transportation or make transportation arrangements
for children attending school.
It is recommended that:
Shelter centers provide transportation for child residents/nonresidents to attend social or recreational activities.
Shelter centers provide or assist residents in accessing transportation to medical and legal appointments; job training and interviews; work sites; and training sites after employment or training is secured and until the residents can make their own arrangements.
Initial Delivery of Adult Direct Services
Shelter centers should:
Ensure and document that new adult residents have direct contact with a staff person within 16 hours of the resident's admission.
Have written procedures ensuring that each adult resident is provided an orientation within 16 hours of the resident's arrival about shelter center services. The orientation should be documented and include but not be limited to:
Explanation of services available.
Cooperative living agreement; an agreement between the shelter and the residents promoting health, safety, and daily shelter operations.
Length of stay.
Termination policy.
Residents' rights.
Nondiscrimination statement.
Grievance procedures.
Safety and security procedures, including medication.
Confidentiality and limits of confidentiality.
Waivers of liability.
Initial Delivery of Children's Direct Services and Children's Advocate
Shelter centers should:
Have written procedures ensuring that new child residents and/or parent residents will have direct contact with the designated children's staff. This service should be documented.
Designate at least one staff person, either paid or volunteer, to act as a children's advocate.
Document in writing that the designated staff acting as children's advocate has the following:
Knowledge of child development, parenting skills, and dynamics of family relationships.
Sensitivity to the needs of children.
Ability to respond in a constructive, supportive manner to the resident parent and child in crisis.
Ability to plan and implement activities for children.
Knowledge of the local network of children's services.
In order to determine the services needed, it is recommended that shelter centers ensure that all new child residents have direct contact with the designated children's staff within 72 hours of the resident's admission. If the child can not developmentally be involved in this process, it is recommended that the needs assessment be done with the parent resident.
Cooperative Living Agreements
Shelter centers should have written guidelines that promote cooperative living. These guidelines should be posted in a visible area. To promote cooperative living, house management meetings should be held regularly.
Cooperative living agreements may include chore expectations, childcare arrangements, a violence-free and drug/substance-free environment, resident's privacy, and resident and location confidentiality.
It is recommended that:
Shelter centers promote individualized cooperative living agreements based
upon each resident's special circumstances.
Some special circumstances are individually dealt with, for example
specific concerns regarding personal hygiene. Other circumstances may be addressed in house meetings, for example concerns regarding loud noises during quiet time.
Termination of Services
Shelter centers should have written procedures for:
Voluntary and involuntary termination of services; and
Appealing terminations.
Residents should be informed in writing of their right to appeal a termination
of services. Notice to the resident should be provided with a fair hearing.
Shelter centers should have written policies outlining behaviors for which
services can be terminated. Threatening or inappropriate behaviors should be non-gender specific and should apply equally to all residents.
If a resident violates the cooperative living agreement, it is recommended
that the shelter center staff work with the resident rather than automatically terminating services.
Medical Care
There should be assistance regarding any urgent medical situation for
the victims of family violence accessing shelter center services.
Emergency Medical Care
Each shelter should:
Develop written procedures to help resident and nonresident victims of family violence obtain emergency medical services.
Maintain a current list of emergency medical care resources that can provide
medical services for victims of family violence.
Non-Emergency Medical Care
Shelter centers should develop written procedures to help residents and
nonresidents obtain non-emergency medical services, including networking with local medical professionals to encourage the provision of low cost medical services to residents and nonresidents.
Shelter centers should have written policies and procedures regarding all
prescribed and non-prescribed medications used by residents, including but not limited to:
Self-administration of drugs and medications.
Methods for control and accountability of drugs and medications.
A system, which ensures that adult residents have direct or immediate access to their own and their children's medication.
Individual Counseling
It is recommended that:
The service plan be developed with the resident or nonresident and
reflect the resident's or nonresident's particular needs.
For residents or nonresidents that need therapeutic or ongoing counseling,
shelter centers network with local mental health providers to encouraged reduced-rate and/or donated services.
The distribution of religious literature in and of itself is not illegal,
however, the liability in terms of being discriminatory should be considered when distributing materials from any one religion.
Shelter center staff and volunteers should respect the culture and beliefs
of each resident or nonresident.
