The primary goal of Better Together Mesa LLC is to mold boys into young men who are ready to contribute to society. Our program is designed to create life skills, values and morals in individuals for everyday life. We expect youth to leave understanding the concept of Independent Living and positive decision making.
Initial Orientation - to be completed within the first 24 hours of arrival:
- Tour of Facility
- Emergency procedures and exits
- Introduction to staff and residents
Within the first 72 hours of arrival the Youth must be familiarized with the following:
- Familiarize the child with the licensee’s program.
- Explain the licensee’s expectations and requirements for behavior
- Explain the criteria for successful participation in and completion of or discharge from the program,if applicable
- Provide youth with a copy of the Agency’s behavior management policy and procedure
- Provide the youth with a copy of the visitation and communication policy
- Describe and, upon request, make available a copy of the grievance procedures (attached, please see below)
- Provide the youth with statement of child rights
Grievance Policy & Procedure
The Youth and their parents or legal guardians have the right to file a grievance of dissatisfaction with care, treatment, or other services they receive from Better Together Mesa and its component programs. It should be understood that staff shall not discriminate, retaliate, or reprisal in any way against any youth by whom or on or contracting agency or who has participated in an investigative process. A fair and expedited resolution of the grievance will be made by the corporate administration team. The responding action of Better Together Mesa will communicate to all parties involved, including the youth’s Case Manager.
Grievance Forms are located in an easily accessible location near the office door in our home, next to the forms is a discreet black box to collect forms
Better Together Mesa prohibits retaliation against an individual who brings a grievance.
In order to maintain a fair and expeditious resolution of a grievance, we will review the grievance and sit down with the youth to come to an agreeable solution within 48 hours. A copy of the grievance decision will be filed with the grievance.
Grievance forms submitted by youth will be submitted to OLR@azdcs.gov Monthly
Behavior and Outing Rules
- Show respect for everyone with whom you come in contact, by your actions and your words. This includes Staff, Case Workers, Visitors, members of our home as well as those outside of it.
- Respect your home - e.g., do not throw anything or kick or punch at the doors or walls; no standing, walking or running on furniture or chairs; clean up after yourself.
• No obscene language, drugs, vapes, alcohol, tobacco, aerosol paint cans or weapons. (See your House Manager if you need to take/use prescription medication)
• Public displays of affection. This includes “hanging on” someone, excessive hugging, handholding, kissing, sharing a seat, or other obviously “romantic” behavior.
• For the safety and well-being of all, every outing or event has physical boundaries. Stay within those boundaries. At no time will the Staff of this home tolerate language or behavior that is disrespectful or rude to others or to those in authority over the group. This includes staff, chaperones, parents, and those involved in the operation of those event we are attending.
Failure to comply with these rules will resort in the following diciplinary actions:
- Verbal warning
- Disiplinary discussion and written warning
- Loss of Privileges
Visitation, Mail and Telephone
- Each youth will be given reasonable privacy during a visit unless their service plan requires supervised visitation.
- The visitation hours for the home are 7 days a week between the hours of 8AM to 8PM in order to meet the needs of the children and their family members.
- Each child will be given the opportunity as needed to communicate with their Social Worker, Attorney, Court Appointed Advocate, Guardian or Clergy. Administration may enforce a schedule and rules for communication to prohibit undue interference with the program.
- This Home will not deny, monitor, or restrict communications between a
child and the child's parent, guardian, or friends except as prescribed:
a. By court order;
b. In the child's service plan, which shall contain specific treatment
reasons for the restriction which shall be time limited
- This home may require a child to open mail in the presence of staff in
order to inspect the mail for contraband
- If monitoring a communication as allowed the licensee shall tell the parties to the communication aboutthe monitoring.
Leaving the Home on a visit or outing
- The childs location, duration of activity and anticiapted and actual time of return shall be recorded
- The name, address and telephone number of the person responsible for child while the child is absent from the home will be recorded.
- If the child fails to return DCS, Case Manager and Police will be notified and youth will be reported as AWOL