Youth Rights
Informed Consent
You and your parents or legal guardian have the right to be included in the decision-making process regarding your Service Plan, as well as any medical issues (i.e., medications, appointments, etc.). A written "informed consent" was given to you at the time of placement. You and your parents or legal guardians signed this document, along with a staff member.
Right to Nourishment and Medical Care
You have the right to be given healthy meals, adequate clothing, and to see a doctor and dentist regularly for good health.
Right to Communicate with Significant Others
You have the right to talk with or visit the people who helped with your placement and with those who are important to you, unless the court indicates you can't or staff members document that it will interfere with your services.
Right to Respect of Body and Person
You have the right to be treated with respect and to receive quality servies that are provided fairly in a non-discriminatory manner according to current law. You have the right not to be subjected to physical, sexual, or mental abuse by anyone.
You also have the right to know that you can be charged with harassment or potentially other offenses and face legal proceedings if you violate someone else's right to physical and personal respect.
Right to Have Your Own Possessions
You have the right to your own possessions unless something in your possession could hurt you or someone else, or interfere with your Service Plan. You have the right to have your own money and to have a secure place to keep it.
Right to Religion
You have the right to practice your religion.
Right To Privacy
You have the right to reasonable privacy, including having your own bed, living space, and storage areas, subject to the need to provide you and others a safe and sanitary living environment. You have the right to send and receive mail, and you are allowed the supervised use of a phone, with permission, to make or receive calls unless this could hurt you or interfere with your care, or the court says you cannot write or talk to certain people.
Right to Freedom of Movement and Natural Elements
You have the right to participate in healthy activities involving fresh air, light, sunshine, and exercise.
Right to Education
You have the right to attend school and receive an education.
Right to Useful Work
You have the right to live in an environment where goals, privileges, tasks, and chores are part of daily living (e.g., making one’s bed or doing the dishes). You may also have the opportunity for community employment as determined by the staff.
Right to A Service Plan With Goals
You have the right to participate in and review your Service Plan by signing it and writing comments. Your Service Plan should provide you the opportunity to work toward your goals.
Right to Leave the Program
You have the right to advocacy by your parents or legal guardian, including your parents’ or legal guardian’s right to remove you from placement, unless the court says you should stay.
Right to Equal Treatment
You have the right to be treated fairly and equally regardless of race, color, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
REMEMBER: If you don’t feel safe or you feel your rights are being violated, we want you to tell someone or call the Youth Safety Line immediately at 1-877-987-5100. Someone will respond to your report quickly and seriously, and it will not affect the way you are treated or the services you receive.
Youth And Client Rights
Informed Consent
You and your parents or legal guardian have the right to be included in the decision-making process regarding your Service Plan, as well as any medical issues (i.e., medications, appointments, etc.). A written "informed consent" was given to you at the time of placement. You and your parents or legal guardians signed this document, along with a staff member.
Right to Nourishment and Medical Care
You have the right to be given healthy meals, adequate clothing, and to see a doctor and dentist regularly for good health.
Right to Communicate with Significant Others
You have the right to talk with or visit the people who helped with your placement and with those who are important to you, unless the court indicates you can't or staff members document that it will interfere with your services.
Right to Respect of Body and Person
You have the right to be treated with respect and to receive quality servies that are provided fairly in a non-discriminatory manner according to current law. You have the right not to be subjected to physical, sexual, or mental abuse by anyone.
You also have the right to know that you can be charged with harassment or potentially other offenses and face legal proceedings if you violate someone else's right to physical and personal respect.
Right to Have Your Own Possessions
You have the right to your own possessions unless something in your possession could hurt you or someone else, or interfere with your Service Plan. You have the right to have your own money and to have a secure place to keep it.
Right to Religion
You have the right to practice your religion.
Right To Privacy
You have the right to reasonable privacy, including having your own bed, living space, and storage areas, subject to the need to provide you and others a safe and sanitary living environment. You have the right to send and receive mail, and you are allowed the supervised use of a phone, with permission, to make or receive calls unless this could hurt you or interfere with your care, or the court says you cannot write or talk to certain people.
Right to Freedom of Movement and Natural Elements
You have the right to participate in healthy activities involving fresh air, light, sunshine, and exercise.
Right to Education
You have the right to attend school and receive an education.
Right to Useful Work
You have the right to live in an environment where goals, privileges, tasks, and chores are part of daily living (e.g., making one’s bed or doing the dishes). You may also have the opportunity for community employment as determined by the staff.
Right to A Service Plan With Goals
You have the right to participate in and review your Service Plan by signing it and writing comments. Your Service Plan should provide you the opportunity to work toward your goals.
Right to Leave the Program
You have the right to advocacy by your parents or legal guardian, including your parents’ or legal guardian’s right to remove you from placement, unless the court says you should stay.
Right to Equal Treatment
You have the right to be treated fairly and equally regardless of race, color, ethnicity or sexual orientation.
REMEMBER: If you don’t feel safe or you feel your rights are being violated, we want you to tell someone or call the Youth Safety Line immediately at 1-877-987-5100. Someone will respond to your report quickly and seriously, and it will not affect the way you are treated or the services you receive.
Youth Boundaries
Boys Town is committed to providing you with a safe living environment while you are in our care. All our staff are expected to support the safety of you and others. This includes respecting your emotional, spiritual, physical, and sexual boundaries.
We are entrusting and empowering you to report any violations of boundaries happening to you or others. Examples of those violations to report include, but are not limited to:
You have a right to respect of body and person
Experiencing unnecessary physical contact – such as horseplay or aggression
Sexual contact between adult and youth
Sexual contact between youth
Adults intimidating, bullying youth or adults
Adults hitting, grabbing, pushing youth or adults
Adults asking youth to keep secrets or adults giving secret presents
Adults isolating youth from others
Adults sharing personal information (i.e. address, phone number, social media, intimate details) with youth
Adults having physical affection with child that are perceived as intimate, suggestive, or sexual in any way
Adults or youth engaging in unsafe behavior (i.e. self-injury, substance, running away)
Adults treating certain youth a lot better or a lot worse than others (“singled out”)
Adults using intimidation, guilt, or fear to control youth behavior
Adults or youth exposing private parts
Adults making youth or other adults feel uncomfortable
Adults or youth being in the bed of others
Adults or youth being in the presence of others during showers, bathing, dressing
Adults or youth taking pictures of a sexual nature
Adults sharing youth personal information with someone who is not a part of my treatment team
You have a right to report if you don't feel safe or you feel your rights, or the rights of others, are being violated in any way including the above examples.
We want you to report in any or all of the following ways:
Report information to an adult
Call the Youth Safety Line immediately at 1-877-987-5100 or x3399
Report online using the Youth Safety Form
Utilize comment boxes in campus buildings
A member of the Youth Protection and Safety Audit Team will respond to your report quickly and seriously, and it will not affect the way you are treated or the services you receive.
Youth Safety Reporting
WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE HERE: Your safety is very important to us. In fact, it is our most important priority. Being placed outside of your home and living with people you have never met might make you feel a little uncertain and unsure about what to expect. We expect adults to treat all youth with respect, emotionally and physically. In addition, we ask for your help, and the help of every other youth admitted to our campus, to help us maintain a safe place to live.
What should I report?
We want you to report anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. This includes anything that happens to you, things that present safety risks to your peers, or anything you see happening that just does not seem right.
These things might include, but are not limited to:
Bullying
Inappropriate boundaries between youth or between youth and adults
Anything that violates your Youth Rights
Substance possession or substance use
Youth using technology or cell phones that could allow unsafe or unapproved visitors to visit the campus, or for you or your peers to engage in risky or illegal activities
How can I make a report?
For these and other reasons, we have several options for you to choose between to make a report.
Directly to an adult on your team: this might include your Family-Teachers, Assistant Family-Teacher, Consultant, School person, Coach, Parent, Probation Officer, or Caseworker
From the Youth Computer in the home or school on the Cowboy page
Youth Safety Line
Comment boxes
Safety Questionnaires completed by your Consultant or other appointed adults
You have access to call your Consultant or other Administrator at any time
What happens after I make a report?
Making a report might sound like a scary thing to do. We ask you to trust us that we will do everything we can to keep your name from being known to the person you might be reporting about.
Your report will go directly to an adult who can best help with the type of problem you have reported
Youth Safety Audit is a neutral department and might reach out to you for more information
Your Consultant might talk to you further to gain more information
Since we might need more information to respond in the best way, we hope you will leave your information with your report. If not, that is okay, but it might make it more difficult to help