AGLP Policies and Procedures
AGLP ANTI-HARASSMENT & NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Approved by the Board April 2024
List of Ombudsperson(s) updated April 2024
AGLP is committed to ensuring a collegial, welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all participants at AGLP hosted meetings and events. AGLP expects that all participants at AGLP meetings and events conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the dignity and respect of all other participants; any type of harassment or discrimination is prohibited. This Anti-Harassment & Non-Discrimination Policy for AGLP Events (hereinafter referred to as “Policy”) outlines the terms of prohibited conduct and the procedures for reporting and responding to Policy violations.
Definitions:
Participant includes attendees, presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, contractors, volunteers, staff, and guests attending an AGLP meeting or event.
Harassment includes verbal, physical, and visual contact that creates an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment or that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s participation in a meeting or event. Prohibited conduct includes but is not limited to: derogatory epithets; threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts; stalking; unwelcome physical contact; assault; bullying; unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other inappropriate sexual behavior.
Discrimination includes any harassment, unfavorable treatment, disparagement, or negative stereotyping on the basis of a person's color, race, ethnicity, national origin, language, age, parental status, political affiliation, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, status as a person with a disability, or any other legally protected personal characteristics.
Operational Procedues
Reporting
Any participant who has experienced or witnessed conduct in any AGLP-sponsored forum that is believed to be in violation of the Policy should submit a report to the AGLP Executive Board via the Incident Report Form on the AGLP website, found at https://aglp.memberclicks.net/incident-report-form.
Participants may confidentially contact the AGLP Ombudsperson(s) to provide notice of an incident without submitting an official report. Additionally, if a participant does not feel comfortable filing a report or would like additional support navigating the reporting process, the participant can contact the AGLP Ombudsperson(s).
Contacting an ombudsperson does not preclude the participant from submitting an official report. Ombudsperson(s) will be appointed by the AGLP president and approved by the board.
| Ombudsperson(s): Fi Fonseca, MBBChBAO, MS; Kevo Rivera, MD |
Ombudsperson(s) contact information: Ombud@aglp.org |
Retaliation against any individual who has provided notice of an incident, or who participates in the investigation or resolution of an incident, is prohibited per the Policy.
Incident Response
All incidents that are submitted to the AGLP Executive Board will be promptly investigated by the Board. Based on this investigation, the Board will determine whether a Policy violation has occurred.
Participants who provide notice to the AGLP Ombudsperson(s) will be provided informal assistance. The Ombudsperson(s) may also make recommendations to the Board while maintaining anonymity of the participant if so desired.
When the Board determines that a violation has occurred, the violator will be subject to disciplinary action at the discretion of the Board. Based on the severity and nature of the violation, disciplinary actions may be taken, which could include but are not limited to: verbal warning, prohibition from attending future AGLP meetings or events, removal from AGLP leadership positions or other organizational roles, prohibition from assuming future AGLP leadership positions or roles, or referral to law enforcement.
Participant Assent
This policy will be posted on the AGLP website and a copy will be made available to all attendees at AGLP meetings and events. Acknowledgment and acceptance of this policy will be required for membership registration and renewal.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP) does not discriminate in hiring, recruitment, training, promotions, transfers, or other terms and conditions of employment, against any applicant for employment or employee on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or veteran's status.
Non-Harassment Policy
It is the policy and commitment of the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists (AGLP) to provide a collegial working environment in which employees are treated with dignity and respect and in which employees are free from unlawful harassment. This policy extends to interactions with third parties who deal with AGLP, including grantees, vendors, independent contractors and guests.
In keeping with this commitment, AGLP maintains a strict policy prohibiting any individual from engaging in discrimination or harassment, verbal or physical, of any other individual on the basis of the person's color, race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status or status as a person with a disability. Included in this prohibition are unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other inappropriate verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. This policy applies to all employees. In addition, AGLP does not and will not condone any discriminatory conduct of its agents and non-employees who have contact with employees during working hours.
Prohibited harassment includes verbal, physical, and visual contact that creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile working environment or that interferes with work performance. Such conduct constitutes harassment whenever: (1) submission to the conduct is either an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment; (2) an employee's reaction to the conduct is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting that employee; or (3) the conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with the employee's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
Supervisory personnel, who are expected to give performance feedback, whether positive or negative, are expected to do so in a constructive, respectful manner. Action contrary to this policy will not be accepted or tolerated.
All employees are responsible for doing their part to make the environment free of discrimination and harassment and to respect the rights of their co-workers. Incidents of discrimination and harassment should be reported promptly, in confidence, to the Executive Director, the Vice President and Treasurer, or President of AGLP. The officer so approached will make every effort to resolve the situation.
In this instance, AGLP cannot promise confidentiality as other employees may need to be questioned to resolve the situation. There will be no retaliation against employees making a claim of discrimination or harassment.
AGLP Social Media Policy
Introduction
This social media policy presents and explains the rules governing social media use at AGLP as it pertains to those Social Media Manager volunteers and employees of the association in general.
It follows that this policy describes how designated volunteers and staff members must use the association’s social media accounts.
Why This Policy Exists
Although social media can benefit the association -- especially in terms of marketing, relationship building and prospect communication -- poorly-judged or -timed activity can hurt the association’s reputation.
For the purposes of this policy, social media may refer to:
Popular social networks such as Twitter and Facebook
Photo-sharing websites such as Pinterest and Instagram
Professional social networks such as LinkedIn
Discussion forums such as the ones found on 4chan and Reddit
Question and answer-based networks such as Quora and Yahoo Answers
Review systems such as Yelp and Google Reviews
AGLP social media accounts must only be used and created by authorized individuals for the purpose of meeting defined association goals.
Basic Advice and General Guidelines
All content posted by authorized Social Media Managers must comply with AGLP’s mission and goals and must be deemed of value to AGLP’s audience comprising of psychiatrists, students, educators, policy makers, and readers with an interest in LGBTQ+ mental health.
Understand the social network. Different social media platforms have different purposes. For example, it’s common to see more personal status updates on Facebook than LinkedIn. Before posting, AGLP Social Media Managers should become familiar with the network by reading FAQs and quickly researching what is and is not acceptable.
Correct your own mistakes. When a factual error in a post has occured, an update to correct it should be created and a comment of correction should be placed at the end of the social media post stating what was mistaken in the original post. Deleting or editing the original post should depend on the situation.
Beware potential security threats. Hackers can use social networks to distribute spam and malware. They can also launch phishing attempts. AGLP Media Managers should report suspicious activity, including questionable comments and friend requests.
Internal security. Approved users should not share passwords, access the account on public computers, and make sure to sign out of the account when not in use.
Don’t escalate issues. Responding to other social media posts, especially concerning a contentious subject, can result in a heated argument. To avoid such arguments, it may be best to avoid commenting as it may spark conflict, or, at the discretion of the Social Media Manager, delete the offending post.
Think before posting. This is the golden social media rule. Not only should you check grammar and spelling but ensure there won’t be any negative effects of posting a status update. These include creating arguments and divulging sensitive information. Do not post any content created for the express purpose of outing an individual as a member of a designated and recognizable at-risk group
‘Goldwater Rule.’ On occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media. In such circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the public his or her expertise about psychiatric issues in general. However, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.
Posting of scientific materials and Confidential Information: Refrain from publishing confidential or proprietary information and reposts from other media accounts/news media without verifying the credibility of the source and without obtaining reprint permission from the author(s).
AGLP social media personnel may not publish information on the association’s social media sites that includes:
Confidential patient information
Copyright violations
Profanity, racist, sexist, or derogatory content or comments
Partisan political views
Commercial endorsements or SPAM
Monitoring: The AGLP social media sites serve as a limited public forum and all content published is subject to monitoring. User-generated posts will be rejected or removed (if possible) when the content is off-subject or out of context, contains obscenity or material that appeals to the prurient interest, contains personal identifying information or sensitive personal information, contains offensive terms that target protected classes, is threatening, harassing or discriminatory, incites or promotes violence or illegal activities, contains information that reasonably could compromise individual or public safety, advertises or promotes a commercial product or service, or any entity or individual, or promotes or endorses political campaigns or candidates.
Retaliation is prohibited: AGLP prohibits taking negative action against any associate for reporting a possible deviation from this policy or for cooperating in an investigation. Any associate who retaliates against another associate for reporting a possible deviation from this policy or for cooperating in an investigation will be subject to disciplinary action.
Approved Users
Only approved users may access AGLP social media accounts to perform the aforementioned tasks.
Creating New Social Media Accounts Under the Association’s Name
While AGLP must explore the advantages and disadvantages of expanding its social media presence into new networks, the AGLP Executive Board must approve the creation of new association social media accounts.
Inappropriate Uses
Conduct illegal or criminal activities
Distribute material that could be interpreted as libelous or defamatory
Share updates, images and messages that may tarnish the association’s public image
Discuss colleagues, and suppliers without their expressed consent
Harass others by sending them offensive content and messages
Communicate with association competitors in disrespectful fashions
Distribute spam and chain messages
Policy Enforcement
Employees and volunteers who violate this social media policy could face disciplinary action. Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, this could include termination of employment or other legal action.
The AGLP Executive Board reserves the right to monitor how AGLP social networks are used and accessed. Moreover, the association will maintain official records that contain certain data related to social media activity. These include, but are not limited to, messages sent and received through the association’s online accounts and email servers.
When appropriate, AGLP may involve law enforcement officials and agencies. In doing so, the association may be compelled to share stored data.
By submitting content to AGLP social media sites, the Social Media Manager agrees not to bring at any time, any claims of any type whatsoever against AGLP, its affiliates, or their officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, or suppliers in any way arising from or relating to submitted content, including without limitation any claims asserting: (a) infringement of rights of publicity or misappropriation of likeness or image; (b) invasion of privacy; (c) any allegedly false or misleading portrayal of you); (d) infliction of emotional distress (whether intentional or negligent); (e) breach of contract; (f) copyright or trademark infringement; (g) defamation; (h) fraud; or (i) false designation of origin.
Copyright Ownership and Policy
Copyright, and all intellectual property rights in the contents of the AGLP website, are the exclusive property of AGLP, except for content that is clearly user-generated and posted by persons other than employees and staff of AGLP.
Record Retention And Destruction Policy
STATEMENT OF POLICY
This policy covers all records and documents, regardless of physical form, contains guidelines for how long certain documents should be kept and how records should be destroyed. The policy is designed to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, to eliminate accidental or innocent destruction of records and to facilitate the operation of AGLP (“Association”) by promoting efficiency and freeing up valuable storage space.
RETENTION SCHEDULE AND ADMINISTRATION
The Association’s Record Retention Schedule is set forth in Appendix A. The Executive Director (“Administrator”) shall administer this Policy. The Administrator is also authorized to: make modifications to the Record Retention Schedule from time to time to ensure that it is in compliance with local, state and federal laws and includes the appropriate document and record categories for the Association; monitor local, state and federal laws affecting record retention; annually review the record retention and disposal program; and monitor compliance with this policy.
ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS
Electronic documents will be retained as if they were paper documents. Therefore, any electronic files that fall into one of the document types in Appendix A will be maintained for the appropriate amount of time. If an employee has sufficient reason to keep an email message, the message should be printed in hard copy and kept in the appropriate file or moved to an “archive” computer file folder.
SUSPENSION OF RECORD DISPOSAL IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION OR CLAIMS
No director, officer, employee, volunteer or agent of the Association shall destroy, dispose of, conceal, or alter any record or document while knowing that it is or may be relevant to an anticipated or ongoing investigation or legal proceeding conducted by or before a federal, state or local government agency, including tax and regulatory agencies, law enforcement agencies, and civil and criminal courts, or an anticipated or ongoing internal investigation, audit or review conducted by the Association. During the occurrence of an anticipated or ongoing investigation or legal proceeding as set forth above, the Administrator shall suspend any further disposal of documents until such time as the Administrator, with the advice of counsel, determines otherwise. The Administrator shall take such steps as necessary to promptly inform all staff of any suspension in the further disposal of documents.
This Policy was approved by the Executive Committee of AGLP on Monday, November 16, 2015.
APPENDIX A – RECORD RETENTION SCHEDULE
A. Accounting and Finance
Record Type Retention Period
Accounts Payable ledgers and schedules 7 years
Accounts Receivable ledgers and schedules 7 years
Annual Audit Reports and Financial Statements Permanent
Annual Audit Records, including work papers 7 years after completion of audit
and other documents that relate to the audit
Bank Statements and Canceled Checks 7 years
Expense Records 7 years
General Ledgers Permanent
Electronic Payment Records 7 years
Notes Receivable ledgers and schedules 7 years
Investment Records 7 years after sale of investment
B. Corporate Records
Record Type Retention Period
Annual Reports to Secretary of Permanent
State/Attorney General
Articles of Incorporation Permanent
By-laws Permanent
Board Meeting and Board Committee Minutes Permanent
Board Policies/Resolutions Permanent
IRS Application for Tax-exempt Status (Form 1023) Permanent
IRS Determination Letter Permanent
State Sales Tax Exemption Letter Permanent
Contracts (after expiration) 7 years
Licenses and Permits Permanent
C. Employee Documents
Record Type Retention Period
Benefit Plans Permanent
Employee Files Termination + 7 years
Employment applications, resumes and 3 years
other forms of job inquiries, ads or notices
for job opportunities
Forms I-9 3 years after hiring, or 1 year after
separation
Employment Taxes 7 years
Payroll Registers (gross and net) 7 years
Time Cards/Sheets 5 years
Unclaimed Wage Records 6 years
Retirement and Pension Records Permanent
D. Property Records
Record Type Retention Period
Lease Agreement Permanent
Property Insurance Policies Permanent
E. Tax Records
Record Type Retention Period
Tax-Exemption Documents and Related Correspondence Permanent
IRS 990 and 990T tax returns Permanent
Tax Bills, Receipts, Statements 7 years
Tax Workpaper Packages - Originals 7 years
Sales/Use Tax Records 4 years
F. Grant Records
Record Type Retention Period
Original grant proposal 7 years after completion of grant period
Grant agreement and subsequent modifications 7 years after completion of grant
period
All requested IRS/grantee correspondence 7 years after completion of grant
including determination letters and “no period
change” in exempt status letters
Record Type Retention Period
Final grantee reports, both financial and narrative 7 years after completion of grant
period
All evidence of returned grant funds 7 years after completion of grant
period
All pertinent formal correspondence including 7 years after completion of grant opinion letters of counsel period
Report assessment forms 7 years after completion of grant
period
Documentation relating to grantee evidence of 7 years after completion of grant
invoices and matching or challenge grants that would period
support grantee compliance with the grant agreement
Pre-grant inquiry forms and other documentation for 7 years after completion of grant
expenditure responsibility grants period
Grantee work product produced with the grant funds 7 years after completion of grant
period
G. Contribution Records
Record Type Retention Period
Records of Contributions Permanent
The Association’s or other documents evidencing Permanent
terms of gifts
H. Program and Service Records
Record Type Retention Period
AGLP Annual Meeting Schedule Permanent (1 copy only)
Research & Publications Permanent (1 copy only)
Archival Photographs/memorabilia Permanent (1 copy only)
AGLP Whistle-Blower Policy
(In Committee)
AGLP Investment Policy
(In Committee)
