Appendix A: Live-In Counselor Guidelines | Housing & Residence Life, U.Va

The Program Representative/Contractor is responsible for the training and actions of its Counselors/staff and must provide adequate leadership and supervision for the participants of its Program. The Program Representative/Contractor is expected to read, understand, and fully comply with UVA’s Protection of Minors and Reporting Abuse Policy, and associated policies and procedures, for providing these policies to all Program Counselors/Staff, and for meeting all UVA Office of Youth Protection requirements

Program Counselor/Staff Expectations

Counselors/staff must be respectful of all participants, participants’ family members, staff, and volunteers
Counselors/staff must provide participants with a safe experience in which to experience the Program
Counselors/staff must address problems brought to their attention, and create an environment where everyone is welcome and given the opportunity to succeed
Counselors/staff must report suspected child abuse or neglect to social services and the Office of Youth Protection as soon as possible, but not longer than 24 hours after having reason to suspect an offense.
Counselors/staff must immediately report ANY suspected criminal activity to police/authorities (call 911).
Counselors/staff must promptly report ANY suspected criminal activity, any sexual activity involving minors in association with the program, including that considered consensual by any of the involved parties, to the Office of Youth Protection, and to parents/guardians.
Counselors/staff must promptly notify their program and the Office of Youth Protection of any noncompliance, serious or concerning behavior (including grooming behavior and boundary violations) of other program staff and/or minor participants.
Counselors/Staff are required to successfully complete the UVA Office of Youth Protection’s training module at least 72 hours prior to the start of the Program.
Counselors/staff must not engage or communicate with minors through phone call, email, text messages, social networking websites, internet chat rooms, or other forms of electronic means at any time, except and unless there is an educational or programmatic purpose and the content of the communication is consistent with the mission of the Program and the University. Any such permitted program/activity related electronic communication with minors should include more than one adult on the communication (i.e. at least two staff should be on the email, or one staff and program director, or program director plus parent/guardian, etc.)
Counselors/staff for covered programs are responsible for maintaining direct contact of the minors in their charge at all times, with the exception of in bedrooms and bathrooms, for which counselors/staff should be able to maintain a line-of-sight vision of participant rooms.
Counselors/staff will not at any time leave minors in residence halls or University facilities without direct adult supervision.
Counselors/staff will not have one-to-one contact with minors outside the presence of others. This includes but is not limited to settings such as residence hall bedrooms, study rooms, and bathrooms.
Counselors/staff must place signs on their room doors with 24-hour contact information, so that minors in their care know where their rooms are located and how to reach Program Staff at all times.
Counselors/staff are required to be aware of and to accompany Program participants with food allergies during meals and at snack times.
Counselors/staff must establish and practice a protocol for transfer of custody/care of minors in their program. Athletics Programs should refer to the protocol provided by the Athletics Department for procedures related to transfer of custody/care. Conferences@UVA is not responsible for the transfer of custody and care of the Program’s participants.
Counselors/ staff must not meet with minors outside of established times for program activities.
Counselors/ staff must not have or use firearms or weapons of any kind while maintaining custody of care of minors.
Counselors/ staff must not have or use sexually explicit literature or other media of any kind in the presence of minors.
Counselors/ staff must not engage in any sexual activity, make sexual comments, tell sexual jokes, or share explicit material (or assist in any way to provide access to such material via any medium) with, around, or about minors.
Counselors/ staff must not provide gifts to individual minors.
Counselors/ staff must not inappropriately use cameras, audio or video equipment, or computers.
Counselors/ staff must not touch minors in a manner that a reasonable person could interpret as inappropriate.
Counselors/ staff must not engage in any abusive conduct of any kind toward, or in the presence of, a minor, including but not limited to verbal abuse, striking, hitting, punching, poking, spanking, or restraining.
Counselors/ staff must not shower, bathe, or undress with or in the presence of minors.
Counselors/ staff must not invite individual minors to your home or any other non-program location. Any exceptions require prior written authorization by both the covered program director and a parent/legal guardian of the involved minor.
Counselors/ staff must not post photos of minors on social media without prior parental consent.
Counselors/ staff must not give out information about a minor such as housing location, to anyone (other than parents, legal guardian, applicable University staff, or law enforcement).
Counselors/ staff must maintain confidentiality of all minors.
Counselors/ staff must commit to follow and abide by University, Local, and State protocols related to communicable diseases, i.e., COVID, which are in place to promote the health, safety, and well-being of program staff and youth participants.
Counselors/staff are required to review and abide by the University of Virginia Alcohol and Drug Policy: daapp.virginia.edu/standards-of-conduct.
Counselors/ staff may not have or consume tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, or marijuana and its derivatives (synthetics, vapes, waxes, edibles, oils, etc.). Counselors/ staff may not provide directly to or assist in obtaining such substances for minors.
Counselors/staff serve as the liaison between Conferences@UVA and youth participants in the event of behavior problems. All Program Participants are expected to follow the UVA Code of Conduct at all times. Excessive noise, rowdiness, disruptive or destructive behavior will not be tolerated. Hazing or harassment of any kind is prohibited. Bullying, including verbal, physical, and cyber bullying, also are prohibited: eocr.virginia.edu/notice-non-discrimination-and-equal-opportunity
Counselors/staff are required to review and abide by the Terms and Conditions of Housing in the Residence Halls as outlined at housing.virginia.edu/housing-terms-undergrad.
Counselors/staff must ensure Program Participants leave their rooms and common areas clean upon checkout; trash must be placed in residence hall garbage cans or into dumpsters.
Counselors/staff must not falsely represent themselves to another entity as a member of the University program or registered program activity outside of their role in such a program and/or program activity.

Program Representative/Contractor Expectations

The Program Representative/Contractor is required to register its Program with the Office of Youth Protection (OYP) at least 30 days prior to the start of the program, review and adhere to all OYP’s Youth Program procedures, and ensure all staff background checks have been completed and all staff complete OYP training at least 72 hours prior to the start of the program.
For Programs whose participants are minors, the Program Representative/Contractor shall provide adequate adult supervision such that the staff-to-minors ratio adheres to guidelines recommended by the American Camp Association. This means camps with participants 8 years old must have one staff per every six youth; participants who are ages 9-14 must have one staff per every eight youth; participants who are ages 15-18 must have one staff per every ten youth. Ratios must be maintained overnight. Program director or their designee must remain onsite overnight during residential programs. Additionally, there are restrictions regarding the age of camp staff which must be followed.
For Programs whose participants are matriculating first year students, the Program Representative/Contractor shall provide the staff-to-participant ratio of a minimum of one staff per every 24-26 participants.
The Program Representative/Contractor must make sure to enter the names of all Counselors/staff into the Office of Youth Protection’s registration system 30 day prior to the start of the Program for the purposes of conducting required background checks on those Counselors/Staff. When submitting the 2-Week Dining and Housing Guarantee, the Program Representative/Contractor must verify that all necessary background checks have been completed and no records of concern were identified such to deny any Counselors/staff clearance to provide services for the Program.
The Program Representative/Contractor must provide Conferences a contact list of all adult staff housed with the Program, including email addresses and cell phone numbers where they may be reached twenty-four (24) hours a day in the event of an emergency.
The Program Representative/Contractor must maintain 24-hour emergency contact information for the parents/guardians of all participants in their Program and provide a copy of this contact list to the head counselor in residence, and to Conferences if requested.
The Program Representative/Contractor, its Counselors/staff must clearly communicate and enforce the University’s Drug and Alcohol Policy: daapp.virginia.edu/standards-of-conduct.
The Program Representative/Contractor and its Counselors/staff must clearly communicate and enforce the University’s Terms and Conditions of Housing in the Residence Halls as outlined at housing.virginia.edu/housing-terms-undergrad.

I have read, understand, and agree to abide by and enforce the university’s policies and expectations outlined in these Live-in Counselor Guidelines while conducting my Program at the University of Virginia and while using University of Virginia Housing.