Background Check and Onboarding Policy
Background Check
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to the protection of all persons who are associated with the organization including members, staff, volunteers and guests. The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis shall conduct comprehensive background checks of all employees and volunteers who have direct, repetitive contact with children participating in our programs. The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis will carry out this requirement in a fair, consistent and non-discriminatory manner, complying with applicable state and federal laws and guidelines, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission.
The organization utilizes name-based systems to obtain data for individual background checks, but at a minimum each individual background check shall include:
Such checks will be conducted prior to employment and at regular intervals not to exceed twelve months. Any break in employment of six months or greater will require an updated background check. Other data may also be obtained, based on individual employee or volunteer duties or responsibilities.
Procedure:
Background check findings shall be reviewed in a fair, impartial and confidential manner. The organization’s priority is the safety of the members, staff, volunteers and guests, certain actions and convictions for certain crimes serve to automatically disqualify applicants for employment or volunteer service at the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis in any position that involves working with children. A person will be deemed ineligible for employment or volunteer service if the person:
With respect to misdemeanor convictions of drug possession crimes, any applicant with such a conviction shall be evaluated on an individual basis to determine whether they should be excluded from consideration based on the conviction. Individual fitness determinations will be made by senior leadership with consultation and final review by the Chief Executive Officer or their designate. In doing so, the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis shall consider the following factors:
Interviewing
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis will conduct in-person behavioral-based interviews with every candidate for employment or program volunteer service.
Reference Checks
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis will conduct professional reference checks for the following:
For all other positions with direct and repetitive contact with youth, the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis will conduct personal reference checks.
Additionally, the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis provides reference materials when asked by other Member Organizations.
Staff and Volunteer Onboarding
Procedure:
Upon offer of a position, each new Club employee shall receive and confirm in writing, receipt of an up-to- date employee policies and procedures manual and/or handbook that, at a minimum, articulates current:
When working with any Club members, all staff and volunteers at a minimum shall be given an orientation that includes an overview of the following:
Child Abuse Prevention Policy
Purpose:
The priority of Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is the physical and emotional safety of its members, staff and volunteers. Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis maintains a zero-tolerance policy for child abuse. The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis implements policies and procedures for members, employees, volunteers, visitors or any victims of sexual abuse or misconduct to report any suspicion or allegation of abuse.
Definitions:
One-on-Contact Prohibition: Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis prohibits isolated one-on-one interaction between Club participants and staff or volunteers, including board members. This includes prohibiting one- on-one contact at any time at the Club or any site where Club programs are held, in vehicles or by phone, text, social media or any other means.
Exemptions may only be made when delivering approved medical or counseling services by a licensed, trained therapist or similar professional according to professional guidelines. All staff and volunteers, including minor staff (under age 18), are strictly prohibited from meeting Club participants outside of any Club-sponsored activities. Exemptions can only be made when approved by Club Leadership for specific club activities (ex. Youth of the Year; T3) or if the Club participant is a child or sibling of a staff member or volunteer.
Child abuse is when an adult or another child, whether through action or by failing to act, causes serious emotional or physical harm to a child. Sexual abuse or misconduct may include but is not limited to:
Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or trafficking. Grooming behaviors may include but are not limited to:
Mandated reporting
Every staff member or volunteer of Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis who becomes aware of or has suspicion of child abuse or neglect must immediately report it to Club leadership, who must immediately assist the staff or volunteer to report the incident to the appropriate authorities according to statewide mandated reporting laws. Once a report is made, Club leadership is responsible for reporting the incident to their COO or CEO who will report the incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) within 24 hours via the critical incident system.
For volunteer athletic coaches who become aware of or has suspicion of child abuse or neglect – they must immediately report the incident to the appropriate authorities according to statewide mandated reporting laws. Once a report is made, coaches must inform Club Athletic Director, who will report the incident to their COO or CEO, who will report the incident to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) within 24 hours via the critical incident system.
Required Training
All Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis employees and volunteers are required to complete the following training and policy review if they are to have direct repetitive contact with young people (at the intervals noted for each).
Before engaging directly with youth, and annually thereafter:
Annually:
Physical Interactions
Every staff member and volunteer of Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is required to maintain appropriate physical contact with minors. Appropriate and inappropriate interactions include but are not limited to the following:
Appropriate | Inappropriate |
· Side hugs
· Handshakes · High-fives and hand slapping · Holding hands (with young children in escorting situations) |
· Full-frontal hugs or kisses
· Showing affection in isolated areas · Lap sitting · Wrestling or piggyback/shoulder rides · Tickling · Allowing youth to cling to an adult’s leg |
Verbal Interactions
Every staff member and volunteer of Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is required to maintain appropriate verbal interactions with minors. Appropriate and inappropriate interactions include but are not limited to the following:
Appropriate | Inappropriate |
· Positive reinforcement
· Child-appropriate jokes (no adult content) · Encouragement · Praise |
· Name calling
· Inappropriate jokes (adult-only content) · Discussing sexual encounters or personal issues · Secrets · Profanity or derogatory remarks · Harsh language that may frighten, threaten or humiliate youth |
Abuse and Safety Resources
Boys & Girls Clubs of Corvallis prominently displays BGCA-approved collateral that shares ethics hotline, crisis text line and safety helpline information with members, staff, volunteers, and families. We also share all safety policies with parents and guardians upon receiving a youth membership application.
One-on-One Contact Policy
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to providing a safe environment for members, staff, and volunteers. To further ensure their safety, the organization prohibits all one-on-one interactions between youth, staff, volunteers, guests and board members.
Definitions:
One-on-one private contact or communication– any private contact or communication (including electronic communication) between a member under the age of 18 and an adult, including staff, volunteers, board members and others that may come in contact with members during regular programming and activities. Exemptions can only be made when approved by Club Leadership for specific club activities (ex. Youth of the Year; T3).
Private contact/communication– any communication, in-person or virtual, that is between one youth member and one adult that takes place in a secluded area, is not in plain sight, and/or is done without knowledge of others. Private places can include, but are not limited to vehicles, rooms without visibility to others, private homes, hotel rooms, etc.
Public contact/communication– any communication or meeting, in-person or virtual, that is between at least three individuals, including two staff and one member, one staff and two members, and a variation of this combination.
Procedure:
Staff shall NOT:
Staff shall:
Exceptions may only be made:
Should exceptions need to be made, Club leadership will monitor interactions, including, but not limited to:
Supervision and Bathroom Policy
Supervision
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to providing a safe environment for all persons who are associated with the organization including staff, volunteers, members and guests. As such, all Club activities shall be under continuous supervision by an appropriate adult at all times. An appropriate adult is defined as an individual(s) 18+ who has completed a Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis background check.
Club activities are under continuous supervision by an appropriate adult and will maintain the following ratios when supervising youth:
Type | Adults | Youth |
Drop-In | 1 | 18 |
Group Clubs | 1 | 20 |
Day camp | 1 | 18 |
Day Trips | 1 | 8 |
Overnight | 1 (minimum of 2 adults present) | 6 |
Swimming | 1 Spotter | 10 Swimmers |
Disclaimer: When attending the aquatic center, the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis are also under the supervision of the lifeguards and staff at the Osborn Aquatic Center and abide by their supervisory policy for lifeguards.
Procedure:
Staff and Volunteers shall not:
Staff and Volunteers shall:
Bathrooms
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to providing a safe environment and enforces the following restroom and supervision policy for members, staff, volunteers and other adults.
Procedure:
Restrooms located in the North hallway of the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis Clubhouse have been designated for youth K-3rd grade during Clubhouse programming hours. Restrooms located in the South hallway of the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis Clubhouse have been designated for youth 4th-6th grade during Clubhouse programming hours. Bathrooms located in the Johnson’s Teen Center are designated for youth 7th-12th grade during Johnson’s Teen Center programming hours.
Any adult 18+ will use the staff bathroom located in the North hallway when youth are present in the building.
Restrooms shall be regularly monitored by designated staff at a schedule set by Club leadership. Monitoring includes walk-throughs, inspections, and/or bathroom pass usage set by Club leadership. In any Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis restroom, the use of cell phones and any form of technology is strictly prohibited.
Staff shall:
Staff observing unacceptable restroom conditions shall:
Entrance and Exit Control
The Club’s main front entrance shall be controlled and monitored by paid adult staff (18+) during all Clubhouse programming hours. Parent/Guardians picking up child(ren) will present ID, be confirmed to be on the child’s authorized pickup list, sign the pick-up form (noting time of pick-up), take a guest badge, and then proceed into the Clubhouse to locate their child.
All exit doors shall have an audible alarm to discourage unauthorized use to exit or enter the Club.
Only designated adult staff (18+) shall be authorized to possess keys and/or badges to open any Club doors. If an employee is supervising a scheduled activity, they shall be responsible for the security of their program space.
Facility Condition
All program spaces shall have clear lines of visibility and be monitored by adult staff when in use. Areas that are not in use shall remain locked and only accessible by adult staff.
All interior and exterior spaces, and hallways shall be monitored, maintained, well-lit, clean, and free of hazards and obstructions. All storage closets and other unused spaces are to be locked during operational hours.
Damages to facilities shall be repaired in a reasonable manner. Damage that pose imminent risk to the health and safety of members, staff or volunteers shall be repaired immediately. If immediate repair to damage that poses imminent risk is not possible, Club leadership shall determine whether temporary or permanent closure of the Club may be required. Any damage to the Club that results in an incident deemed critical to the organization shall be reported to the appropriate authorities as a critical incident.
Food and Drink
Any distribution, preparation, or consumption of food and/or drink at the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis shall comply with all applicable food services sanitation and public health codes. If food is prepared and served on site, required city or county health department inspection certificates shall be posted. Any dangerous kitchen utensils, including knives, shall be properly and securely stored.
Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis herby referred to as, “The Club” has a responsibility to its employees, to the youth and families the Club serves, the donors that financially support the Club and to the public to ensure safe operating and working conditions. To satisfy these responsibilities, the Club must maintain a work environment where employees are free from the effects of drugs, alcohol, or other impairing substances. Accordingly, the Club has adopted this drug and alcohol policy.
Procedure:
All employees of the Club will operate within the Drug and Alcohol Policy of the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis. A violation of this Drug and Alcohol policy will result in termination. Corvallis Clinic Occupational Medicine will make the determination on all positive and negative tests based on their testing protocol.
Employees are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful or unauthorized manufacturing, distribution, dispensing, sale or possession of illegal drugs and alcohol in the workplace, including on organization paid time, on organization premises, in organization vehicles or while engaged in organization activities.
Substance abuse which includes the possession, use or sale of illegal drugs and/or paraphernalia or the unlawful use of lawful substances including alcohol and prescription drugs (including medical marijuana) will not be tolerated during working hours, on Club premises or at any Club-sponsored or Club-related function. It is a condition of employment at the Club to refrain from using drugs and the unlawful use of lawful substances, including alcohol, marijuana, and prescription medicines, and to abide by the guidelines of this Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy.
Employees must notify their supervisor and/or Club leadership immediately of any criminal drug or alcohol violation.
Employment with the organization is conditional upon full compliance with the foregoing drug- and alcohol-free workplace policy. Any violation of this policy might result in disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis further reserves the right to take any and all appropriate and lawful actions necessary to enforce this drug- and alcohol-free workplace policy, including but not limited to the inspection of organization-issued lockers, desks, or other suspected areas of concealment, as well as an employee’s personal property when the organization has reasonable suspicion to believe that the employee has violated this policy.
Reasonable suspicion is specific articulable observations concerning such circumstances as the work performance, appearance (including, for example, noticeable odor of an alcoholic beverage), behavior, or speech of the employee, or as being involved in an accident on company premises or during company activities not on the premises which results in physical injury or property damage.
Where there is a reasonable suspicion that an employee is in violation of this policy, the employee will be required to submit to testing to determine the use of any alcohol or drugs. The Club reserves the right to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists. If an employee is sent for testing due to suspicion, as defined above, the employee has up to one business day to comply, and shall not return to work that day or until contacted by their immediate supervisor. BGCC will contact the employee of any and all test results.
Drug Testing
The Club reserves the right to request drug testing, for which the Club will pay, under the following conditions:
For conditions 2 & 3, an employee has up to one business day to comply, once the request has been made.
Specific features of the Policy
Reporting for work having consumed alcohol or used illegal drugs or controlled substances at a time, or in such quantities, or in a manner that may impair work performance is expressly prohibited. Employees who are medically authorized to use drugs or other substances which may impair job performance are responsible to obtain from the prescribing physician a letter certifying that there is no physical effect that will impair job performance and/or judgment.
Medical Marijuana
The employee must report the use of the substance to their immediate supervisor, and provide proof of a valid registry identification card that authorizes their use of medical marijuana. Employees are prohibited from bringing marijuana to work or possessing marijuana on the Club’s premises at any time. Employees are prohibited from reporting to work under the intoxicating influence of the drug.
If an employee is currently using illegal substances and chooses to self-disclose and admit to use, the employee will pay for their own testing and treatment plan. An employee will not be subject to immediate termination if self-admission occurs before any drug testing is required. However the employee will be subject to a random screening program for the period of one year at the employee’s expense.
Employees may be subject to testing upon their return to work from a leave of absence of any kind which has lasted longer than 45 days or upon the transfer or promotion to another position.
If you are called to report to work either after hours or on a non-scheduled day, and you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it is your responsibility to inform your supervisor that you are unable to report to work at that time because of use. There will be no negative consequence to the employee for self-admission of use during non-schedule work hours.
Any employee who is found to be in violation of this policy, who refuses to submit to testing as required, or who refuses to cooperate or attempts to subvert the testing process will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination of employment. The Club also reserves the right to involve law enforcement officials for any conduct which it believes might be in violation of state or federal law.
Smoking Policy
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations regarding non-smoking in the workplace in order to provide a work environment that promotes productivity and the well being of its employees. Smoking in the workplace can adversely affect members, employees, and volunteers. Accordingly, smoking is restricted at all its facilities.
Smoking is defined to include the use of any tobacco-containing products, including cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, as well as the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaporizers.
Smoking is prohibited at all Club properties. The smoking policy applies to employees, volunteers, and members while on Club premises or during Club activities (on or off site).
Appropriate Use of Technology Policy
Purpose:
The priority of Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is the physical and emotional safety of its members, staff and volunteers. The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to the safe, appropriate use of technology both personal, and club owned.
Procedure:
Personally Owned Device
This shall include all member, staff, manager or volunteer-owned existing and emerging technologies and devices that can take photographs; play and record audio or video; input text; upload and download content and/or media; and transmit or receive messages or images. Personally owned devices are permitted for use during Club time for Club purposes, at approved times and in approved locations only. Approved times and locations vary by department.
Club Purposes
This would include program activities, career development, curriculum, ADP, communication with experts, member homework and Club activities. Members, staff and volunteers are expected to act responsibly and thoughtfully when using technology resources. The use of personally owned devices or any form of technology in restrooms is strictly prohibited in all Elementary Clubhouse, Johnson’s Teen Center, Athletic or off site programs. Members bear the burden of responsibility to inquire with their staff or with Club leadership when they are unsure of the permissibility of a particular use of technology prior to engaging in the use.
Internet access
Personally owned devices used by our Elementary Clubhouse (K-6th) youth are not permitted to directly connect to the Club internet. Personally owned devices must access the internet via their own wireless connection or be used offline. Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis staff may connect to the Club Guest network provided they are using access for Club purposes only (ex. schedule, ADP, curriculum etc). Personally owned devices used by our Johnson’s Teen Center (7th-12th) are permitted to use the designated High School Network or access the internet via their own wireless connection or be used offline.
Loss and Damage
Club staff are not responsible for the security and condition of the member’s personal device. Furthermore, The Club shall not be liable for the loss, damage, misuse, theft of any personally owned device brought to Club.
Inappropriate communication
Any inappropriate or unauthorized use of a personally owned device, as determined by a staff or manager, can lead to disciplinary action including but not limited to confiscation of the device, immediate suspension from the Club or other disciplinary actions determined to be appropriate to the Club’s existing disciplinary policies, including, if applicable, referral to local law enforcement and/or termination of employment/volunteer assignment.
At no time while participating in Boys & Girls Club activities may any member create any pictures, videos, live-feeds, voice-recordings, or any other form of media of any Boys & Girls Club member or staff on their personally owned device.
Members must be aware of the appropriateness of communications when using Club or personally owned devices. Inappropriate communication is prohibited in any public or private messages, as well as material posted online.
Inappropriate communication includes but is not limited to the following:
If a member is told to stop sending communications, that member must cease the activity immediately.
Club-owned-and-operated technology
Members are expected to follow the same rules and guidelines when using Club-owned technology. Club technology and systems are the property of the Club, and are intended to be used for Club purposes and are to be used during approved times and/or appropriate supervision. Club members shall never access or use Club technology or systems without prior approval. Staff, volunteers and managers are subject to the Code of Conduct and Computer/Electronic Devices/Use of Club Property policy as outlined in the Employee Manual.
Surveillance Camera Policy
Purpose:
As a youth development organization, the use of surveillance cameras is one of the tools we use to provide a safe and supervised environment. The use of surveillance cameras and surveillance monitoring or recording is to determine violations of Club behavior expectations.
Procedure:
This policy applies to all personnel and departments in the use of surveillance cameras and the conduct of surveillance monitoring and recording. This policy does not apply to the use of surveillance cameras or the conduct of surveillance monitoring or recording during criminal investigations or in legitimate uses of surveillance cameras that have been approved by the Club CEO or COO.
The purpose of surveillance monitoring or recording is to deter violations of Club behavior expectations and to assist in protecting the safety and property of the organization. The Club use of surveillance cameras for surveillance monitoring or recording shall be in a professional, ethical and legal manner in accordance with state law.
Only Boys & Girls Club staff designated by the Chief Executive Officer shall have access to the images captured by surveillance monitoring or recording. The designated personnel shall be appropriately trained in the responsible use of this information and technology.
The conduct of surveillance monitoring or recording and the use of surveillance cameras shall be in a manner consistent with the organization code of conduct and is limited to the uses that do not violate a person’s reasonable expectation of privacy, as that term is defined by law.
Retention and Release of Information:
The video system employed is a fixed storage size, constant record system, therefore images obtained through surveillance monitoring or recording are available to our organization for a length of time deemed appropriate for the purpose of monitoring which generally does not exceed 60 days. Any questions or requests regarding the retention of these images should be directed to the CEO.
Information and results obtained through surveillance monitoring or recording shall only be released when authorized by the CEO. Any requests from sources external to the organization for the release of information and results obtained through surveillance monitoring or recording shall be submitted to the CEO for approval prior to release.
Information inappropriately obtained in violation of this policy shall not be used in any disciplinary proceeding against any Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis employee or member.
Transportation Policy
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to providing a safe environment and enforces the following transportation policy for members, staff, volunteers and other adults. The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis may provide transportation for members to and from the Clubhouse and various approved off-site locations; and allows approved staff to use Club vehicles only for Club business.
Drivers
Vehicle
Shared-Use Restrooms
Accident or Emergency Protocol
Incident Management Policy
Purpose:
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis is committed to providing organization-wide guidance to employees, volunteers, staff and members on the proper response to, and efficient and timely reporting of, incidents that may occur within the organization. Staff and volunteers must immediately report and document all safety incidents that might affect staff, volunteers, members and others who visit the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis.
General Incident Description:
Safety incidents can include but are not limited to:
Safety incidents include those that occur during Club programs, on Club premises and/or during a Club- affiliated program or trip.
Internal Incident Reporting
Any employee or volunteer who becomes aware of an incident, as defined in this policy, shall immediately notify their direct supervisor and complete an incident report.
The following information shall be included on an Incident Report:
External Incident reporting
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis follows all applicable mandated reporting statutes and regulations and all applicable federal, state, and local laws (including those around licensing, for licensed organizations) for the protection and safety of youth. Types of incidents reported include but are not limited to:
Incident Investigation
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis takes all incidents seriously and is committed to supporting external investigations of all reported incidents and allegations or internal investigations by the Safety Committee when not an externally reportable incident.
Federal, state, and local criminal and or mandated child abuse reporting laws must be complied with before any consideration of an internal investigation. The internal investigation should never be viewed as a substitute for a required criminal or child protective services investigation.
In the event that an incident involves an allegation against a staff member, volunteer or Club member, the Club shall suspend that individual immediately and maintain the suspension throughout the course of the investigation.
BGCA Critical Incident Reporting
Any employee or volunteer who becomes aware of an incident must immediately notify their supervisor who must immediately assist them to report the incident to the appropriate authorities according to statewide mandated reporting laws. Once a report is made, the supervisor is responsible for reporting the incident to their COO or CEO who will report the following critical incidents to BGCA within 24 hours:
Emergency Operations Plan Policy
Purpose:
Through the appropriate use of Club and community resources, Boys & Girls Clubs strive to mitigate the immediate effects of an emergency and its long-term effects on Club operations and mission by being prepared to effectively respond to and recovery from an emergency.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
Boys & Girls Clubs shall create and maintain an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). At minimum, the plan shall encompass the following elements:
First Aid and CPR Training
The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis always maintains a minimum of one CPR- or first-aid-trained staff on site during all operating hours when members are being served.
Definitions:
Emergency: An emergency is any event, natural or man-made, whether expected or unexpected, that places life or significant Club assets in danger or threatens the ability to conduct normal business operations and usually involves abnormal time constraints and resource responses.
Mitigation: Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters or emergencies. For mitigation to be effective, we need to take action now — before the next emergency occurs — to reduce human and financial consequences later.
Preparedness: Preparedness helps everyone act quickly and decisively in the face of a disaster or emergency and can minimize loss of property and prevent death and injury. An effective emergency plan should include steps to ensure that those with disabilities or special needs are provided with a proper evacuation strategy.