TITLE: Disaster Preparedness Plan Requirements
POLICY AND PROCEDURE
House of New Hope
POLICY: S-600A
TITLE: Disaster Preparedness Plan Requirements
EFFECTIVE DATE: 8/08AUTHORIZED BY: Board of Trustees
REVISION DATE: 4/2015, 5/2016
5101:2-5-13.1
A.Identification of essential personnel needed for the operation of the agency
1.Executive Director
2.Chief Financial Officer
3.Director of Consumer Relations
4.Director of Foster Care
5.Director of Clinical Services
6.Director of Behavioral Services
7.Director of Transportation
8.Director of Training
9.Controller
10.Clinician 1 and 2
11.Licensing Assessor
12.Licensing Assistant
13.Transporters
14.Clerical 2
15.Substitute caregivers
B.Alternative physical work location including provisions for temporary work sites
1.House of New Hope utilizes a web-based service application software system that affords the agency optimal flexibility in the event of a disaster. In the event of a web server outage in St. Louisville, a secondary server can be re-established within 4 hours. Virtually all essential records are stored on the web-based server.
2.The alternative work location for the Licking County Administrative Offices in St. Louisville would be in staff homes.
3.The alternative work location for satellite offices would be another area of the Developmental Disability Board.
C.Communication plan for agency staff, substitute caregivers, and other critical team members with or without email, internet, SACWIS or telephone access.
1.If communication capabilities remain intact (telephone or email), all essential personnel will be contacted by a member of the Executive Management Team with disaster plan instructions.
i.Specifically, a member of the Executive Management Team will contact every Director with instructions. Directors will contact the employees under their supervision.
ii.Employees must make every effort to contact their Supervisor when their usual and customary means of communication (telephone or cellular telephone) has been disrupted.
iii.Direct service staff shall make contact with each of their assigned foster parents and assess the safety of family members.
iv.Foster Caregivers must make every effort to contact their Clinician when their usual and customary means of communication (telephone or cellular telephone) has been disrupted.
2.If the internet is accessible, all database and web-based activities can remain in service. An alternative would be paper-based activities and storage.
3.As communication systems allow and following contact with all assigned foster families, House of New Hope will contact all custodial counties with an update on status and location of children in county custody. If communication systems are disrupted and as feasible, the Agency will send a courier to each county with the status and location of children in their custody.
D.Identification of essential work activities that must continue in order to ensure the safety of children, support caregivers and service providers.
1.Maintenance of foster parent-foster child relationship
2.Maintenance of foster parent/foster child support by agency clinical staff including visitations
3.Maintenance of clinical support and supervision
4.Maintenance of licensing, placement and investigatory activities
5.Maintenance of transportation services including visitation with primary families
E.Procedures for handling new reports of child maltreatment if the agency is responsible for responding to reports concerning children.
1.If the Agency receives a report of foster child maltreatment by a foster parent, the Agency will consider removal of the child from the alleged perpetrator, as provided by OAC, and initiate a call to the appropriate PCSA.
F.Procedures for tracking clients and substitute caregivers with or without SACWIS or other technical system in place.
1.The Agency will revert to a paper-based tracking system until the computer-based system can be re-established.
2.The Licensing/Placement Department will maintain their master list, make all changes on the Agency’s NOC form, and save for data entry.
G.Continuity of services to families receiving in-home supportive services.
1.All families receiving in-home supportive services will continue to receive said services on the established schedule by direct line or supervisory staff.
H.Continuity of services to children in substitute care and kinship care placements.
1.All children in substitute care and kinship care will continue to receive said services on the established schedule by direct line or supervisory staff.
I.Maintenance and security of agency records not included in SACWIS including soft copies in other software applications or hard copies.
1.All agency hard records are kept in locked cabinets in locked rooms in the St. Louisville facility. At the earliest available time, the records will be inspected for security and transferred to the established alternate location if necessary.
2.All servers are kept in a locked room in the St. Louisville facility. At the earliest available time, the servers will be inspected for security and transferred to the established alternate location if necessary.
3.Copies of the web-based software databases are kept with the Executive Director or designee off-site and will be utilized to re-establish communications and records if deemed necessary due to damage to the original servers.
J.Maintenance and security of court records for child protective services cases and PCPA adoption court records.
1.All agency adoption records are kept in locked location in locked rooms in the St. Louisville facility. At the earliest available time, the records will be inspected for security and transferred to the established alternate location if necessary.
K.Coordination of services with law enforcement, hospitals/medical providers or other disaster response agencies for the following:
1.Children in agency custody
i.The Executive Management Team in conjunction with the Adoption Services staff will make contact with any child in agency custody and make assist in coordination efforts as needed.
2.Children with no known or available parent, guardian or custodian.
i.Not applicable
L.Working with emergency shelters for the following:
1.Staff training in disaster preparedness
i.House of New Hope will work cooperatively with local preparedness agencies.
2.Coordination of services for children and families in emergency shelters
i.Direct staff will work with the local emergency shelter agencies to locate and provide resources to any foster family or foster child in an emergency shelter, including, but not limited to moving to an alternative substitute caregiver’s home.
3.Volunteers
i.The Director of Consumer Relations will coordinate all volunteer efforts.
M.Plans of cooperation/memoranda of understanding with neighboring counties which, at a minimum, would address duties and requirements
1.Not applicable.