AUXILIARY AID AND SERVICES PLAN January 2017, Revised- All Rights Reserved

Transcription

1 The Salvatin Army f Lee, Hendry, and Glades Cunties AUXILIARY AID AND SERVICES PLAN January 2017, Revised- All Rights Reserved N part f this dcument may be reprduced r distributed in any frm r by any means, ther than its intended use, r stred in a database r retrieval system withut the prir written permissin f the authr POLICY The Salvatin Army shall ensure cmpliance by their agency staff with the requirements utlined by DCF Deaf and Hard f Hearing pursuant t the laws f Title VI f the Civil Rights Act f 1990, as amended, Title II f the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Sectin 504 f the Rehabilitatin Act f 1973 and Limited English Prficiency (LEP). Authrity: 45 CFR, Part 80, and Flrida CFOP PROCEDURES Single Pint f Cntact (SPOC): The Single Pint f Cntact (SPOC), fr The Salvatin Army f Lee, Hendry, and Glades is the Directr f Prgram Services. The back-up SPOC fr the agency is the Assistant Directr f Prgram Services The SPOC will ensure effective cmmunicatin with deaf r hard- f- hearing cnsumers and cmpanins, as well as cnsumers with limited English prficiency. The Salvatin Army will ensure that their emplyees are aware f the requirements, rles, respnsibilities, and receive the required training upn hire. The Salvatin Army will ensure a yearly refresher training n serving deaf r hard-f-hearing cnsumers and a civil rights training. The SPOC will ensure that their auxiliary aids and services plan and auxiliary aids mnitring plan is updated as needed, with any updates cmmunicated t Area Cmmand Administratin This plan can be made available in alternative frmats upn request. This plan is als available n ur website: Agency Staff at any time during the prcess f assessing and prviding fr auxiliary aids/services can request the assistance f the SPOC r backup SPOC at Assessing fr Cmmunicatin Needs

2 At the initial pint f cntact, the SPOC r SPOC backup will be ntified immediately. An assessment f cmmunicatin needs will be cnducted fr all individuals r cmpanins wh are deaf r hard f hearing using the required Flrida Department f Children and Families dcuments. The required dcuments will be cmpleted at each interactin/service t the client r cmpanin. The purpse f these tls is t facilitate the cllectin and crdinatin f auxiliary aids and services t meet the needs f Cnsumers r Cmpanins wh are deaf r hard f hearing. The Salvatin Army will at all times recgnize that the Cnsumer r Cmpanin s preference is the primary cnsideratin in determining what auxiliary aids r services t prvide. If cmmunicatin thrugh a specific aid r service is deemed t be ineffective, the SPOC will assist the cnsumer r cmpanin in determining a mre effective aid r service fr cmmunicatin. Dcumentatin shall be made in the cnsumer s file regarding the attempt t imprve the effectiveness f auxiliary aids and services. Once the assessment is cmpleted, the SPOC r assigned agency staff shall btain auxiliary aids accrding t the cmmunicatin and request fr services assessment. Prvisin f Interpreters/Services At n time is it acceptable fr staff t deny services t a Cnsumer withut ntifying the SPOC. If staff, based n the Cmmunicatin Assessment results find that auxiliary aids r services are nt essential, staff are t cntact the SPOC. Additinally, if staff are unsure f hw t prceed they are t immediately cntact the SPOC at Agency staff shall prvide interpreters fr Cnsumers and Cmpanins wh are deaf r hard-fhearing in a timely manner in accrdance with the fllwing standards: Fr unscheduled emergency appintments, staff shall make an interpreter available as sn as pssible, but in n case later than tw (2) hurs frm the time the custmer r cmpanin r staff requests an interpreter, whichever is earlier. If the situatin is nt an emergency, staff shall ffer t schedule an appintment and prvide an interpreter fr effective cmmunicatin at the cnvenience f the Cnsumer r Cmpanin, r at least by the next business day. Fr scheduled events, staff shall make a qualified interpreter available at the time f the scheduled appintment. If an interpreter fails t appear fr the scheduled appintment, staff shall take whatever additinal actins are necessary t make a qualified interpreter available t the Cnsumer r Cmpanin wh is deaf r hard-f-hearing as sn as pssible, but in n case later than tw (2) hurs after the scheduled appintment. The SPOC shall be ntified immediately, in the event a scheduled interpreter fails t appear. Auxiliary Aids Dcumentatin Agency staff shall dcument the Cnsumer r Cmpanin s preferred methd f cmmunicatin and any requested services prvided in the Cnsumer s recrd. Dcuments and frms evidencing when and hw the staff prvided aids and services t Cnsumers r Cmpanins shall be retained in the Cnsumer s recrd fr seven years. Frms included but are nt limited: Cnsumer r Cmpanin Assessment and Assessment Aid and Service Recrd

3 Cnsumer r Cmpanin Request fr Free Cmmunicatin Assistance r Waiver Cnsumer r Cmpanin Feedback Frm Cnsumer Plan (fr prviding auxiliary aids r services n an nging/cntinuus basis) Dcumentatin will be kept fr recrd keeping with the SPOC, and in the Cnsumer s recrd Referrals If Cnsumers are referred t ther agencies, the attending staff and/r SPOC must ensure that the receiving agency is ntified f the Cnsumer s preferred methd f cmmunicatin and any auxiliary aid fr service needs. In rder t accmmdate this effectively, the attending staff and/r SPOC will ensure that the referral is apprved by the participant and that he r she signs a Release f Infrmatin fr each referral being made. These actins will be recrded and maintained in the Cnsumer s recrd FL DCF Custmer Feedback Frm The attending staff shall distribute the required Flrida DCF Cnsumer/Cmpanin Feedback frm t Cnsumers r Cmpanins that are deaf r hard- f- hearing and prvide assistance in cmpleting the frms if requested by the Cnsumer r Cmpanin. Cnsumers and Cmpanins shall be instructed t mail the riginal feedback frm t DCF, Office f Civil Rights, 1317 Winewd Bulevard, Building 1, Rm 110, Tallahassee, FL , r if requested by the Cnsumer r Cmpanin; by the SPOC. A cpy f the Cnsumer/Cmpanin Feedback Frm shall nt be kept in the Cnsumer recrd/file. Limited English Prficiency Cnsumers The Salvatin Army will prvide freign language interpretatin fr any Cnsumer wh requests such assistance. The Salvatin Army als has an accunt with Language Translatin fr freign language interpretatin. The Salvatin Army als utilizes the Deaf Service Center f SW Flrida Frt Myers, , TTY and Dcumentatin/Recrd Retentin Recrds relating t auxiliary aids and services prvided shall be retained by the SPOC fr at least 7 years. Signage The SPOC will ensure that cnspicuus ntices which prvide infrmatin abut the availability f apprpriate auxiliary aids and services at n-cst t the deaf r hard-f-hearing Cnsumers r Cmpanins are psted near Cnsumer/Cmpanin entrances, and lcatins where Cnsumers and Cmpanins receive services. The SPOC s name and cntact infrmatin will be available n the Deaf and Hard f Hearing Pster as well the name and cntact infrmatin fr the FL DCF Reginal Civil Rights Officer/ ADA 504 Crdinatr. Apprved Ntices can be dwnladed frm The Department s website.

4 The SPOC shall ensure submissin f the mnthly HHS Reprt, n later than: The 5th f each mnth, fr the previus mnth. Submissin will be made t The Salvatin Army s Cntract Manager and t the Reginal Civil Rights Officer/ADA 504 Crdinatr. Event Accmmdatins The Salvatin Army shall ensure accessibility t meetings, cnferences and seminars t persns with disabilities, limited English prficiency, and thse wh are deaf r hard- f- hearing. The Salvatin Army will ntify the public by placing the fllwing statement n all ntices and advertisements prir t the event: The Salvatin Army will prvide accmmdatins, including American Sign Language interpreters, assistive listening devices, alternative frmats f printed materials and real-time captining upn requests fr persns wh are deaf, hard f hearing r are living with disabilities. T ensure accmmdatins, please make yur request within 7 days prir t the event t Shannn.cherizier@uss.salvatinarmy.rg and Cc t laura.grainger@uss.salvatinarmy.rg Staff Training Designated staff members shall receive the Flrida DCF apprved training Service Delivery fr the Deaf r Hard-f-Hearing, and a general Civil Rights Training within 60 days f cmmencing emplyment. Designated Staff members shall receive annual refresher training n bth, and prvided nging training as needed n hw t use vide relay services. Training dcumentatin shall be maintained in each emplyee s file. Auxiliary Aid Services Plan Flrida Relay Thrugh the Flrida Relay Service, peple wh use specialized telephne equipment can cmmunicate with peple wh use standard telephne equipment. T call Flrida Relay, dial 7-1-1, r use the apprpriate tll free numbers belw: 1. Dial (r the Flrida Relay tll-free number apprpriate fr yu specific call listed belw) 2. A specially trained Flrida Relay Operatr will answer and identify themselves by their Operatr number. 3. Give the Operatr the phne number f the persn yu are calling. 4. The peratr will cnnect yu with the persn yu are calling and will assist yu with cmmunicatin. NOTE: If the phne frm which yu are calling des nt accept 7-1-1, we have a list f dedicated tll free numbers fr each call-type that yu can utilize fr the same great service! TTY If yu are using TTY equipment. Vice If yu are a standard (vice) user, and are

5 trying t cnnect with a Relay user. ASCII If yu are utilizing a cmputer. Speech t Speech (STS) If yu have a speech disability and wuld prefer t have ur specially trained Relay Operatrs serve as yur vice and repeat Vide Assisted STS yur respnses t the called party Vide-Assisted STS supprts a ne-way vide call between the CA and STS user. Teh vide cnnectin assists the CA in understanding the STS user's speech. Callers can enter cntact infrmatin in the STS Prfile t reduce set-up time. In rder t use Vide-Assisted STS, please infrm the Operatr after dialing the tll free number that CART (Captining Real Time Resurces) Captining (Real Time). This is the simultaneus cnversin f spken wrds t text, thrugh cmputer-assisted transcriptin r curt reprting, and displaying that text n a view screen. This cmmunicatin service is beneficial t individuals wh are deaf r hard-f-hearing that d nt use sign language r fr whm assistive listening devices and systems are ineffective. Captin Crew Flrida Realtime Reprting Services E Brward Blvd # 1850, Frt Lauderdale, FL Glenda M. Pwers, CRR, RPR, FPR Pwers Certified Realtime Reprting, Inc S.W. 6th Curt Davie, Flrida Cnsumer Cmplaints If yu believe yu were wrngfully denied access t services r discriminated against: Ask t speak t the Area Cmmand Admin r Single Pint f Cntact immediately. Yu may submit yur cmplaint/grievance in writing and mail it t: The Salvatin Army, McGregr Blvd, Frt Myers, NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY N persn shall, n the basis f race, clr, religin, natinal rigin, sex, age, disability, sexual rientatin, r gender identity, be excluded frm participatin in, be denied the benefits f, r be subjected t unlawful discriminatin under any prgram r activity receiving r benefiting frm federal financial assistance and administered by The Salvatin Army f Lee, Hendry, and Glades.