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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCamp Behavior Policies & Procedures Camp Casco Camp Behavior Policies & Procedures Overview: 1. Acceptable Language and Behavior 2. Unacceptable Language and Behavior a. Discrimination b. Harassment c. Behaviors, Activities, and Items that will not be tolerated at Camp Casco d. Abuse and Neglect - NeYttlOY1 o a\jUS 3. Appropriate Discipline -- Pt-lotprt C dvsciipl t vvc 4. Maintaining Healthy Relationships a. Nickname Policy b. Virtual Boundaries a c. Mandatory Age Difference -- 3 V ' J d. No Solicitation J 5. Filing a Grievance 1. Acceptable Language and Behavior Camp Casco seeks to provide safe, fun, creative and challenging camping opportunities that foster individual growth in areas of self-worth, responsibility, self-expression, independence, leadership, environmental awareness and values. Our mission and core values are the foundation for all that we do here at camp. Both govern our day-to-day life and serve as the basis for all rules and requirements established at Camp Casco. We are a community made up of a diverse population, comprised of volunteers, staff, and campers from all types of race, faiths, socioeconomic background, family structures, inner city, suburbs, etc. The unique quality about Camp Casco is that we all come together as one unified community and have a fun, safe time together. It's important for everyone to feel important and have a positive camping experience. All campers, volunteers, and staff should strive to teach, practice, and model the values we represent to give every individual the incredible camp experience he or she deserves. Camp Casco will continually work to create an environment which fosters these experiences. At all times, campers and volunteers will be actively encouraged to use positive language, to promote a supportive environment, and to treat others with respect and kindness. 2. Unacceptable Language and Behavior a. Discrimination Camp Casco is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. Camp Casco makes every effort to avoid discrimination on the basis of race, age, color, sex, gender expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or religion, or otherwise as may be prohibited by federal and state law, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. i. Equal Employment Opportunity Camp Casco is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and makes every effort to avoid discrimination in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on account of race, age, color, sex, gender expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or religion, or otherwise as may be prohibited by federal and state law. An applicant's sex will only be taken into consideration when he or she will be in charge of directly supervising campers, including at times when they are changing clothes, undressing, sleeping, and showering, and no reasonable alternatives to gender-based classifications exist that would not interfere with campers' privacy rights. Any employee, board member, volunteer or client who believes that s/he or any other affiliate of Camp Casco has been discriminated against is strongly encouraged to report this concern promptly to the Chief Executive Officer. ii. Discriminatory Harassment Harassment or intimidation of any employee, board member, volunteer or client because of that person's race, age, color, sex, gender expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or religion is specifically prohibited. Harassment and intimidation includes abusive, foul or threatening language or behavior. • Camp Casco is committed to maintaining an environment that is free of any such harassment and will not tolerate discrimination against any individual. Issues of discriminatory treatment, harassment, or intimidation on any of these bases should immediately be reported to the Chief Executive Officer or immediate supervisor and, if substantiated, prompt action will be taken. iii. Making Complaints—Mandatory Reporting If you believe you are the victim of discrimination, you must immediately report this fact to your immediate supervisor or the Chief Executive Officer. Also, if you observe discrimination you should bring the offensive conduct to Camp Casco's attention. You should make any complaint about discrimination directly to one of the two persons listed above. Complaints of discrimination do not need to be in writing, however, in order for Camp Casco to properly investigate the report, it may not be anonymous. It is the policy of Camp Casco that no reprisal, retaliation, or other adverse action will be taken against any complainant for making a good faith report of discrimination, or for assisting in an investigation of discrimination. iv. Investigation of Complaints Camp Casco will promptly and thoroughly investigate all alleged violations of this policy assuming the allegation is in good faith and made in sufficient detail for Camp Casco to conduct a confidential but thorough investigation. An investigation cannot be accurately conducted if the allegation is anonymous. The investigation will generally consist of an interview with fact witnesses including the complainant and the alleged wrongdoer. Every effort will be made during the course of the investigation to protect the confidentiality of those involved and of the information gained during the investigation; however, information will be disclosed as necessary in order to conduct a thorough investigation. The investigation may take several weeks. During the time period following a complaint, the alleged wrongdoer and alleged victim are not permitted to have one-on-one unsupervised contact. The results of the investigation will be reported to the complainant and the alleged wrongdoer. v. Penalties for Violations Camp Casco will take prompt disciplinary and remedial action in response to policy violations, including breach of confidentiality, retaliatory action, or bad faith allegations. Disciplinary action may include termination of employment or volunteer position and/or removal from Camp Casco's programs and services. b. Harassment Camp Casco is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. Camp Casco does not tolerate harassment on the basis of race, age, color, sex, gender expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or religion, or otherwise as may be prohibited by federal and state law, in any of its activities or operations. Harassment, whether conducted by, or affecting an employee, vendor, client, volunteer, board member, or any other individual connected with Camp Casco, is strictly prohibited. Examples of conduct prohibited by this policy include using racial and ethnic slurs, making offensive references to stereotypes, or making jokes about characteristics protected by law. Any such harassment is prohibited by this policy whether or not the conduct also violates federal or state law. This policy applies to all employees, directors, officers, volunteers, and agents of Camp Casco, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors. i. Sexual Harassment Prohibited No one may threaten or imply that an individual's submission to or rejection of sexual advances will in any way influence any decision about that individual's volunteer position, employment, advancement, duties, compensation, or other terms or conditions of employment. No one may take any personnel action based on an individual's submission to or rejection of sexual advances. No one may subject another employee, volunteer, or client to any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature. This includes both unwelcome physical contact, such as touching, blocking, staring, making sexual gestures, and making or displaying sexual drawings or photographs, and unwelcome verbal conduct such as sexual propositions, slurs, insults, jokes, and other sexual comments. Conduct will be considered unwelcome and in violation of this policy when the individual should have known that the conduct was unwelcome, or when the person subjected to the conduct voiced his or her objection. Examples of sexual harassment are: demanding sexual favors in return for employment conditions; unwelcome physical touching; sexual remarks, innuendos and jokes; graphic, obscene or sexual posters or calendars or other print material; e-mail, voice messages, or similar communications which are persistent and unwelcome and sexual in nature; and lewd suggestive comments regarding an individual's style of dress, appearance, body, or personal life. ii. Making Complaints—Mandatory Reporting If you believe you are the victim of harassment, you must immediately report this fact to your immediate supervisor or the Chief Executive Officer. Also, if you observe harassment you should bring the offensive conduct to Camp Casco's attention. You should make any complaint about harassment directly to one of the two persons listed above. Complaints of harassment do not need to be in writing, however, in order for Camp Casco to properly investigate the report, it may not be anonymous. It is the policy of Camp Casco that no reprisal, retaliation, or other adverse action will be taken against any complainant for making a good faith report of harassment, or for assisting in an investigation of harassment. iii. Investigation of Complaints Camp Casco will promptly and thoroughly investigate all alleged violations of this policy assuming the allegation is in good faith and made in sufficient detail for Camp Casco to conduct a confidential but thorough investigation. An investigation cannot be accurately conducted if the allegation is anonymous. The investigation will generally consist of an interview with fact witnesses induding the complainant and the alleged wrongdoer. Every effort will be made during the course of the investigation to protect the confidentiality of those involved and of the information gained during the investigation; however, information will be disclosed as necessary in order to conduct a thorough investigation. The investigation may take several weeks. During the time period following a complaint, the alleged wrongdoer and alleged victim are not permitted to have one-on-one unsupervised contact. The results of the investigation will be reported to the complainant and the alleged wrongdoer. iv. Penalties for Violations Camp Casco will take prompt disciplinary and remedial action in response to policy violations, including breach of confidentiality, retaliatory action, or bad faith allegations. Disciplinary action may include termination of employment or volunteer position and/or removal from Camp Casco's programs and services. c. Behaviors,Activities, and Items that will not be tolerated at Camp Casco In addition to discrimination and harassment, detailed above, the following list describes other behaviors, activities, and items that will not be tolerated at Camp Casco: i. Bullying Bullying is when one or more people exclude, tease, taunt, gossip, hit, kick, or put down another person with the intent to hurt another. Bullying happens when a person or group of people want to have power over another and use their power to get their way, at the expense of someone else. Bullying can also happen through cyberspace; through the use of emails, text messaging, instant messaging, weblogs, websites, and other less direct methods. This type of bullying can also lead to persons being hurt during or between the camp seasons and be especially hurtful when persons are targeted with meanness and exclusion. Bullying is inexcusable at Camp Casco. Each individual is expected to treat all others with respect, and to help each other achieve the best possible experience. If a camper has difficulty meeting this expectation, parents may be called upon to assist. We work together as a team to ensure that campers gain self-confidence, make new friends, and go home with great camp memories. Unfortunately, people who are bullied may not have the same potential to get the most out of their camp experience. Our leadership addresses all incidents of bullying seriously and trains camp counselors to promote communication with their campers so both counselors and campers will be comfortable alerting us to any problems during their camp experience. Every person has the right to expect to have the best possible experience at camp, and by working together as a team to prevent, identify and manage bullying, we can help ensure that everyone has a great week at Camp Casco. ii. Civil Disobedience or Camper Disruption Any conduct, either individually or in a group, that is intentionally disruptive to or designed to be disruptive to the normal operation of the camp program may result in being sent home early from camp. Such conduct includes but is not limited to the following: destruction of camp property, or advocating such disruption or destruction, refusing to cooperate with camp counselors attempting to maintain or restore order in the cabin/group, and/or program activity, consistently starting fights or arguments in cabin/group and/or harming another camper. These campers will be disciplined and parents will be contacted. iii. Dangerous Weapons Items designed to cause bodily harm or deemed potentially harmful are confiscated. The parents/guardians are contacted. Bringing such items to camp may result in individuals being sent home early from camp. All types of knives and dangerous items MUST be kept off the camp property. Once an item is confiscated by the Camp Director, it will not returned to the camper but to the parent/guardian on check-out day. Camp Casco reserves the right to search an individual's property, either by themselves or with the aid of law enforcement officials, if the camp leadership deems the search is necessary to maintain the integrity of the camp's environment and/or the protection of the other individuals at camp. iv. Deceitful Activity Any individual involved in lying or attempting to deceive a camp staff or volunteer will be subject to disciplinary action. v. Drinking and Drugs Zero Tolerance Policy = individual automatically sent home. Alcohol, recreational marijuana, tobacco, recreational drugs, and nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes) absolutely have no place at camp! Positively no alcohol, drugs or controlled substances are to be carried onto the camp property; this includes cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or any other tobacco product. Any individual in possession of alcohol, drugs, recreational marijuana, or a controlled substance is sent home immediately. In the event alcohol, drugs or a controlled substance is found, it will be confiscated and the individual will be asked to leave camp immediately, no matter the time of day or night, at his or her own expense. Camp Casco reserves the right to search an individual's property, either by themselves or with the aid of law enforcement officials, if the camp leadership deems the search is necessary to maintain the integrity of the camp's environment and/or the protection of the other individuals at camp. vi. Falsely Reported Emergency Calls and Fire Alarms Any individual setting off a fire alarm, fire extinguisher, tampering with smoke detector or using the phone to falsely report an emergency to 911 will be subject to disciplinary action. vii. Fighting Camp Casco does not tolerate individuals who harm others; whether it is physical or verbal fighting, including degrading, demeaning, threatening other campers, volunteers, or staff, or making fun of others. Any individual involved in fighting is subject to discipline and may be sent home. The parent/guardian will be contacted. viii. Gambling No games of chance may be played on the camp property or at any off-site camp function. Playing cards for money or exchange of personal items, dice playing, or any other form of gambling is not allowed at camp. Campers who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action. ix. Gangs Campers must refrain from any gang related activity while at camp. No camper shall: 1. Wear, possess, use, distribute, display, or sell clothing, jewelry, emblems, badges, symbols, signs, or other things which are evidence of membership or affiliation with a gang. 2. Commit any act or omission, or use any speech, either verbal or non-verbal (gestures, handshakes, etc.) showing membership or affiliation in a gang. Any camper who violates this policy is subject to disciplinary action and parent/guardian will be contacted. x. Intimidation Any individual found to be harassing, making fun of, or intimidating another individual is subject to disciplinary actions, and may be sent home. xi. Obscenity Obscene, profane or vulgar language; written, oral, or expressed by symbols is not tolerated. Being respectful to others is important and expected. Any individual who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. xii. Paging Devices and Cellular Phones Paging devices and cell phones have no place at camp. If parents/guardians need to contact their camper during the session, they are asked to call the camp phone number and talk to the Camp Director. If a child is found to have a paging device or cell phone during the week of camp, it will be stored in a locked cabinet for the duration of the camp week and returned to the camper's parent or guardian on check-out day. xiii. Pornography The viewing or possession of pornography or other adult-oriented material, in all forms, is not permitted at Camp Casco. xiv. Public Displays of Affection At camp, conduct should reflect concern for others. Camp is the wrong place for any type of public display of affection. Intimacy and physical contact is treated as a disciplinary matter. xv. Severe Behavior While Camp Casco strives to be all-inclusive, campers with chemical dependency, severe emotional disturbances or violent behavior may not be able to participate effectively. If your child has severe behavior problems or is unable to live a chemical-free life during their camp stay, we ask that you talk with the Camp Director to assess how Camp Casco may serve you and your child best. xvi. Stealing Stealing is a violation of law. An individual who becomes involved in a theft of camp property, or another's belongings is subject to disciplinary action. Stealing may result in an individual being sent home early from camp. The parent/guardian will be contacted immediately. xvii. Vandalism Individuals involved in vandalism or malicious mischief either against the camp property or against another camper or counselor are disciplined immediately. Vandalism includes any kind of graffiti on camp walls, beds, bathroom stalls, etc. The parent/guardian is contacted immediately. Violation of this policy may result in the camper being sent home early from camp. Payment to repair any damage accrued as a result of the vandalism is the responsibility of the camper's parent/guardian. d. Abuse and Neglect As echoed in our Volunteer Policies, Camp Casco has a zero-tolerance policy for incidents of child abuse. We understand that protecting children is our most important responsibility, and that our programs serve no positive purpose if we do not ensure their safety. In every case, the report of molestation and abuse, or suspected molestation or abuse, will be treated with absolute priority, and Camp Casco will do everything in its power to ensure the successful prosecution of the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law. In all cases, Camp Casco shall cooperate in all official investigations of abuse and neglect of a camper, regardless of where the abuse is alleged to have taken place. Camp Casco has the following written policies and procedures in place to protect campers from abuse and neglect, in accordance with 105 CMR 430.093. Camp Casco has outlined procedures to both screen for, and report, suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Briefly, they include: i. Prevention 1. Screening At minimum, all Camp Casco counselors will be screened by sex offender and criminal history checks. 2. Training All camp volunteers will be provided with training before arriving to camp, and upon arrival to camp before campers arrive. All training will be completed prior to working directly with children. 3. "Truddy" System Camp Casco implements a"Truddy System"at camp, by encouraging campers separating from the larger group to travel in groups of three, rather than two, to ensure that a counselor is not left alone with a camper unnecessarily. ii. Reporting 1. Chain of Command Every camp counselor will be instructed to report to his or her immediate supervisor as soon as possible in the case that abuse, molestation, or neglect is suspected. 2. Incident Reports The Child Abuse Incident Report Form MUST be filled in the event an incident is reported or occurs. 3. Follow-Up The Camp Operator shall cooperate in all official investigations of abuse or neglect, including identifying parents of campers currently or previously enrolled in the camp who may have been in contact with the subject of the investigation. Please see our Volunteer Policies for greater detail on Camp Casco's policies and procedures on prevention and reporting of suspected child abuse and/or neglect. 3. Appropriate Discipline We believe that every child has the right to experience camp and all it has to offer. We believe in setting limits and explaining the boundaries for all participants. When these boundaries are tested, we use specific procedures to help the camper to continue his/her experience at camp. All of our volunteers and staff receive significant training in these procedures. On the first day of camp, our camp counselors will go over the cabin expectations and ground rules of camp life. Campers have the opportunity to ask questions about policies and rules, and participate in this discussion, so that everyone is dear about expectations. When a camper misbehaves at Camp Casco, the following procedures will take place: a. The camper's counselor will speak with the camper and check whether the camper understands why the behavior is unacceptable and knows what the consequences are. The counselor will restate the desired behavior, with dear consequences given for not following the desired behavior. The removal of a camper from a problem situation in a time out may be a consequence in this first stage. Removal gives the camper time to calm down, reflect on his/her actions and the counselor a chance to discuss with the camper what happened. b. If the behavior is repeated, the counselor will let the camper know that this is still unacceptable and will then involve the Volunteer Coordinator, Activities Coordinator and/or Camp Director. At this stage, Camp Casco will contact the parent or guardian of the camper to make them aware of the situation and to ask for cooperation and insight. c. If the behavior persists, the Camp Director will determine if the camper should remain at camp or be sent home. Parents will need to make transportation arrangements, and Camp Casco will not provide transportation nor assume any costs for campers sent home for behavioral reasons. There are some actions that may warrant immediate removal from camp. These actions include, but are not limited to; smoking or using tobacco products, using alcohol or illegal drugs, stealing, or endangering their own safety or the safety of camp staff, volunteers, or campers. This discipline policy intends to let campers know that while they are cared for, certain behaviors are not acceptable in our camp setting. This policy also involves the parents before the problems escalate, and invites them to be a part of the solution. Stance on Corporal Punishment Per 105 CMR 430.191, Camp Casco does not utilize corporal punishment, including spanking, as a means to discipline campers. No camper shall be subjected to cruel or severe punishment, humiliation, or verbal abuse. No camper shall be denied food or shelter as a form of punishment. No camper shall be punished for soiling, wetting, or not using the toilet. Camp Casco believes strongly in behavior modification through clear verbal correction, positive reinforcement, and engaging with parents when necessary to gain further insights. Camp Casco does not condone harsh punishments of any kind. 4. Maintaining Healthy Relationships a. Camp Nicknames As explained in Camp Casco's Volunteer Policies, all camp counselors will be identified by a nickname throughout the week of camp, and at all future camps and family events. In addition to nicknames being fun, they also provide a buffer between the volunteer and the campers. It's harder for campers to find counselors on social media when they don't know their real names. Camp volunteers are instructed to avoid disclosing their given names with any camper under the age of 18, regardless of camp enrollment status. b. Virtual Boundaries In general, Camp Casco views social networking sites, personal websites, and blogs positively and respects the right of campers and volunteers alike to use them as a medium of self-expression. To that end, the following guidelines have been established to help individuals maintain healthy relationships and boundaries with one another outside of the camp setting. i. Internet Usage If an individual chooses to identify himself or herself as a camper or volunteer at our camp on such Internet venues, some readers of such websites or blogs may view the camper as a representative or spokesperson of the camp. In light of this possibility, Camp Casco requires, as a condition of participation in the camp, that individuals observe the following guidelines when referring to the camp, its programs or activities, its campers, its volunteers and/or staff, in a blog, on social media, or on a website: 1. Individuals must be respectful in all communications and blogs related to or referencing the camp, its campers, volunteers, and staff. 2. Individuals must not use obscenities, profanity, or vulgar language. 3. Individuals must not use blogs or personal Web sites to harass, bully, or intimidate campers, volunteers or staff. Behaviors that constitute harassment and bullying include, but are not limited to, comments that are derogatory with respect to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, color, or disability; sexually suggestive, humiliating, or demeaning comments; and threats to stalk, haze, or physically injure another person. 4. Individuals must not use blogs or personal Web sites to disparage campers, volunteers, or staff. 5. To respect camper privacy, volunteers and staff must not share photographs of campers that have not already been made public via Camp Casco's own website or social media pages. In addition, volunteers and staff must not share any identifying information about a camper other than what has already been made public via Camp Casco's own website or social media pages. 6. Any individuals found to be in violation of any portion of Camp Casco's Internet Policy will be subject to immediate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from Camp. ii. Social Media Contact Camp Casco volunteers may not use social media, email from personal accounts or other means of communication to connect with parents or campers(i.e. Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter and others), and vice versa. In this circumstance, "campers"are defined as any camper who is under the age of 18, regardless of whether or not they are actively attending camp. Parents should not"friend request", follow or otherwise connect with any Camp Casco volunteers and should prevent their children from doing so. Further, volunteers should inform a camp director should they receive a "friend request" or request to follow or connect from any Camp Casco campers or parents, or if they are aware of any infraction of these policies. c. Mandatory Age Difference As stated in Camp Casco's Volunteer Policies, all counselors shall be at least three years older than the campers whom they supervise, in accordance with 105 CMR 430.100 C. d. No Solicitation Camp families are not permitted to solicit Camp Casco volunteers. Camp Casco volunteers are prohibited from working as babysitters, nannies, house sitters or in any other capacity for Camp Casco families, in order to protect the integrity of the program. Families are asked to disclose to Camp Casco any pre-existing relationships of this nature prior to their child arriving at camp. 5. Filing a Grievance In our regular communication with families and volunteers, we strive to resolve issues that may come up. However, if at any time an individual feels that an issue has not been addressed or resolved and may need to be pursued further, we are here to support that process. It is essential that parents and families are heard when they raise a concern. The early identification and communication of a concern and prompt initiation of a resolution can help avoid further problems. If you do have a question, concern or issue, please immediately contact Camp Operator, Erin Fletcher Stern (857-302-2726). If you would like to file a grievance, please write a letter addressed to the Camp Operator and mail it to Camp Casco, PO Box 330, Sudbury, MA 01776. The Camp Operator will respond to your grievance within seven (7) days of receipt of your letter.