RESPONSE TO TRAUMATIC EVENTS POLICY STATEMENT

One of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ objectives is to provide psychological support to Boys & Girls Club members and Staff who experience traumatic events at the Boys & Girls Club or during a Boys & Girls Club-sponsored activity.

A “traumatic event” is any occurrence that results in serious physical and/or psychological harm to an individual. Traumatic events would include murder, assault, a threat with a weapon such as an armed robbery, abduction or attempted abduction, fatality, or serious injury from an accident or natural disaster while at the Boys & Girls Club or in connection with Boys & Girls Club activities.

GUIDELINES

• The staff in charge at the trauma scene will contact the Director of Operations to evaluate the incident and the Director of Operations will determine the Boys & Girls Clubs’ response.

• The Director of Operations or his/her designee shall contact the approved counseling agency to arrange service.

• Communication to families and employees who were not involved in the incident is the responsibility of the Executive Director/ CPO or his/her designee.

• The Executive Director/CPO or his/her designee in charge is responsible for all communications with law enforcement officials.

• External communication is the responsibility of the Executive Director/CPO. This includes the media, the general public, the Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors and staff, and finally, the Boys and Girls Club of America national headquarters.

• Workplace trauma assessment and group physiological debriefing for those people identified by Boys & Girls Club supervisors and contracted counselors, must be conducted within 48 hours of the incident.

• Individuals are encouraged to seek further counseling on a voluntary basis, as needed.

• Immediate family members of any victimized individual have access to contracted counselors provided by the Boys & Girls Club.

• Boys & Girls Club Staff involved in controversial incidents and the supervisor in charge are responsible for completing incident reports.

• Six weeks following any major traumatic event, the Senior Managers will evaluate the Boys & Girls Clubs’ response. The Senior Managers will also involve the supervisor in charge at the time the traumatic event took place and the counselors who provided service after the traumatic event.