Risk Management 101:Risk Management 101:Stop the Ball of ConfusionStop the Ball of Confusion

Program Planning and Program Planning and Development CommitteeDevelopment Committee

Goals of the WorkshopGoals of the Workshop

• To address questions associated with Delta’s Risk Management procedures

• To provide directions regarding Risk Management implementation procedures

• To present structures for sustainable programs

• To review and clarify Delta’s Risk Management Policy

Part I: OperationsPart I: Operations

• Risk Management Defined• Tools/Resources• Youth Programs• Volunteers• Screening• Training

Risk Management is…Risk Management is…

• An educational and legal framework defining the sorority’s effective programming practices.

• A required mandatory process for implementation by the chapter.

• A proactive measure. • The protection of organizational assets.• A safety precaution to minimize negative outcomes

and organizational liability.

Why is Risk Management Why is Risk Management Needed?Needed?

• Maximizes program outcomes for participants and mentors

• Enhances the impact of the Sorority’s youth initiatives

• Reduces negative outcomes that result from ineffective planning

Tools / ResourcesTools / Resources

• Risk Management Manual• Regional Risk Management Coordinators• National Program Planning & Development

Committee• National Headquarters Staff

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

How do you handle situations not spelled out in the current Risk Management manual or if the policy does not address specific situations?

Youth ProgramsYouth Programs

• Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy

(Females, Ages 11-14)• Dr. Jeanne L. Noble Delta GEMS Initiative

(Females, Ages 14-18)• EMBODI Program

(Males, Ages 11-18)• Jabberwock, Teen Lift, Delteens, etc.

What is a Volunteer?What is a Volunteer?

• Volunteers = Any adult working with a youth initiative.

• With all volunteers:

1. Establish roles and responsibilities.

2. Provide detailed position description(s).

3. Align job assignments with qualifications.

4. Specify time commitments.

ScreeningScreening

•A procedure defined by the Sorority as a prerequisite for all adults who wish to have interaction with student participants involved with current Sorority youth programming •Cost for background checks may be incurred by the chapter or the individual•Facilitated by appropriate chapter leadership

TrainingTraining

Annual training of volunteers should include: •How to recognize the signs of youth abuse•How to recognize suspicious or inappropriate behavior•Delta’s policies relating to the care and supervision of youth•How to respond when there are reasonable grounds to believe or suspect that a youth is at risk of maltreatment

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

While on a chapter-sponsored youth trip, a child is “verbally corrected” by a non-Delta volunteer, who snatched the child by his collar for getting, “out of line”. The child shared the incident with his mother, who has threatened to bring a civil suit against the chapter. What do we do?

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

Men in local churches and fraternities want to serve as mentors or facilitators with the youth programs.

What do you do?

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

After your event has started, one of the students decides to “disappear” from the group. After a lengthy search for the lost child, the child is finally found, how do you handle this type of situation?

Part II: Working with YouthPart II: Working with Youth

• Foundational Principles• Reporting• Parental Involvement• Photography & Social media• Discipline• Transportation

Foundational PrincipleFoundational Principle

• Delta’s youth initiatives are designed for mentorship.

• Delta’s youth initiatives are not designed for pre-intake or pre-initiation purposes of any kind.

Be Sure to know…Be Sure to know…

• Do not involve youth in “stepping” activities of any form.

• Tee shirts are permitted, only for Delta-sponsored activities.

• Youth should not wear or have items with line names or Delta symbols.

• Do not accept more participants than you can manage.

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

A youth becomes pregnant while participating in one of the Youth Initiatives. What should the chapter do to address the situation?

ReportingReporting

ALL abuse MUST be reported!

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

You notice one of the youth is unkempt and withdrawn. After confiding with you, the child shares he is being abused.

How do you handle this type of situation?

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

A well-known Delta places the organization in a situation whereby the organization could be *liable due to an inappropriate action with a youth initiative.

How do you handle this type of situation?

Parental InvolvementParental Involvement

Parents Orientation should include:•Schedules of events to inform parents about planned sponsored activities•Encouragement of parental participation, visitation and observation during program activities•A signed general release form releasing Delta from unintentional damage or injury to the child

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

The chapter’s steering committee for a youth initiative includes sessions on: bullying, self-esteem, goal-setting, sexual awareness, and career planning?

What must be in place before you present the information on these topics?

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

One of your top applicants requires medical dispensing during the day. Does the committee select her or deny her the opportunity to participate?

How do you handle this type of situation?

Social MediaSocial Media

• Use of Youth Pictures in Media• ALLOWED with permission of Chapter

President with appropriate parental consent. This includes Cluster or State Conferences for Delta Academy, Delta GEMS, or EMBODI Participants in media (see appendix)**

• Use of Youth Pictures on Personal Social Media Pages are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: FB, Instagram, Twitter, and Vine

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

One of your volunteer team-leads, posted a picture of herself with the Delta Academy participants on both her Instagram and FB pages. Several of the students are “mentees.”

What’s your plan of action?

DisciplineDiscipline

• Communicate clearly to parents that certain actions (which should be enumerated) will result in disciplinary actions being taken.

• Communicate to the parents and youth that, under no circumstances will discipline involve physical or corporal punishment.

• Communicate to youth and parents that participation in any Delta youth initiative involves agreeing to follow program policies and disciplinary guidelines.

TransportationTransportation

• Avoid transporting youth in personal vehicles!!!

• If an event occurs outside the normal venue, parents should drop off and pick up youth.

• The chapter will secure a commercial van for group transportation or for participants who do not have any other means of transportation.

QuestionsQuestions

• Questions???