OAR 413-215-0981
Outdoor Youth Programs: Staff Training
(1)
Written policies, procedures, and training curriculum. An outdoor youth program must have written policies, procedures, and training curriculum regarding minimum requirements for orientation, field training, and ongoing training.(2)
Orientation. Each employee must complete orientation before having any contact with children in care or prospective children in care. The orientation training must include at a minimum:(a)
Outdoor youth program mission and goals, including admissions criteria and services provided.(b)
Personnel structure of the outdoor youth program, including an organizational chart and job descriptions which accurately reflect the responsibilities of staff positions involved in the care and management of children in care, and the management and supervision of field staff;(c)
Overview of the quality improvement program, including the critical incident program;(d)
Risk management procedures and safety precautions;(e)
Instruction in discipline and behavior management policies and procedures of the outdoor youth program, including de-escalation and the use of physical restraint, if applicable;(f)
Instruction in physical assist policies and procedures of the outdoor youth program;(g)
Review and discussion of all other policies relevant to field staff responsibilities, such as clothing, nutrition, vehicle use, communication methods, cooking and camping equipment, and their use; and(h)
Emergency plan.(3)
Field training. Each field staff must receive a minimum of seven days of field training and must be assessed by the field director or designee for each of the following minimum required field skills before assuming sole supervision of children in care:(a)
Water, food, and shelter procurement, preparation, and conservation.(b)
“Leave No Trace Principles” for outdoor youth program activity. For purposes of this rule, “Leave No Trace Principles” mean wilderness and land use ethics which are designed to minimize the impact of visitors to back country areas. The principles include: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces; Pack it in, Pack it Out; Properly Dispose What You Can’t Pack Out; Leave What You Find; and Minimize Use and Impact of Fire.(c)
Recognition and management of the presenting issues of the children in care served, including mental health and substance abuse issues.(d)
Instruction in safety procedures and safe use of fuel, fire, and life protection equipment.(e)
Sanitation procedures related to food, water, and waste.(f)
Special instruction to ensure proficiency in each specific outdoor youth program activity for staff who conduct and staff who supervise an outdoor youth program activity.(g)
Wilderness medicine, including health issues related, but not limited to:(A)
Acclimation.(B)
Exposure to the environment and environmental elements.(C)
Signs, symptoms, and treatment of water intoxication and dehydration.(D)
Foot blisters.(E)
Diarrhea.(F)
Recognizing differences between symptoms of a health concern and behavioral issues.(G)
Bites and Stings.(H)
Allergic reactions.(I)
Gender specific health issues.(h)
First aid kit contents and use.(i)
Basic navigation skills including understanding of contour maps, use of compass, and navigation using the positions of sun, moon, and stars to determine direction.(j)
Local environmental precautions, including terrain, weather, insects, poisonous plants, wildlife, and proper response to adverse situations.(k)
Critical incident prevention, identification, and response.(l)
Knowledge of and ability to implement the emergency plan of the outdoor youth program.(m)
Report writing, including development and maintenance of logs, journals, and incident reports.(n)
Other skills as required by the outdoor youth program.(4)
Sole supervision. No staff member of an outdoor youth program may provide sole supervision of program children in care prior to:-(a)
Successful completion of orientation and field training; and(b)
Documented assessment by a senior field staff member of:(A)
Effective understanding of the supervision structure of the outdoor youth program, who is responsible, and to whom staff can refer questions or problems; and(B)
Understanding, knowledge, and compliance with the behavior management policies of the outdoor youth program.(5)
Ongoing training. An outdoor youth program must provide ongoing training for field staff to maintain and upgrade their skills.(6)
Documentation of training. An outdoor youth program must document the training received by each staff member and volunteer in their personnel file. For each training session, the documentation shall include the name and qualifications of the person providing the training, date of training, training content, and the number of hours of the training.
Source:
Rule 413-215-0981 — Outdoor Youth Programs: Staff Training, https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/view.action?ruleNumber=413-215-0981.