Suspected Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse Non-Mandatory Reporter Training for UnityPoint Health – Des Moines (UPH – DM) Volunteers 2024
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Objectives: At the end of this module, the learner will be able to: • Identify what child abuse and dependent adult abuse is. • Discuss required actions if child abuse or dependent adult abuse is observed or suspected.
Requirements: •
The learner must receive an 80% or higher on the Child and Dependent Adult Abuse quiz that must be completed following this module.
•
If a score of 80% or better is not achieved on the first attempt, the learner will need to watch the module again before attempting to complete the quiz again.
Intended Audience: •
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines (UPH – DM) volunteers who are not classified in Iowa law as mandatory reporters.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Why? Why do I have to complete this annual UPH – DM module? • We want employees and volunteers to understand our role in keeping all patients safe from abuse. • We want all employees and volunteers to know who to report any possible abuse concerns to.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Finding the Policy: “UPHDM 045” Type “child abuse” into The Hub search bar…
UPH-DM Child Abuse and Dependent Adult Abuse Policy (UPHDM 045)
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Finding the Policy, continued For those without access to The Hub, contact any member of the UPH-DM Volunteer Services team: Blank Children’s Hospital and Iowa Methodist Medical Center
Iowa Lutheran Hospital
Methodist West Hospital
Office Location: Powell 2, Room 218 Phone: (515) 241-6414 Email: dm_volunteers@unitypoint.org
Hospital Location: First Floor, Mid Wing Phone: (515) 263-5227 Email: dm_volunteers@unitypoint.org
Office Location: Ground Floor, Room 1188 Phone: (515) 343-1088 Email: dm_volunteers@unitypoint.org
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Did you know? UPH – DM is REQUIRED by Iowa law to report any concerns about child or dependent adult abuse within 24 hours of anyone becoming aware of the concern? It’s true! We only have 24 hours to report, and we can’t meet this deadline without your help.
IMPORTANT KEY POINT: All UPH employees and volunteers, including non-mandatory reporters, or “permissive reporters”, have a responsibility to immediately report suspected abuse to a leader. By doing so, employees and volunteers help keep our patients safe and allow reports to be filed within the deadlines required by law. Patient safety includes keeping patients safe from any form of abuse.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Iowa law requires certain jobs to report child and dependent abuse. People in these jobs are called mandatory reporters. Your role as a volunteer at UPH – DM is not considered a mandatory reporter role according to Iowa law. However, keeping patients safe from any kind of abuse is everyone’s job! All employees and volunteers at UPH – DM are required to immediately report suspected child abuse and dependent adult abuse to their immediate supervisor (for volunteers, this would be a Volunteer Coordinator or the Executive Director of Volunteer Services), or in their absence a hospital house supervisor or administrator on duty (AOD).
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training What is Child Abuse?
• The victim is a child, which is any person under the age of 18. • The child is subjected to one or more of the event categories of child abuse listed below: 1. Physical Abuse 2. Sexual Abuse 3. Mental Injury 4. Denial of Critical Care 5. Child Prostitution 6. Presence of Illegal Drugs in a Child’s Body 7. Dangerous Substance 8. Bestiality in the Presence of a Child 9. Allows Access to a Registered Sex Offender 10. Allows Access to Obscene Materials 11. Child Sex Trafficking
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training What is Dependent Adult Abuse? • A dependent adult is a person 18 years of age or older whose ability to perform the normal activities of daily living, or to provide for the person's own care or protection, is impaired either temporarily or permanently. All adult patients in our hospitals are dependent adults at least while they are hospitalized. • The following are categories of dependent adult abuse: 1. Personal Injury 2. Unreasonable Confinement 3. Unreasonable Punishment 4. Assault 5. Exploitation 6. Sexual Exploitation 7. Sexual Offense 8. Neglect
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training What Should You Do? If see abuse or hear of abuse of a patient-child or dependent adult, or if you see or hear of something that doesn't seem OK, or makes you worry that it might be abuse, do the following: IMMEDIATELY: • Call or talk with a Volunteer Coordinator or the Executive Director of Volunteer Services in person to report your concern. • If a member of the Volunteer Services team isn't available, call the hospital house supervisor. The phone number of the hospital house supervisor at your location is listed on the back of your volunteer badge. • If the house supervisor isn't available, call 515241-7777 (offsite) or 777 (from a hospital phone) and ask to speak to the administrator on duty (AOD).
*Important* Verbal contact must be made with a leader. Leaving a message or emailing the leader are not appropriate ways to report suspected abuse to a leader.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training When the suspected patient abuse involves a UPH – DM employee, the employee must be separated from the patient and removed from duty immediately. Why? It is important to take this step to keep the patient safe. The employee should be taken off duty and have no contact with this patient or any patients until the investigations are complete. You do not have to separate the employee from patient care yourself. This is one of the reasons you must immediately call your direct supervisor in Volunteer Services, a hospital house supervisor, or an AOD, who will help with this important step.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Frequently Asked Questions Question: “What if I don't know for certain that the suspected abuse occurred? Will I be in trouble if I report it without being certain?” Answer: No. Iowa law says that any person who makes an honest report of abuse will not be charged with a crime and cannot be sued or fined. You will not get into trouble for making an honest report of child abuse or adult abuse. In fact, UPH – DM wants you to report possible abuse every time.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Frequently Asked Questions, continued Question: “I'm sure other people know about the suspected abuse. Do I have to report it to my direct supervisor?” Answer: Yes, if you witness or suspect any form of abuse, YOU have a responsibility to report the suspected abuse. You may be the only person who knows about the abuse. If you don’t say something, the victim and other patients may not be safe from abuse. UPH – DM only has 24 hours to report cases of abuse according to Iowa law. Time is short. Act now!
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Frequently Asked Questions, continued Question: “Do I need permission to report my concerns?” Answer: No, you do NOT need anyone’s permission to report concerns of abuse to your direct supervisor, a hospital house supervisor, or AOD. No one – physician, manager, nurse, peer or administration – should ever discourage you from reporting your concerns about abuse.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Key Points
• If a UPH – DM employee or volunteer suspects abuse of any kind, they should immediately report it to their direct supervisor, or in their absence, the hospital house supervisor or the AOD. Acknowledged, verbal contact with that leader must be made. Emails and messages should not be used as a method to report suspected abuse to leaders. • If the suspected abuse has come from an employee, volunteers must notify their direct supervisor (or in their absence the hospital house supervisor or AOD) immediately in order to remove the employee from patient care, and in order to keep all patients safe. • Is not necessary or appropriate to complete an internal investigation prior to reporting the suspected abuse. It should be reported to a leader immediately, and there are only 24 hours to report the suspected abuse to the appropriate regulatory body.
Child and Dependent Adult Abuse UPH-DM Volunteer Annual Training Key Points, continued
• Any UPH – DM employee or volunteer can report suspected abuse to the appropriate regulatory body. The direct supervisor of the employee or volunteer should also be made aware of any suspected abuse or reports filed. • Any time an employee is involved in an abuse situation where there is an internal and/or external investigation, the employee is to be removed from patient care until the internal and/or external investigation is complete. This applies even if you have already completed an internal investigation for the same situation.
Thank you for completing this training module. You must now electronically sign the completion form to acknowledge that you have: • Read the Non-Mandatory Reporter Training document in full. •
Understand how to obtain a copy of UnityPoint Health’s Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Policy.
The electronic/online form is accessible through a separate link that was provided to you by UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Volunteer Services. If you do not have the link to the completion form, please contact your Volunteer Coordinator for this information.