Riverside is committed to:

• providing community-based alternatives to institutional care

• providing the individuals we serve with the opportunity to achieve significant and measurable progress through the rehabilitation process

• integrating public and private sector services

• promoting individualized, goal-oriented services

• involving consumers as active partners in the delivery of care

• utilizing family and community resources as valued members of the service delivery team

• promoting prevention and early intervention through outreach and education

• ensuring continuing quality through reflection, evaluation, and action

• respecting and advocating for legal and human rights

• enriching the organization by promoting diversity among the board, staff, and consumers

• supporting a skilled work force through training and supervision

About Riverside Community Care

Riverside Community is a thriving organization, growing and evolving to become what we are today - an organization with almost 1000 employees and more than 62 programs serving over 53 Massachusetts cities and towns. Our origins date back to the early 1960's, when the first of many agencies that make up Riverside were founded.

We are a unique, non-profit organization that has developed a comprehensive and locally-based system of care. Our services include innovative mental health care, developmental and cognitive disability services, substance abuse treatment, healthcare, and human services. Every year, more than 11,000 people come to us for help.

The people we serve at Riverside are as diverse as the programs we offer. Each day, we serve infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elders. Our services include 24-hour mobile emergency services, a broad range of outpatient counseling and medication options, a wide variety of day programs, outreach and in-home care, vocational services, as well as acute, short, and long-term residential support.

Creativity and flexibility are hallmarks of each of our programs. We strive to meet the unique needs of the people we serve and our integrated continuum of care enables us to offer truly individualized treatment planning. Consumers work closely with staff as key members of their own treatment team.

Riverside’s skilled staff is committed to maintaining the highest standard of care. Our staff include social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, rehabilitation counselors, physical and occupational therapists, educators, mental health counselors, case managers, expressive therapists, nurses and many others with specialized training. Our extensive in-service training program fosters innovative and proven approaches to delivering healthcare and human services.

At Riverside, there is a pervasive sense of possibility and a consistent commitment to excellence. We have successfully met the challenges of the changing healthcare environment without compromising our quality of care. We are proud of our reputation for extraordinary service delivery and hope you will be too.

We welcome you to Riverside and look forward to working with you.

Statement of Intent

The intent of these personnel policies is to establish guidelines to ensure that both management and employees understand each other's rights and responsibilities as they relate to the terms and conditions of employment at Riverside. Employment with Riverside is at-will, meaning simply that either Riverside or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause. The language used in these policies is not intended to create or constitute a contract between Riverside and any of its employees. These guidelines are presented for informational purposes only.

Additional Human Resources policies including Volunteers/Student Interns, Policy #12.1, Staffing Pattern, Policy #12.2, and Supervision, Policy #12.3, can be located in the back of the Manager’s Guide to Human Resources available from your Supervisor/Manager. It is incumbent upon staff to review and follow these policies and procedures as they relate to their job responsibilities.

Riverside reserves the right to modify, revoke, suspend, terminate or change any or all of these policies, in whole or in part, at any time, with or without notice. Any employee may submit a proposed change or addition to the personnel policies to his/her supervisor, to be forwarded to senior management for consideration. Personnel policy changes/amendments are solely within the discretion of management.

Divisions/departments and programs may impose additional policies and procedures relating to employee performance expectations.

Confidentiality

Protecting the confidentiality of consumers of services is the shared responsibility of all staff. In the performance of job duties, employees may receive, overhear or have access to information regarding consumers, fiscal matters or other privileged information that may be considered confidential. Confidential information must not be discussed except in the course of business and must be done in a secure, confidential setting.

Any information pertaining to consumers is confidential. Only designated staff may release information regarding a consumer, and then only with the consumer’s or guardian’s written consent. There are, however, exceptions to consumer confidentiality resulting from applicable laws and regulations. Employees are required not to leave confidential material unattended at workstations. No information may be given over the telephone to an unknown third party, including verifying that a consumer is/is not receiving services from the Organization, without first checking the legitimacy of the request.

Employees who fail to act responsibly regarding sensitive information will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Discrimination-free Workplace

Riverside maintains and promotes a policy of equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, or political or union affiliation. We believe that Riverside's workforce should reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. Our affirmative action plan has been adopted to ensure equality of opportunity in all our practices. In keeping with this commitment, Riverside strives to create an environment where it is safe for disabled applicants and employees to self-identify. A statement of our Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy and other legally required notices are posted at key sites. Call Human Resources for further information.

All incidents relating to any alleged violation of this policy will be promptly and thoroughly investigated, and appropriate corrective action will be taken where a violation is found to have occurred. Any employee found to have engaged in actions or conduct violating this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment.

Any Riverside employee who believes that s/he has been a victim of discrimination, as outlined above, should report it immediately to the Human Resources Director. All matters pertaining to this policy will be handled as confidentially and expeditiously as possible in accordance with section 10.0 of these guidelines.