Answer (but would love more input from other SCs):
1. Yes, the President can recommend the member’s family contact the SC to arrange for assistance, but the SC will only be able to talk specifically about the member/client if the family provides a written Consent to Release from the member for the SC to talk with the family. The President is welcome to give this form to the family and explain it. I’ve attached the form and the SC brochure for the Co-op . If the family is unable to obtain a Consent to Release from the member, the SC can only discuss the role of the SC and options available to members in general.
2. CSI and the SC cannot work together on any specific member case unless there is specific written consent from the member to discuss his/her situation. The president can make a written referral to the FCRC to assist with the case and begin the FCRC/SC written referral process. Otherwise, CSI would need to work with the member in ways that they traditionally do when members have limited English proficiency (paid translator, family translator, etc.) When the SC works with a translator, we request that there be two documents signed. The member must sign a written Consent to Release to share information with the translator. And the translator signs a Confidentiality Agreement, which is a good way of the SC educating the translator on the importance of confidentiality and full translation to the best of the translator’s ability. This form is also attached.
3. CSI is never allowed to share the emergency contact information with the SC (unless there is specific written consent to release from the member). The SC is never permitted to call emergency contacts without the member’s written consent to release.
4. Some ideas for translation services includes: AAA1B – quite a lot of languages available by appointment, 211 – quite a lot of language available by appointment, UM Dearborn, AT&T, English Language Institute at WSU, body language, index cards for common questions and answers, ACCESS, Piast Institute in Hamtramck, some ethnic churches (one of the SCs was successful with this for a less familiar language), Consulate, Google translator for crude translation if the member is literate in native language. It is highly dependent on the language and the literacy level of the member in her/his native language.
Question:
I want to be proactive and ask about a hypothetical situation that I might be faced with soon at the co-op.
There is a member (not a client of the SC) who does not speak English, whom other members have expressed concerns to me about (the member’s apartment smells and the member has been seen wearing soiled clothing). When the President gets the “request for member support” form, she can refer to the FCRC and they can visit the member and try to involve the family. If that does not work and she refers the member to me, I will be unable to communicate with the member because of the language barrier. What is the best way for us to deal with this? It seems like all the options have ethical implications and we would like clarity.
1. Is the President allowed to recommend that the member’s family contact the SC to arrange for help, at least in translation assistance at an appointment?
2. If the member has not given an OK for CSI to call their emergency contact, how do CSI and the SC work with that member when there is no common language?
3. Is CSI ever allowed to share emergency contact information with SCs, and are SCs ever allowed to call emergency contacts without a member’s permission?
4. If the SC gets a referral from the president for a member with whom the SC cannot communicate, and there is no family help with that member, how is the SC supposed to handle the referral and work with the member to get help?
