Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia (CCEV) is a non-profit organization, providing its clients with a broad range of services. It offers sympathetic support to those in need, regardless of racial, ethnic, and religious characteristics. The array of services includes mental health counseling, financial and housing counseling, health and community counseling, as well as older adult services.
Agency’s Management Practices
The organization of the working process is based on the standard schedule of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. However, the management acknowledges a frequently occurring need for devising a personalized, flexible schedule. The type of work schedule depends on the professional area of a particular employee. The possibility of arranging a personalized schedule is discussed by the Chief Executive Officer, the Supervisor, and the particular employee. The employees working from home on a daily basis should communicate consistently with their immediate Supervisor during the working hours.
In the case of force majeure events, such as extreme weather conditions, the CEO can declare a liberal leave policy, which implies that an employee may take a personal day without prior approval. Such circumstances might also require the closing of certain facilities of the organization. The decision of closing may be made by the CEO in the case of extreme weather conditions, which may endanger the employees. If the closing is eventually authorized, the CEO decides upon the paid time off for the employees. The cases of extreme conditions demand further instructions on the matter of organization of the working day. The following alterations may be introduced: closings, delayed openings, and early closings.
The company’s Administrative Policy Procedures Manual stipulates that all employees should ensure that no conflict of interest arises. Every year, employees sign a form, specifying the absence of conflicts of interest of any kind. Outside employment is also regulated and must be approved by the CEO, and include signing a necessary form. Private practice, which can have an adverse effect on the activities of the Catholic Charity of Eastern Virginia, must not be undertaken by any employee. Should the CEO decide that a particular employee’s performance is affected by their outside employment, or that a conflict of interest may arise, the employee may be forced to terminate their outside activities.
Employees are encouraged to suggest certain policy improvements through written statements addressed to the management. In order to implement the suggested changes in policy and procedures, the CEO’s approval must be obtained. The information about the implemented modifications is provided to each employee. The operational procedures of the Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia are board approved administrative policies. Procedures are executed without the involvement of the government body (the Board of Directors).
Different Areas of Administration
Employer-employee relations are an important area of administration at the CCTV. Both the employer and employee voluntarily enter into these relations and can terminate the employment with or without giving any specific reason for termination, as long as no federal or state law is violated. CCTV management policies do not constitute a contractual agreement.
The Finance Committee of the General Board holds yearly meetings in order to review the financial situation of the organization, as well as to evaluate the potential financial risks. The record retention system serves as a basis for the regulation of accountability and fiscal matters. Maintaining the efficiency of the record system helps the CCEV to ensure proper compliance with the tax regulations, as well as to be prepared for federal audits or other examinations.
The majority of accounting documents are retained on a permanent basis, such as audit reports, checks, fixed assets, financial statements, and insurance records, reports, and claims. Legal and tax-related correspondence, retirement plan records, and Agency Corporate Documents are retained on a permanent basis as well, while other files are retained for two to seven years, depending on the type of a particular document.
Support services of the CCEV include assistive technology provided to those with disabilities, including certain types of devices, modifications, or accommodations necessary for the disabled to improve their functioning capacity. With the exception of legal reasons, all clients are granted access to their case records, which they can amend if the need arises. The client rights brochure is distributed to all clients in order to enhance their knowledge of their cases.
Establishing job positions and descriptions in the CCEV is considered a major commitment of the organization. The job descriptions are tailored to the current needs of the community. According to the official position of the organization, all job positions must have proper descriptions, which are reviewed and updated on an annual basis should the need arise.
Current employees can also apply for a new position in the organization. The manager of the position specifies the resume requirements of the screening process conducted by the Human Resources Department. The candidates’ references and credentials are verified. The CEO approves the selected candidate, which leads to a verbal offer of employment.
Whatever the reason for the termination of employment, the employee files remain in possession of the organization. Former employees cannot contact their clients without written consent given by the CCTV. In the case of a staff reduction, severance pay can be provided.
Performance evaluation is an important aspect of company policy. Annual, special, and corrective performance appraisals are conducted on a regular basis. Annual performance appraisals are employed to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the performance in order to improve working efficiency. Special performance appraisals are conducted if an employee’s work is of excellent quality and deserves additional recognition and reward. Corrective performance appraisals are employed when an employee’s performance is insufficient, unsatisfactory, or raising concerns.
Administrative Governance
The Board of Directors constitutes the governing body of the CCTV. The sole member of the corporation is the Bishop of Diocese of Richmond. As indicated in Table 1, the Chief Executive Officer oversees the principal departments of the organization: Finance, Grants/ODM/PQI, Programs, HR/IT/Training, Board Development, Development/Marketing, and Public Relations department.
The funding for the CCEV’s activities comes from grants and state waivers. The organization’s gift acceptance policy also stipulates the possibility of accepting donations in various forms. Donation may be transferred as cash, publicly traded securities, real estate, life insurance policies, bequests, gift annuities, and charitable remainder trust (Create a Legacy, n.d., para. 1). As it is a non-profit organization, the local, state, and federal laws constitute its enabling legislation.
Client Population
The majority of clients of the CCEV are under-provided people over 18 years old. The clients served are of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. The services most often provided are Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, or financial support.
Agency Philosophy, Mission, and Goals
All employees of the CCEV are to adhere to the ethical guidelines and professional standards specified by the organization, as well as work by its mission and contribute to the common goals. The mission of the CCEV consists in being guided by God’s love for all people to provide comprehensive, compassionate support, work with local communities and help those in need to improve their life quality (Mission & Vision, n.d., para. 1).
The principal values of the organization include dignity and sanctity of life, service, compassion, empowerment, and stewardship. The basic goals include serving others compassionately and selflessly, recognizing the clients’ needs throughout all periods of their life, and providing services while abiding by the moral, ethical, and honest principles of the CCTV.
The Code of ethics that all employees must comply with includes several guidelines. Employees must not allow for discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, handicap, sexual preference, or political affiliation. The Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics must also be strictly followed. All employees must respect the informed consent and provide the possibility of the clients’ participation when making critical decisions regarding their cases.
Employees must also respect the rule of privacy and confidentiality of their clients. The decisions regarding the clients’ case must be founded on the diagnostic and treatment needs of a particular client, as well as on the Code of Ethics. Clients must be provided with services characterized by integrity in decision-making and by the freedom of choice. All employees must make decisions based on professional responsibilities rather than personal preferences. The services and the corresponding financial arrangements are monitored on a regular basis. All clients have the possibility to file a grievance according to the procedures, as well as refuse participation in clinical studies or other types of research.
The Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics provides fundamental guidelines for all employees to follow. The Code encompasses several core principles of Catholic Social teaching. These principles include human dignity (each person has inherent dignity that must be respected), the existence of common good (everyone has the right to access it to improve their life quality), the principle of subsidiary (empowering those in need, encouraging them to take control of their life), and solidarity with the poor (the underprovided have a special claim to the services and programs of the CCEV).
Role of Preceptor
The Director of Guardianship is the assigned preceptor. She is responsible for the clients, which are in need of guardianship and conservators. The Guardianship Director services include the power of attorney services for clients over 18, who have been adjudicated as unable to care for themselves by a Circuit Court judge and have no family members who are either willing or capable of serving in such capacity.
Conclusion
The Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia is a non-profit organization. Its clients are provided with comprehensive, compassionate services. The majority of clients are poverty-stricken adults over 18. The Guardianship and Related Services program offers guardianship, conservatory, and power of attorney services to underprovided clients of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. The CCEV is guided by the Code of Ethics, as well as by the general philosophy and ethical principles of the organization.
References
Create a Legacy. (n.d.). Web.
Mission & Vision. (n.d.). Web.