MISSION STATEMENT

To Enhance and Enrich the Lives of People with Disabilities by Employing and Empowering Them in Their Communities

1.0  VISION STATEMENT

Unyeway, Inc. believes that all people with disabilities have the right to a meaningful, quality life. We respect the dignity of all individuals and strive to positively support the physical,cognitive, vocational, ethical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of their lives.

1.1  VALUES:

• Honesty
• Loyalty
• Integrity
• Tolerance
• Cooperation
• Responsibility
• Diversity
• Courtesy
• Outcomes
• Teamwork
• Ownership
• Improvement
• Excellence
• Respect
• Trust

Unyeway, Inc. has instituted a Unyeway, Inc. Compliance Program designed to promote high standards as employees of Unyeway, Inc. perform their duties and provide services in San Diego County.  As an important part of the Compliance Program, Unyeway, Inc. has established a Code of Ethics for conducting its business.

2.0  CODE OF ETHICS

2.1      BUSINESS PRACTICES:

Unyeway Inc.’s Personnel, Consultants, Volunteers, and Board Members shall:

• Treat consumers, other persons who work for Unyeway, families of persons served, volunteers, consultants, funding agents, other vendors, outside agencies, and any other person with whom they come into contact with as a function of employment with dignity and respect at all times.
• Provide quality services based on a person centered plan that addresses a consumer’s preferences, choices, input, and needs.
• Ensure that staff acknowledge and understand the influence of cultural histories, life experiences, language differences, beliefs, values, traditions, practices, and other personal, environmental, and spiritual influences on persons served and their families as well as personnel, consultants, volunteers, and Board Members.
• Engage in and promote honest and ethical conduct.
• Strive to avoid actual or the appearance of conflicts of interest.
• Comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
• Adhere to architectural, environmental, attitudes, finances, employment, communication, and transportation accessibility.
• Consult with their supervisor and refer to the agency’s policy and procedures when responding to subpoenas or other legal requests such as search warrants.
• Act responsibly in the use and control of all assets, resources, possession, funds, and information of persons served by the agency, as well as the agency and its personnel/volunteers/consultants.
• Not engage in activities that fall into the categories of fraud, waste, abuse fiscal mismanagement or other wrong doings.
• Report abuse of any kind including: physical, sexual, verbal, fiduciary, fraud, waste, and other wrong doings.
• Report promptly any violations of the Code of Ethics.

2.2 MARKETING, COMMUNICATION, AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:

Unyeway Inc.’s Personnel, Consultants, Volunteers, and Board Members shall:

• Practice honest, transparent, and timely communication to facilitate the transfer of essential information in the interest of our consumers and the agency.
• Ensure that all services are promoted in a manner that is respectful to the consumers we serve, the personnel we employ, and all other stakeholders (Board Members, consultants, funding agents, etc….).
• Protect confidential materials and information as well as the privacy of consumers served. Protect confidential materials, information and privacy of all personnel, and other stakeholders in compliance with all legal requirements.
• Disseminate accurate information and promptly correct or clarify erroneous communication for which we may be responsible.
• Ensure that marketing practices are contributing to the Mission and Values of the agency.

2.3  PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Unyeway Inc.’s Personnel, Consultants, Volunteers, and Board Members shall:

• Respect all unique characteristics of individuals such as gender, culture, ethnicity, spiritual believes, and sexual orientation, as well as the diverse ages, languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds of consumers, Unyeway personnel, families of persons served, volunteers, funding agents, other vendors, outside agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Not discriminate based on differences, including but not limited to: race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, nation of origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, socioeconomic background, and the like.
• Ensure that consultants and contractors are certified, licensed, and insured for the services they provide, as necessary.
• Ensure that every employee for the agency has been trained on their mandated reporter duties and responsibilities. Ensure that witnessed or suspected abuse or neglect is reported to the proper authorities within the legal timeline stipulated by the State of California.
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
• Behave in a trustworthy manner with persons served, other personnel, volunteers, visitors, and other stakeholders.
• Complete all documentation and record keeping requirements in an accurate, thorough and professional manner.
• Provide a safe, clean, and healthy environment free of any accessibility barriers.
• Ensure that confidential information and materials are safe guarded.
• Advocate for persons served and protect the person served against unethical and hypocritical practices.

2.4  SERVICE DELIVERY:

Unyeway Inc.’s Personnel, Consultants, Volunteers, and Board Members shall:

• Treat persons served by the program as well as personnel, consultants, volunteers, and Board Members with dignity and respect at all times.
• Strive for the highest quality of services at all times.
• Ensure that they are using the “people first” concept in service provision.
• Understand and honor the rights of persons’ served by the agency and the duty to act as a mandated reporter at all times.
• Prohibit the exchange of gifts, money, possessions, and gratuities between personnel, board members, volunteers, consultants, the persons we serve, their family members, funding agents, other vendors, outside agencies (including: CCL, DOR, SDRC, AIS, CARF and other oversight agencies).  This prohibition does not include the donations to support special events or items donated and pre-approved by the Executive Director for the benefit of consumers or the agency as a whole. The special event or items can never be for the benefit of an individual or specific individuals or for the services provided by Unyeway Inc. The Board of Directors as an entity can approve wage or monetary increases, or benefits based on laws, merit, or similar compensation for business reasons. All such compensations must be disclosed fully and recorded.
• Follow Unyeway, Inc.’s Non-Fraternization Policy AP-26
• Maintain the confidentiality of the persons served as required by law. Personnel, Board Members, consultants, and volunteers will not discuss confidential company matters, personnel matters, products or customers’ materials, or information regarding consumers unless specifically necessary and related to the performance of his or her duties within the agency.
• All personnel and consultants are responsible for the fair and ethical treatment and the supervision of persons served by the agency, therefore nonprofessional relationships between personnel or consultants with consumers is prohibited. In cases where consumers have familial ties to personnel or consultants the related personnel or consultant may not provide supervision to the consumer during business hours.
• Ensure the safeguarding and safety of all consumer and agency property. Report any loss, theft, breakage, or other damage to consumer or agency property to the program director and complete the proper forms i.e. damage report.
• Strive to avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
• Report any potential or actual conflicts of interests to the Director of Human Resources, Executive Director, or the President of the Board of Directors.
• Prohibit solicitations or fund raising in the workplace of all kinds.
• Prohibit the bringing of personal property by personnel/volunteers/Board Members to the workplace.
• Prohibit the display of items or expression of a religious, political, or potentially/actually offensive materials including through digital means.
• Encourage and protect the reporting of abuse, fraud, waste, theft, and other wrong doing. Ensure the confidentiality and protection from retaliation of the reporter as is possible.

2.5  HUMAN RESOURCES:

Unyeway Inc.’s Director of Human Resources and Program Directors shall:

• Strive to provide trainings to the agency’s personnel, volunteers, and when applicable consultants to ensure these persons are well trained on procedures, safety practices, laws/regulations, specific requirements of oversight agencies and specific needs of individual consumers.
• Strive to always emphasize a person centered approach to planning and training for consumers and their needs.
• Be committed to a diverse and culturally appropriate work and program environment as well as culturally competent, trained personnel.
• Ensure a safe, drug-free, and healthy work environment that supports our Mission and Values.
• Ensure that licensed professionals practice within the scope of their licenses and that practices that require licensure are performed only by a licensed professional.
• Personnel and as necessary volunteers and consultants are educated and follow policies and procedures.

2.6  SOCIAL MEDIA:

Because of the many ways in which social media can be misused and thus lead to ethics and compliance problems, Unyeway, Inc. has set standards and other expectations in the form of Policies and Procedures and Guidelines for employees of Unyeway, Inc. See Social Media Policy C-29 in the Personnel Policies and Procedures.

There are many risks that a company faces when employees access social media and companies choose to have social media accounts for their agency. The protocols and guidelines as well as the formal policy pertaining to social media usage found in Social Media Policy C-29 are enforced in order to protect the agency from liability, protect our reputation, the reputation of stakeholders, employees, participants, volunteers, funding agents, oversight agencies are all the people and entities with whom we interact.

The guiding principles when using social media is, “Conduct yourself online just as you would in any other public circumstances as an Unyeway, Inc. professional. Treat those you encounter online with fairness, honesty and respect, and the dignity you would want others to treat you and just as you would offline. Avoid actions that might discredit your professional reputation and the reputation of your employer. And always remember, you represent Unyeway, Inc.”

2.6  PROHIBITION OF WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE, AND WRONGDOINGS:

Unyeway, Inc. personnel, consultants, volunteers, and other stakeholders may not participate in fraud, abuse, waste of resources or other wrongdoing. Ethical violations or legal but unethical wrongdoings including but not limited to fraud, waste, or abuse are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. Employees are encouraged to report any suspicion or evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, or other wrongdoings. There will be no reprisals.

3.0  PROCEDURES TO ADDRESS ALLEGATIONS OF A BREACH OF THE CODE OF ETHICS

3.1  General:

The Unyeway, Inc. Code of Ethics requires personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. Personnel, consultants, volunteers or Board Members must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

3.2  Reporting Responsibility:

It is the responsibility of all personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members to comply with the Code of Ethics and to report violations or suspected violations in accordance with the Reporting Policy. Improper Unyeway, Inc. activity should be reported to the Corporate Compliance Officers.

3.3  No Retaliation:

No personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members who in good faith reports a violation of the Code of Ethics shall suffer harassment, retaliation or adverse employment consequence. Any personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation or suspected violation in good faith is subject to discipline action up to and including termination of employment. This reporting policy is intended to encourage and enable personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members to raise serious concerns and to seek resolution, if warranted.

3.4  Reporting Violations:

Unyeway, Inc. has an open door policy and allows personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members to share their questions, concerns, suggestions, or complaints with someone who can address them properly. In most cases, an employee’s supervisor is in the best position to address an area of concern. However, if an employee is not comfortable speaking with his or her supervisor or is not satisfied with the supervisor’s response, the employee is encouraged to speak with the Director of Human Resources or the Executive Director. Supervisors and managers are required to report violations or suspected violations of the Code of Ethics to the Director of Human Resources or Executive Director, who have specific and exclusive responsibility to investigate all reported violations. For suspected fraud, waste, abuse or other such wrong doings personnel, consultants, volunteers and Board Members should immediately contact the Director of Human Resources or Executive Director.

3.5  Compliance Officer:

The Compliance Officer for the reporting policy is the Executive Director.  The Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring the investigation and resolution of all reported complaints and allegations concerning violations of law or conduct and, at his or her discretion, shall advise the President of the Board of Directors.  The Compliance Officer will annually report to the Board of Directors on compliance activity.

3.6  Acting in Good Faith:

Anyone filing a complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation of conduct or law must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation of the Code of Ethics. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

3.7  Confidentiality:

Reports of violations or suspected violations may be submitted on a confidential basis by the complainant or may be submitted anonymously. Reports of violations or suspected violations will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.

3.8  Processing Reported Violations:

The Compliance Officer will notify the sender and acknowledge receipt of the reported violation or suspected violation within 5 business days and complete a final report of the investigation within 15 days. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken if warranted by the investigation.

3.8.1  Reports shall be sent by fax, letter, scan, or in person (by appointment) to:

Carrie Hancock, Executive Director; or Sheila Staub, Director of Human Resources

Unyeway, Inc.

2330 Main Street, Suite E, Ramona, CA 92065    (760) 789-5960    Fax (760) 789-8156

3.9 Advocacy:

Unyeway, Inc. encourages everyone to be involved in advocacy. Whenever possible programs should encourage and facilitate our staff and participant interaction with organizations, entities, activities that help the community, promote education, interact with and support first responders, and promote the welfare of others.

4.0  Documents of Authorization:

Staff shall not act as a witness to documents such as Power of Attorney, guardianship, advance directives, and/or agency contracts without the expressed written approval of the Executive Director.  Personnel are authorized to countersign documents such as intake forms, authorizations (i.e., release of information form), treatment plans, etc. as directly related to their job duties.

4.1   Acknowledgement:

All volunteers, staff, and Board Members must sign an acknowledgement of having received the Code of Ethic and receive training annually.

The community and the people we serve and employ trust Unyeway, Inc. based on its long-established reputation and integrity. Any misdeed, illegal activity, or appearance of impropriety impacts negatively upon all of us. In order to maintain that trust, we agree to voluntarily comply with the guidelines and recommendations set forth in the document.