Our Policy:   Safety of staff and volunteers during a disaster or emergency is the primary concern of the Crisis Clinic.
Staff members are expected to provide their usual services following a disaster or other emergency. Staff should call in as soon as possible after becoming aware that an emergency situation exists, and meeting their family and home emergent needs, to receive instruction as to when they are needed.  Staff should be prepared to work long shifts and to bring food and medication with them.
The highest priorities are for Crisis Line and 2-1-1 staff. 
 

Preparedness Procedures:  

Staff Responsibilities:

·        Staff must be prepared at home in order to be able to fulfill his/her work obligations to help others in a time of disaster. This includes having an emergency plan for his/her home that includes adequate food and water for 72 hours, a strategy for uniting with family, including an out of state contact in case locate telephone lines are busy and alternate routes for returning home.

·        Every staff member must assure that the Crisis Clinic has his/her current telephone number so that it can be included in the staff phone directory. Also, emergency contact information must be current in his/her personnel file. This information should be given to the Business Manager whenever there is a change.  

Volunteer Responsibilities

·        All volunteers must be prepared at home in order to be able to fulfill his/her work obligations to help others in a time of disaster. This includes having an emergency plan for his/her home that includes adequate food and water for 72 hours, a strategy for uniting with family, including an out of state contact in case locate telephone lines are busy, and alternate routes for returning home.

·        Crisis Line volunteers must give Volunteer Services current contact information to be retained in our files.

·        Teen Link volunteers must give the Teen Link Manager current contact information, including parent/guardian contact information.

 Staff and Volunteer Obligations 

• If it is safe to travel and the phone lines are operational, staff and volunteers are expected to fulfill their shift obligations at the Crisis Clinic.
•  Staff and volunteers unable to fulfill their shift for any reason need to call their supervisor.
• If the phone lines are not operational, staff should not report to work until they are contacted. Staff should aim to contact the office at least once every 12 hours to see if service has resumed.
• Out of Area Contact for Crisis Clinic. In the event of a major disaster where there is reason to believe that Crisis Clinic’s facility is damaged and phone services may not be operable, Crisis Clinic has an arrangement with United Way of America Link Line, operated by the UW in SE Michigan to accept calls from staff and volunteers as to their status and to transmit information about the operational status of the 24-Hour Crisis Line and 2-1-1.  The phone number, which is printed on the staff phone book, is 1-877-892-5465.

The Incident Commander will first contact the Link Line to report the operational status and directions for staff and volunteers. Staff and volunteers should then contact the Link Line to find information and report on their availability. If local phone service is out for several days, staff should check in daily and volunteers every few days to find out if we need them. 

Carol Smith, Team Leader of UWSEM 2-1-1 must be contacted immediately to initiate the process and so we can provide appropriate instruction to their staff about the information they can report to our staff/volunteers.  Her contact phone is: (313) 506-7718 cell or (313) 226-9444.          

Volunteer Obligations

• If it is safe to travel, but there are not enough crisis line volunteers to cover shifts during a disaster or emergency, the Manager of Volunteers will contact as many volun­teers as possible to find substitutes in order to keep the phone lines open.  If the Manager of Volunteers is not available, the list of current volunteers as well as the current week’s schedule can be found in a binder to the right of the computer in the Volunteer Manager’s office.
• If safety is doubtful or unknown, volunteers should use their own judgment as to whether or not to travel to the Crisis Clinic. Teen Link volunteers should contact the agency to determine if the Teen Link line will be operating however, If a teen volunteer cannot reach the agency or is in doubt, s/he should not come to the agency.
• If safety is doubtful or unknown, but the phone lines are open, the Manager of Volunteers will contact pre-selected crisis line volunteers to determine if they are available on an emergency basis to keep the phone lines open.
• If Crisis Line or Teen Link volunteers are on shift at the Crisis Clinic during a disaster or emergency, they will be asked to remain at the Crisis Clinic in order to ensure their safety.  When the appropriate authority indicates it is safe to travel, volunteers will be allowed to leave the Clinic. If this situation occurs, Teen Link volunteer should make it a priority to contact their family to inform them of the situation. 
• Staff or volunteers out of the agency at a meeting or training during a disaster should immediately follow the directions of the agency/school and call the Crisis Clinic to confirm their location and future plans. If telephone contact isn’t available, we will assume that the staff/volunteer will return to his/her home when it is safe to travel.

Working Environment during a Disaster

·        In order to ensure adequate staff to meet the increase in calls, staff may be called upon to work beyond their normal shift and/or work additional shifts, off-site or under the direction of another organization. 

·        Should staff be designated to work from an off-site location, a local assistance center (LAC), or from home, they are expected to perform their duties to the same high quality service standards Crisis Clinic expects during non-emergent times and to the fullest extent possible.

·        Staff will remain flexible, acknowledging that the environment may be changing rapidly.

·        Staff and volunteers will monitor their own stress level during work and be responsible for utilizing appropriate coping mechanisms sufficient to ensure their own well-being.

·        Each supervisor is responsible for monitoring staff and volunteer stress levels during work and support them in utilizing appropriate coping mechanisms.

                  (This Page was last updated on  Friday January 22, 2010  at 12:06 PM )