Building an AT Reuse Program: Liability, Policies, and Lessons Learned

1. Where to Begin and How to Build an AT Reuse Program Pass It On Center Carolyn Phillips , Moderator Jessica Brodey, JMB Policy Consulting Alma Burgess, Utah State University ATIA January 28, 2010 www.passitoncenter.org

2. Presentation Overview Presentation Overview What is liability What is liability Mitigating Liability Mitigating Liability What are Policies and Procedures? What are Policies and Procedures? CReATE Case Study: Initial CReATE Case Study: Initial Considerations Considerations CReATE P&Ps: How we got started CReATE P&Ps: How we got started CReATE Processes CReATE Processes CReATE P&Ps: Challenges CReATE P&Ps: Challenges Lessons Learned from CReATE Lessons Learned from CReATE

3. Liability means legal responsibility for actions or activities (and any problems or injuries that arise from those actions or activities). Liability means legal responsibility for actions or activities (and any problems or injuries that arise from those actions or activities). Liability Liability

4. Liability (con’t) Liability (con’t) Legal responsibility can result in expenses – the costs for repairing or fixing, litigation, or damages. Legal responsibility can result in expenses – the costs for repairing or fixing, litigation, or damages. Affect reputation. Affect reputation. Unhappy consumers = claims of liability Unhappy consumers = claims of liability

5. Insurance Insurance Develop organizational structure/staffing Develop organizational structure/staffing Identify reuse activities Identify reuse activities Create Policies and Procedures Create Policies and Procedures How do I mitigate liability? How do I mitigate liability?

6. Who will you insure? Who will you insure? For what activities? For what activities? Activities must reflect/be consistent with your coverage Activities must reflect/be consistent with your coverage Types of insurance: Types of insurance: – Directors & Officers – Directors & Officers – Key Person Insurance – Key Person Insurance – Employees – Employees – Volunteers – Volunteers – Car/Driver – Car/Driver – Facilities – Facilities – Inventory – Inventory – Activities – Activities – Property – Property Insurance Insurance

7. Determine appropriate organizational structure (corporation, sole proprietorship, 501(c)(3)) Determine appropriate organizational structure (corporation, sole proprietorship, 501(c)(3)) Independent or affiliated? Independent or affiliated? Identify staffing needs Identify staffing needs – Employees – Employees – Volunteers – Volunteers – Contractors/Partners – Contractors/Partners Organizational Structure/Staffing Organizational Structure/Staffing

8. Exchange Exchange Reassign/Redistribute Reassign/Redistribute Refurbish Refurbish Recycle Recycle Narrow the scope – start small and build Narrow the scope – start small and build Identify Reuse Activities Identify Reuse Activities

9. Topic Overview: Topic Overview: – Define policies and procedures – Define policies and procedures – Why should we care about policies and procedures? – Why should we care about policies and procedures? – Utilize resources – Utilize resources – Prioritize policies and procedures – Prioritize policies and procedures Policies and Procedures Policies and Procedures

10. Policies are high-level guidelines for decisions and actions. Policies are high-level guidelines for decisions and actions. – Provide ground rules for effective interactions. – Provide ground rules for effective interactions. – Reflect high-risk areas of care. – Reflect high-risk areas of care. – Policies are based upon accepted, well- defined norms/standards of practice. Norms/standards articulate what is done, who is served, and resources needed. – Policies are based upon accepted, well- defined norms/standards of practice. Norms/standards articulate what is done, who is served, and resources needed. What are Policies and Procedures? What are Policies and Procedures?

11. Procedures: Procedures: – Procedures delineate the processes and activities necessary to implement policies (day-to-day operations). – Procedures delineate the processes and activities necessary to implement policies (day-to-day operations). – Procedures are based on professional guidelines (when available). – Procedures are based on professional guidelines (when available). – Procedures provide step-by-step guidance for basic organizational activities. – Procedures provide step-by-step guidance for basic organizational activities. What are Policies and Procedures? What are Policies and Procedures?

12. Means to mitigate liability Means to mitigate liability Provide a structure to ensure practices are performed appropriately Provide a structure to ensure practices are performed appropriately Safeguard to avoid mistakes Safeguard to avoid mistakes Guidelines for accountability Guidelines for accountability Help with continuity Help with continuity Presumption that you “did it right.” Presumption that you “did it right.” Why should we care about Policies and Procedures? Why should we care about Policies and Procedures?

13. View Policies and Procedures as your road map to success View Policies and Procedures as your road map to success Liability issues are a series of questions you need to answer – What, When, How, Why, Where, Who. Liability issues are a series of questions you need to answer – What, When, How, Why, Where, Who. Addressing these questions will become your road map for operating your program. Addressing these questions will become your road map for operating your program. Roadmap to Success Roadmap to Success

14. Case Study: CReATE Case Study: CReATE C itizens Re utilizing A ssistive T echnology E quipment ( CR e ATE ) C itizens Re utilizing A ssistive T echnology E quipment ( CR e ATE ) – Refurbish power and manual wheelchairs and scooters – Refurbish power and manual wheelchairs and scooters – Focus on Northern Utah and Wasatch Front – Focus on Northern Utah and Wasatch Front – Serve all ages, statewide – Serve all ages, statewide – Part-time technician and office coordinator – Part-time technician and office coordinator – Charge Service Fee – Charge Service Fee

15. CReATE Stats CReATE Stats Devices transferred: 22 (Oct 08 to Sep 09) Devices transferred: 22 (Oct 08 to Sep 09) Donations received: 87 Wheelchairs and scooters (Jan 20 to Sep 10, 09) Donations received: 87 Wheelchairs and scooters (Jan 20 to Sep 10, 09) Saved individuals: $92,846 Saved individuals: $92,846 Phone inquires: 97 (Jan to Sep 09) Phone inquires: 97 (Jan to Sep 09) Devices recycled: 70 (Aug to Sep 2009) Devices recycled: 70 (Aug to Sep 2009) Weight of recycled devices: 15,920 pounds or 7.96 tons (Feb to Sep 09) Weight of recycled devices: 15,920 pounds or 7.96 tons (Feb to Sep 09)

16. CReATE P&Ps: Initial Considerations CReATE P&Ps: Initial Considerations Desired process/organization Desired process/organization Program based NOT person based Program based NOT person based Liability Liability Transportation Transportation – Partnership with Arc of Utah – Partnership with Arc of Utah Verbiage – plain English, not technical writing Verbiage – plain English, not technical writing

17. CReATE P&Ps: How we got started CReATE P&Ps: How we got started Research Research – Talked to other programs and people – Talked to other programs and people – Attended conferences – Attended conferences – Spent time at warehouse – Spent time at warehouse Thoughts on paper – brainstorming Thoughts on paper – brainstorming – Staff & Advisory Committee – Staff & Advisory Committee Decided on a format Decided on a format Divided into sections Divided into sections Implemented Implemented Lesson Learned: Lesson Learned: – Put into practice – don’t wait!!! – Put into practice – don’t wait!!! Office Coordinator updating regularly Office Coordinator updating regularly

18. CReATE P&Ps: How we got started CReATE P&Ps: How we got started Procedure Example Procedure Example – Money Handling Procedure (first procedure) – Money Handling Procedure (first procedure)

19. CReATE Processes CReATE Processes Device Donation to Acquisition Device Donation to Acquisition – Recycling – Recycling – Refurbishing – Refurbishing – Sanitization – Sanitization – Evaluation – Evaluation – Service Fee – Service Fee

20. CReATE Mitigating Liability CReATE Mitigating Liability P&Ps P&Ps Quality Control Process Quality Control Process – Checklists – Checklists Forms Forms

21. CReATE P&Ps: Challenges CReATE P&Ps: Challenges Employees implementing on daily basis Employees implementing on daily basis Collaborators implementing Collaborators implementing Recording changes Recording changes Managing from a distance Managing from a distance – Implementation and revisions – Implementation and revisions

22. Lessons from CReATE Lessons from CReATE Consider all aspects Consider all aspects Prioritize Prioritize Focus on YOUR activities Focus on YOUR activities Utilize Resources Utilize Resources

23. Organizational Structure Organizational Structure Governance & Management Governance & Management Insurance Insurance Consumer Involvement Consumer Involvement Human Resources Human Resources Finance and Accounting Finance and Accounting User Services User Services Program Operations Program Operations Marketing and Public Relations Marketing and Public Relations Outcomes Outcomes Partners/Collaboration Partners/Collaboration Sustainability Sustainability Disaster Preparedness Disaster Preparedness Categories Categories

24. Policies and procedures are constantly evolving and ongoing – cannot ever get them “perfect.” Policies and procedures are constantly evolving and ongoing – cannot ever get them “perfect.” – Always room for improvement – Always room for improvement – Always additional things to be added – Always additional things to be added – Programs are always growing and changing – Programs are always growing and changing Identify which of the categories are most “critical” to the core operations of your program Identify which of the categories are most “critical” to the core operations of your program Identify which of the categories pose the most risk/exposure for your program Identify which of the categories pose the most risk/exposure for your program Prioritizing Prioritizing

25. High Priority High Priority – User Services – User Services – Program Operations – Program Operations – Insurance – Insurance Moderate Priority Moderate Priority – Organizational Structure – Organizational Structure – Governance & Management – Governance & Management – Consumer Involvement – Consumer Involvement – Human Resources – Human Resources – Finance and Accounting – Finance and Accounting – Marketing and Public Relations – Marketing and Public Relations – Partners/Collaboration – Partners/Collaboration – Sustainability – Sustainability Low Priority Low Priority – Outcomes – Outcomes – Disaster Preparedness – Disaster Preparedness Tiered System for Prioritizing Tiered System for Prioritizing

26. User Services User Services – Client Intake – Client Intake – Equipment Matching – Equipment Matching – Training – Training – Technical Assistance – Technical Assistance – Delivery – Delivery – Follow Up – Follow Up – Website Operations – Website Operations Program Operation Program Operation – Facilities – Facilities – Acquisitions/Donations – Acquisitions/Donations – Inventory Management – Inventory Management – Evaluation – Evaluation – Repairing/Refurbishing – Repairing/Refurbishing – Sanitization – Sanitization – Storage – Storage – Distribution/Transportation of Equipment – Distribution/Transportation of Equipment – Disposal/Recycling – Disposal/Recycling – Website Operations – Website Operations Break it Down – Focus on YOUR reuse activities Break it Down – Focus on YOUR reuse activities

27. Affiliated with a broader organization or an umbrella organization? Affiliated with a broader organization or an umbrella organization? – University – University – Government Agency – Government Agency – 501(c)(3) – 501(c)(3) – Partner – Partner – Board members – Board members Utilize resources!! Utilize resources!!

28. Questions? Questions?

29. Start slow – it is better to delay providing services and get the planning and structure in place. Start slow – it is better to delay providing services and get the planning and structure in place. Insurance coverage is critical. Insurance coverage is critical. Address organizational structure/staffing. Address organizational structure/staffing. Focus on activities Focus on activities – Pick one – Pick one – Break it down into parts – think Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. – Break it down into parts – think Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. – Write it all out on paper. – Write it all out on paper. Summary Summary

30. Jessica Brodey Jessica Brodey JMB Policy Consulting JMB Policy Consulting (301) 770-1127 (301) 770-1127 jessica@passitoncenter.org jessica@passitoncenter.org Alma J. Burgess Alma J. Burgess Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) 435-797-0253 435-797-0253 alma@cpd2.usu.edu alma@cpd2.usu.edu http://www.uatpat.org/ http://www.uatpat.org/ Contact Contact

31. For Your Time & Interest! We Want to Hear from You For Your Time & Interest! We Want to Hear from You