Emergency Duty Instructions/Payment Procedures
A. Emergency Duty Instructions
1. The emergency cell phone and beeper must be turned on after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. They must both be kept on continuously through weekends and holidays until regular office hours resume.
2. If the beeper goes off, dial the number on the LCD screen. If no number is on the LCD screen, you must call the office answering machine/voice mail and play back the messages to see if someone left a message regarding an emergency at the office.
3. For any emergency you must following the call procedures listed in the Critical/Unusual Incident Procedures for Emergency Procedure Book (CC 2:12G) located in the office On Call Emergency Book. An Emergency Call Data Sheet (CC 4:7D) must be completed and given to the client’s caseworker the next working day after the emergency. This sheet is to be placed in the client’s case file. If the emergency warrants an Unusual Incident/Critical Incident Report or Report of Suspected Child Abuse Form to be completed, these forms must be completed within 24 hours of the incident.
Specific Emergency Instruction
· Runaways
Notify the referring agency immediately via telephone, using the agency’s emergency service telephone number. After such notification, the referring agency has the primary responsibility and authority in regard to what steps will be taken. If the child returns to the home, notify the referring agency and the local police of the child’s return. An Unusual Incident Report form must be completed.
· Hospitalization
Send the resource parent to the hospital and have them call you when they get there. Call the hospital to find out the situation directly from hospital staff. If the child need surgery, anesthesia or is staying overnight, immediately contact the referring agency and birth parents for consent to treat. Children’s Choice workers cannot give consent to treat, but if necessary a doctor can make an emergency decision to treat without consent. If the birth parents are unreachable, the Children’s Choice worker can appeal to the referring agency caseworker to petition for a court order for the child to receive necessary tests, procedures and/or treatment. If the situation warrants, go to the hospital. See Critical/Unusual Incident Procedures for Emergency Procedure Book (CC 2:12G) to decide if a Critical or Unusual Incident Report needs to be competed.
CC 4:7C
Rev. 09/02
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· Lack of return from birth family visit
Attempt to contact birth family to find out the situation as to why the child was not returned. Contact the referring agency worker to inform them that child has not been returned. Complete an Emergency Call Data Sheet (CC 4:7D).
· Resource family asking for immediate removal of child
Ascertain immediate issues. Request a cooling down time for all involved. Locate possible respite home in case the situation cannot be resolved. If necessary, go to resource home to act as mediator. If child is in danger, remove the child from the home. If child is removed from the home, contact referring agency worker. Complete an Emergency Call Data Sheet (CC 4:7D).
4. If you ever have any questions or concerns, contact your Program Coordinator/Project Supervisor, next the Regional Director. If you cannot reach either the Program Coordinator/Project Supervisor or the Regional Director, contact the CEO, Dr. Carolyn Eberwein. See Critical/Unusual Incident Procedures for Emergency Procedure Book (CC 2:12G) for Regional Directors and CEO’s phone numbers.
B. Emergency Duty Payment Procedure
1. Employees who work emergency duty are compensated $7 per night and $25 for designated holidays. Dates of emergency duty are entered on the Leave Time Record. Payment is made on the mid-month paycheck following the month in which duty was performed. The designated holidays are:
· Thanksgiving Day
· Day after Thanksgiving
· Christmas Eve
· Christmas Day
· New Year’s Day
· Good Friday
· Easter Sunday
2. Emergency duty employees who are called away from their homes are compensated $50 per occurrence. This compensation is in addition to the $7 per night. Reasons for being called away from your home include (but are not limited to): responding to an emergency at a child’s home, resource home, or the hospital. As with regular emergency duty, the number of emergency visits is recorded on the Leave Time Record and paid in the mid-month check following the month in which the emergency visit occurred.
CC 4:7C
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