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 Equal Opportunity/Civil Rights Policy
t is the policy of Huron County Department of Job & Family Services to provide service to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex or religion in compliance with 45 CFR Parts 80, 84 and 91, respectively. The same requirements are applied to all, and there is no distinction in eligibility for, or in the manner of providing services. All services are available without distinction to all program participants regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex or religion. All persons and organizations having occasion either to refer persons for services or to be recommend for our services are advised to do so without regard to the person’s race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, Vietnam-era veteran status, or religion.
The person designated to coordinate compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973 (nondiscrimination against the handicapped) is Bonnie Richards, who can be reached at 185 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk, Ohio 44857 or phone 419-668-8126, extension 3102.
Any person who feels they have been discriminated against because of their race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, Vietnam-era veteran status, or religion has the right to file a complaint.
*Additional assistance in filing a complaint may be obtained from:
Ohio Department of Job & Family Services Civil Rights,
Office Human Resources
30 East Broad Street,
32nd Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43266 Or
Office of Civil Rights Department of Health & Human Services
300 South Wacker Drive,
33rd Floor
Chicago, Il 60606
CIVIL RIGHTS PLAN
Statement of Policy
All programs, services and benefits administered, supervised, authorized and/or participated in by the Huron County Department of Job & Family Services (DJFS) and contracted providers shall be operated in accordance with the nondiscriminatory provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; Title IX of the Education Act of 1972; the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; Section 1808 of the Small Business Job Protection Act (adoption); the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA); the Inter-Ethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996 (IEP); Sections 181 and 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998; the Department of Labor’s regulations at 20 CFR, Part 667.600 and 29 CFR, Part 37; and the Department of Agriculture’s regulations at 7 CFR §272.6.
No person or persons shall on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex or religion, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or service authorized by the Huron County DJFS. Persons who are receiving benefits/services under the Department of Agriculture regulation 7 CFR §272.3 and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 may not be unlawfully, discriminated against on the basis of their political affiliation or belief; status as WIA participants or citizenship (for lawfully admitted immigrants, authorized to work in the United States).
Persons who cannot, or have difficulty speaking or understanding the English language are protected against discrimination based on national origin. If a person is hearing impaired or cannot speak or understand English well enough to communicate with the Huron County DJFS, the agency will provide them an interpreter at no cost. The agency may also be able to provide them with oral or written translation of documents.
The Director of the Huron County DJFS shall implement the Civil Rights Plan within the service area through the following methods:
Delegated Authority
The Huron County DJFS shall appoint the Human Resources Administrator as the Civil Rights Coordinator. The Civil Rights Coordinator shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Civil Rights Plan for the agency, including, but not necessarily limited to:
1. Receiving and, if necessary, assisting with the writing of discrimination complaints which are filed by county agency participants, clients and beneficiaries of job and family services programs. Such complaints are then referred to ODJFS Bureau of Civil Rights for investigation and resolution.
2. Distributing civil right pamphlets/brochures, posters and other information pertaining to civil rights laws to appropriate agency staff, beneficiaries and interested members of the public.
The Civil Rights Coordinator is also delegated the responsibility for implementing the requirements and provisions of WIA Complaint Procedures.
Complaint Policy and Procedure
The Huron County DJFS shall have in effect a complaint procedure which incorporates the elements of due process. The procedure follows the steps/processes identified below:
1. Any person, who believes that he/she, or any specific class of persons, has been subjected to unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex or religion may file a written complaint with the agency outlining the alleged discriminatory act(s). (Complaints alleging sexual harassment need not be reduced to writing prior to an investigation being initiated.) Written complaints are to be date stamped by the person who receives the complaint. Documents receipts are to be provided to complaints who hand deliver the complaint.
2. Complaints must be filed with the agency within 180 days of the date the alleged discriminatory act or treatment occurred.
3. When complaints are received by the county Civil Rights Coordinator, they shall be referred to the ODJFS Bureau of Civil Rights within three (3) business days of the date of receipt. The Bureau of Civil Rights (BCR) shall conduct its inquiry and issue its final report within 120 days of the date of filing of the complaint When individuals wish to file discrimination complaints about WIA-funded programs/activities, they may choose to have their complaint filed with the ODJFS Bureau of Civil Rights (BCR) or they may choose to file their complaint directly with the United States Department of labor’s Civil Rights Center.
4. Any party dissatisfied with the BCR’s final report will be advised of the right to file a complaint with the applicable federal agency (i.e., The United States Department of Health and Human Services; United States Department of Agriculture or United States Department of Labor).
5. No person who has filed a complaint, testified, assisted or participated in any manner in an investigation of a complaint shall be intimidated, threatened, coerced or retaliated against.
A CIVIL RIGHT COMPLAINT MAY BE INITALLY FILED BY CONTACTING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING OFFICES/INDIVIDUALS: (It is recommended that individuals contact the ODJFS Bureau of Civil Rights before attempting to file their complaints directly with any of the federal agencies below. The reason for this is so the filing will be with the correct agency, based upon the kind of program, service or benefit being complained about.)
1. The Huron County Department of Job & Family Services Civil Right Coordinator at: 185 Shady Lane Drive, Norwalk, Ohio 44857. Telephone: (419) 668-8126, ext. 3102.
2. The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services Bureau of Civil Rights at: 37th Floor, Columbus, Ohio. Telephone: (614) 644-2703.
3. The United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, Region V at: 233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 240, Chicago, Illinois 60601.
4. The United States Department of Agriculture (Food Stamps only), Civil Rights Office at: Room 326-West, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20251.
5. The United States Department of Labor, Civil Rights Center at: 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-4123, Washington, D.C., 20210. Telephone: (202) 693-6500 or (202) 693-6502. |
