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Subject: Human Resources

COA: HR 3.03, 3.05, TS 3.05 Applies to: All Catholic Charities Board of Directors, employees and volunteers

Volunteer Management

Effective: June 27, 2007 Revised: July 21, 2011

Purpose:
Catholic Charities is committed to excellence in stewardship with the resources entrusted to Catholic Charities by contributors. The purpose of this policy and corresponding procedures is to establish and provide operational guidelines for the volunteer management process at Catholic Charities.

Policy:
Catholic Charities will ensure that all volunteers have access to guidance and support throughout the volunteer process, including recruitment, training, retention and conclusion of the volunteer commitment. Volunteer management policies and procedures will be established to comply with best practices in the volunteer management field and to comply with standards established by relevant licensing and accrediting organizations.

Scope:
This policy and all corresponding procedures apply to all Board Directors, employees and volunteers of Catholic Charities. Failure to comply with the policy and corresponding procedures can result in disciplinary action, up to, and including termination.

Definitions:
Community Service Worker: An individual to whom a Court has offered or ordered alternative sentencing that includes the requirement to perform community services or to work for agencies in the sentencing jurisdiction either entirely or partly in lieu of other judicial remedies and sanctions, such as incarceration or fines. Community service workers will be assigned non-direct services tasks and must be supervised at all times. Criminal Background Check (CBC)/Background Check: The review of records containing information stored in identified and selected criminal record, credit record, and driving record repositories. These records may show pending arrests, previous arrests, ordered probation, ordinance violations, pleas, and/or convictions. Volunteers for whom a criminal background check is required may not have contact with clients, case records, personnel files, or other sensitive organizational information prior to receipt of acceptable results on the criminal background check. Volunteer Liaison: The person within a program/work group who has been assigned responsibility for specific functional training and supervision of volunteers within the designated area. Volunteer: A person who offers service to Catholic Charities without financial compensation of any kind from any source. Group Volunteer: An individual who chooses to provide volunteer services to Catholic Charities or Catholic Charities clients as part of an organized group under the auspices of a corporation, faithbased organization, service organization, school, or other community group. Due to the transient

nature of group membership and participation, group volunteers will be considered occasional/casual volunteers. Catholic Charities must ensure that the policies and procedures of sponsoring organizations providing volunteers to serve in Catholic Charities shelter or foster care programs comply with the intent of rules relating to volunteers in the applicable Texas Department of Family Protective Services Minimum Standards. The procedures that follow have been written to accommodate this requirement. Volunteer Categories: Catholic Charities Volunteer Services are divided into three categories:

Direct Services: Activities designed to include direct contact with and service delivery to
clients/service recipients, and include the types of activities or services to clients offered by paid staff. At this time, volunteers are not utilized to provide child care services, treatment services, or other programmatic services as defined by applicable TDFPS Minimum Standards.

Non-direct Services: Activities in which the primary focus is not direct contact or service to clients
and that do not routinely involve direct contact with clients/service recipients.

Employee Volunteers: An individual who is employed by Catholic Charities who chooses to


provide volunteer services to the agency. In order for the time employees donate to be considered as volunteer work it must be outside of the employees normally scheduled work hours and the type of work must be significantly different from the activities that the employee performs during his or her work with Catholic Charities. Stages of Volunteer Engagement

Recruitment: Process of finding, attracting, and engaging new volunteers in any or all programs of the agency Training: Orientation, initial and continuous education and instruction for volunteers of the agency Retention: The process of continuous engagement and utilization of volunteers Conclusion: The end or ending stages of the volunteer commitment

TB: Tuberculosis; a potentially contagious bacterial infection Unsupervised Access to Clients: Unsupervised access to clients includes any situation in which an individual not employed by Catholic Charities is left alone with a Catholic Charities client.

Procedures:
Recruitment and Training of Volunteers: The staff of the Volunteer Program will solicit and maintain current information on volunteer needs and opportunities throughout the organization and prioritize volunteer needs based off of feedback by department/program managers. The Volunteer Program will regularly conduct volunteer outreach activities that include, but are not limited to: o Call to action in The Advocate; o Speaking engagements at community functions, parishes, churches and schools; and o Communication with Catholic Charities existing volunteers and donors. All individuals who express an interest in becoming a volunteer must be directed to the Volunteer Program. No division, department, or program of Catholic Charities has authorization to engage volunteers without the volunteer first completing the volunteer process as outlined below.

Upon expressing interest in becoming a volunteer, individuals will be requested to complete and submit the following documentation, as determined by the type of volunteer service, to the staff of the Volunteer Program: Individual volunteers: o All individuals expressing an interest to volunteer, are required to complete a Volunteer Application (Form 1011-49) and an Authorization for Release of Information (Form 1011-06) and submit them to the Volunteer Specialist. o The Volunteer Specialist will contact the potential volunteers with dates of scheduled Volunteer Orientations. The potential volunteer will bring the completed Volunteer Application (Form 101149) and Authorization for Release of Information form (Form 1011-06) to the Volunteer Orientation and will complete the Acknowledgement and Disclosure Statement (Form 1011-14) and the Conflict of Interest Disclosure (Form 1011-02) at the end of the Orientation. The Volunteer Orientation, will include but is not limited to: Review of agency policies and procedures; and An orientation to the organizations services. Once the volunteer has completed the Orientation, the Volunteer Specialist will review the completed application and supporting documents and forward them to Human Resources for processing. The Volunteer Specialist will scan and email paperwork to Human Resources as well as give the paper copy to Human Resources. Criminal background checks will be completed on all individual volunteers within four business days and initial results will be sent to the Volunteer Specialist. Additional information may be required from a potential volunteer prior to approval, as determined by best practice/minimum standards: Direct service volunteers who express an interest in working with Catholic Charities child welfare services programs (such as the Assessment Center, Families First, or International Foster Care Program) may be required to submit additional documents for a separate background check required by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The Volunteer Specialist will inform the potential volunteer of the additional information needed and collect the necessary documents. Certain direct service volunteers may be required to also complete a TB test. Utilizing standards established by the Council on Accreditation and/or other relevant licensing organizations, and based on periodic consultation with local/state health departments to determine high risk populations, the Volunteer Specialist and Human Resources will make and document a determination as to whether or not the volunteer must complete a TB test. Annual re-testing may be required for certain volunteers based on area of service. If the volunteer is required to complete a TB test, instructions will be provided. The TB test is at the volunteers own expense. (See separate guidelines under the Special Health Precautions policy.) Community Service volunteers will be required to provide contact information for their court appointed supervisor or parole officer.

Upon receipt of the acceptable criminal background check results and TB test results, if required, Human Resources will send the Volunteer Application back to the Volunteer Specialist, noting the volunteer is cleared to start. In the event that information obtained during a background check precludes volunteer service, Human Resources will send a letter of denial to the volunteer. Human Resources will maintain confidential documentation on each individual volunteer. The confidential documentation will include, at minimum, the Volunteer Application; Authorization for Release of Information; CBC and TB test results, if required. The Volunteer Program will maintain

the Acknowledgment and Disclosure Statement (Form 1011-14); job description; documentation of training; performance evaluations; and separation documents completed at the conclusion of a supporting volunteers service. o The Volunteer Specialist will contact potential volunteers to discuss the volunteers interests and agency needs. The potential volunteers placement in a volunteer opportunity will depend on the suitability of the volunteer to the needs of the program. Priority will default to the program needs as opposed to the potential volunteers requested area of service. The Volunteer Specialist will contact the designated volunteer liaison corresponding to the potential volunteers area of interest, to confirm a placement opportunity. Upon approval from the designated volunteer liaison, the Volunteer Specialist will contact the potential volunteer to advise him/her of the placement assignment. If the volunteer remains interested in and accepts the assignment, the Volunteer Specialist will notify the designated program staff. The designated volunteer liaison will contact the volunteer to arrange program specific training and determine the volunteers schedule within two business days. The Volunteer Specialist will make contact with the volunteer to confirm engagement into the program. Group Volunteers: o Upon expressing interest in becoming a volunteer, the designated leader for a volunteer group, completing a one time or episodic project, will complete a Volunteer Group Application (Form 101179) and submit it to the Volunteer Specialist. The Volunteer Specialist will contact the designated leader for the volunteer group to discuss the volunteers interests and agency needs. The potential volunteers placement in a volunteer opportunity will depend on the suitability of the volunteers to the needs of the program. Priority will default to the program needs as opposed to the potential volunteers requested area of service. The Volunteer Specialist will review the completed application and supporting documents as necessary and forward them to Human Resources as necessary for processing. Additional information may be required from group volunteers prior to approval, as determined by best practice/minimum standards: Group volunteers who will have direct supervised contact with clients may still be requested to complete a criminal background check prior to service. The Volunteer Specialist, in coordination with Human Resources and appropriate program staff, will make the determination regarding whether a criminal background check is required and will notify the group leader of any additional information needed. Individuals who have not had a criminal background check completed or approved by Catholic Charities may not have unsupervised access to clients, including children in care. Upon receipt of the acceptable criminal background check results and TB test results, if required, Human Resources will send the group volunteer application back to the Volunteer Specialist, noting the group volunteer is cleared to start. The Volunteer Specialist will contact the volunteer liaison corresponding to the potential volunteer groups area of interest to confirm his/her interest in and capacity to accommodate the request on the specified date(s).

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The Volunteer Specialist will contact the group with an interest in volunteering with approval or nonapproval no less than 24 hours prior to the intended date of service. The Volunteer Specialist will contact the designated volunteer liaison to confirm the intended date(s) of service and volunteer project plans. A brief orientation to the agency, including rules and regulations governing volunteers during their service, will be provided to group volunteers at the beginning of their assignment, provided by the Volunteer Specialist or designated staff. Volunteers will be asked to sign the Group Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement (Form 1011-58) during this orientation. The Volunteer Program will maintain documentation on each volunteer group. This will include, at minimum, the Volunteer Group Application (Form 1011-79) and Group Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement (Form 1011-58). Human Resources will maintain confidential documentation: Authorization for Release of Information; CBC and TB test results, if required.

Retention of Volunteers: o The Volunteer Specialist will work with volunteers and department/program staff to ensure proper placement of all volunteers. o Annually the Volunteer Specialist will contact all volunteers (individuals and groups) to assess happiness with the volunteer project/assignments, as well as touch point with department/program staff to assess value added by the volunteers. o If, at any time, a volunteer expresses concerns regarding a volunteer project, the Volunteer Specialist will work to find an alternative placement for the volunteer within the organization. o If, at any time, a department/program expresses concerns regarding a volunteer, the Volunteer Specialist will work to address the concern with appropriate personnel and make appropriate decisions that are in the best interest of the organization and all stakeholders. o At least once a year, Catholic Charities will conduct a volunteer satisfaction survey to assess feedback from volunteers regarding the program. Volunteer Satisfaction Surveys will be distributed once annually to all volunteers who have volunteered in the previous year. Surveys will be returned to and analyzed by designated personnel outside the Volunteer Program. A final report will be given to the Vice President responsible for volunteer services and a copy sent to the Volunteer Program personnel. The results of the surveys will be utilized to review systematic policies and procedures for volunteer services, and to identify areas of improvement. Any systematic changes identified through the monitoring process will be reviewed in conjunction with Catholic Charities Performance and Quality Improvement system.

Conclusion of Volunteering: o There are three main ways in which a volunteers relationship with Catholic Charities can be terminated. These include, but are not limited to: o Volunteer project ends; o Catholic Charities does not feel that the relationship between the volunteer and the organization is in the best interest of all stakeholders; or o Volunteer chooses to terminate the relationship. o o Catholic Charities reserves the right to terminate a relationship between a volunteer and the organization at any time. Upon termination of the relationship, the Volunteer Specialist will work with the manager of the Volunteer Program to assess the most appropriate way to conclude the relationship, taking into consideration all organizational policies/procedures and the organizations mission and values.

Upon termination of a relationship, the Volunteer Specialist will notify all appropriate parties.

Related Forms:
Acknowledgment and Disclosure Statement Form 1011-14 Authorization for Release of Information Form 1011-06 Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form 1011-02 Group Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement Form 1011-58 Volunteer Application Form 1011-49 Volunteer Group Application Form 1011-79 Volunteer Satisfaction Survey

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