Introduction & Your First Meeting Schedule Your Rights Page 5 -6

Introduction

Welcome to the Devereux Unaccompanied Children’s Services Program. An easier way to understand this is that it is a place for children who have been separated from their families and given help to find their families, relatives or new friends in the community (they are called “sponsors”) who are willing to have you come join their family.

When you first come here, you might feel confused, sad, or even scared. You probably have many questions about how long you will be here, where you will be going next and when you can call your family. This Welcome Book has been made to answer your questions.

At this program, the people who work here (they are called “staff”) are here to care for you and to provide for your needs, like food, housing and clothes. You will also be given medical care,counseling, schooling and ideas for fun things to do! Our staff are available to help you with finding possible sponsors and possibly your family.

When you first come to this program, our staff will be there welcome you and help you with the paperwork to enter the program. This is called “admissions”. First, you will be told about your Rights and the Rules when you come in to our care. You will also be given the program's “Grievance Policy”, which are the steps you should follow if you have a problem or concern while you are here. Then you will be shown to your room (called a “residence”) and you will be given a meal, allowed to take a shower and then given the chance to make phone calls to your family. After finishing this, you will then be taken to the nursing department to receive a medical check-up.

Your First Meeting Schedule

During the first 5 days of your stay in the program, the following meetings will be scheduled for you:

 Meet your Case Manager (a person who is here to help you with finding the help you need while you are staying with us) and staff to do program paperwork.  Meet with a Nurse to do your first medical checks.  Meet with a Program Doctor to do a medical physical and get referrals for other medical services you may need.  Meet with your Case Manager to start finding a sponsor and your family.  Meet with your counselor for mental health screening.  Meet with school staff to talk about schooling.

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Your Rights

In this program, you have the right:

 To be taken care of with good living and sleeping spaces, food, clothing and personal care items  To be given standard medical and dental care, family planning services, emergency health care services, (including a full medical check within the first two days you arrive including screenings for infectious disease – or diseases and infections you may have picked up from germs- within 48 hours of admission), any prescription medications and special diets you need, and mental health therapy and treatments if needed  To be given help with the paperwork to fill out to help get the important information about your family, help with any special needs, help making a school plan, help with your religion and church practice if important to you; a list of your personal goals, strengths and challenges; and help to find your family members, other relatives, godparents or friends who may be living in the

United States  To be given school services that are right for your age and skills in a classroom setting Monday-Friday, that will include teaching, schoolwork, supplies and books in the language you need to learn  To be given fun indoor and outdoor activities including exercise, television and time spent playing with other children  To have at least one counseling session each week in a safe space for you to talk about how you feel and how things are going  To have counseling sessions at least twice a week in a group with some of the other children to help you make friends, understand rules and get to know the staff better  To be given help adapting to your new living space and friends, including help to give you the ability to live on your own safely when you are ready in the future  To be given a full written and spoken summary of the program, including the rules, goals and a list of our services that can help you  To be given the ability to go to a church or religious service of your belief when possible  To contact and visit with family members (regardless of their immigration status), where the staff will respect your privacy with the visit within the rules of the program  To have a reasonable right to privacy, which includes the right to wear your own clothes when possible, to have a private space while you stay here, to talk

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