1. Policy Statement
Family Promise of Puget Sound is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment for all individuals, staff, and volunteers within its shelter facilities. This policy outlines the proactive steps and procedures to prevent, identify, and address bed bug issues, ensuring the well-being and dignity of all individuals in our programs. Our aim is to minimize the risk of bed bug infestations while maintaining a supportive and understanding approach to individuals entering our shelters.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all FPOPS shelter facilities, all individuals entering and residing in the shelters, and all FPOPS staff and volunteers involved in individual consultation and shelter operations.
3. Guiding Principles
* Safety and Comfort: Prioritize the physical safety and comfort of individuals and staff by actively preventing and addressing bed bug issues.
* Dignity and Respect: Treat all individuals with empathy, understanding, and respect throughout the bed bug prevention and management process.
* Proactive Prevention: Implement preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of bed bugs entering and spreading within facilities.
* Clear Communication: Ensure clear and transparent communication with individuals about the policy and its purpose.
* Supportive Assistance: Provide compassionate assistance to individuals during the implementation of bed bug control measures.
* Confidentiality: Handle all individual information related to bed bug screening with discretion and confidentiality.
4. Procedures for New IndividualConsultation
The following steps will be followed for all new individuals entering FPOPS shelter facilities to prevent and address potential bed bug issues:
1. Welcome and Initial Greeting: A Family Promise staff member will welcome new guests upon their arrival at the shelter.
2. Belongings Outside: All individual belongings must be left outside the immediate entrance area, in a designated secure location, until the consultation process is complete.
3. Bed Bug Exposure Screening: During the consultation process, the Family Promise staff member will respectfully ask the family if they have recently been exposed to bed bugs or have stayed in a location that may have had bed bugs.
* If the answer is “No”: The bed bug screening process for belongings ends here. The family’s belongings may then be brought into the facility.
* If the answer is “Yes” or “Unsure”: The process will proceed with steps 4-10 to ensure thorough prevention.
4. Policy Explanation: The staff member will clearly and calmly explain the FPOPS bed bug policy and the important reasons behind it, emphasizing that these steps are for the safety and health of everyone in the shelter.
5. Supportive Approach: Family Promise staff and volunteers shall be as supportive and understanding as possible throughout the implementation of the bed bug control policy. Recognize that this process can be stressful for individuals, and approach them with empathy and patience.
6. Clothing Change: The individual will be taken directly to a designated private area to change out of the clothing they are currently wearing. The staff will provide the individual with new, clean scrubs or similar comfortable attire, which they may keep.
7. Treatment of Dirty Clothing: All clothing that the individual was wearing upon arrival must be immediately placed into a washing machine on the hot water setting. Following the wash cycle, these clothes must be transferred to a dryer and run on the highest heat setting for a minimum of 25 minutes. Staff will assist the individual in this process.
8. Treatment of Clean Clothing: All other clean clothing brought by the individual must also be put into the dryer on the highest heat setting for a minimum of 25 minutes. Staff will assist the individual in this process.
9. Treatment of Non-Washables: All non-washable items (e.g., luggage, electronics, books, shoes) must be placed into a specialized Bed Bug Oven for a minimum of 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the items maintains 150 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 1 hour.
10. Optional Steri-Fab Application: At the discretion of the FPOPS Staff Member, and based on the level of suspected infestation or the nature of the non-washable items, these items may also be required to be sprayed with Steri-Fab (a bed bug treatment spray) prior to or in conjunction with the Bed Bug Oven treatment.
5. Staff and Volunteer Responsibilities
* Adhere strictly to all bed bug prevention and management procedures.
* Maintain a compassionate, supportive, and non-judgmental attitude towards individuals throughout the process.
* Ensure all equipment (washing machines, dryers, Bed Bug Oven, Steri-Fab) is properly maintained and available.
* Document all bed bug screening outcomes and any treatment procedures followed.
* Report any suspected bed bug sightings within the facility immediately to a supervisor.
6. Confidentiality
All information gathered during the bed bug screening process will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, in accordance with FPOPS’s confidentiality policy.
7. Policy Review and Revision
This policy will be reviewed annually by the CEO and Program Directors, or more frequently as needed, to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with best practices in pest management and individual support.