We are pleased to announce that the ASCIP Executive Committee approved the Risk Control Grant Program Procedure for the 2015/16 Program Year.  The 2015/16 Grant Procedure, Timelines and Application is now posted in the “Risk Services” tab under “Additional Resources” or can be accessed by clicking on the following link:

2015/16 ASCIP Grant Program

 

Similar to prior years, the grant program is designed to assist members with one-time, non-routine risk management or loss control programs/activities that may be district specific or be of value for the entire ASCIP membership pool.  Members may only submit one grant application and it must be related to either the Property & Liability or Workers’ Compensation program in which they participate.  Grants will be awarded based on the substance and merit of the project as presented in the application and oral presentation (if required).  The Risk Control Committee will review and score applications using a point system in each area identified on the application and forward recommendations to the Executive Committee for final determination.

As a component of the program, the Risk Control Committee has targeted the following risks areas as posing significant liability exposure to the ASCIP Membership.  More information and a full description for each of these target areas is found below this article:

 

• Molestation/ abuse prevention
• Slip, trip and fall prevention
• Employment practices liability
• Special education liability
• Workers’ compensation/ return to work
• Title IX

 

Grant applications that attempt to mitigate loss in the targeted areas will receive preferential consideration during evaluation and scoring.  However, applications will be accepted in all risk related areas.  The deadline for applications is September 4, 2015.

 

Members are encouraged to submit an application that is innovative and has the potential to reduce losses to either the property/liability or workers’ compensation membership pools.

 

ASCIP is very excited to support creative and innovative risk management/loss control projects from our members.  If you have any questions about the Grant program, please contact Reshan Cooray at (562) 404-8029 or via email at Cooray@ascip.org.

 

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Target Risk Areas for Risk Control Grant Applications 2015/16

 

Molestation/ abuse prevention

 

ASCIP has made molestation/ abuse prevention a priority given the high visibility (reputation risks), the high costs of these types of claims, and the impact on students and the school community. ASCIP is looking for resources to help members deal with this problem including assessing operational functions and providing recommendations to create safety learning environments, developing model policies and procedures, and providing focused training to staff, students, and parents.

 

Slip, trip and fall prevention

 

Slips, trips, and falls are high frequency and low severity losses that occur despite member focus and effort in this area. While this type of claim cannot be eliminated completely, loss control activities assist to prevent and minimize the severity of such losses. ASCIP is looking for resources that can assist members identify, track, and mitigate slip, trip and fall hazards.

 

Employment practices liability

 

Some of the costliest claims experienced by ASCIP members involve employment practices. Understanding and complying with employment laws will help minimize the employer’s exposure to costly employment practices liability claims. Prevention stems from making the right employment decisions from recruiting, hiring, disciplining, to terminating employees. ASCIP is looking for potential resources that will assist our members evaluate their current practices for recruiting, hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees, and implementing best practices to prevent these types of claims.

 

Special education liability

 

Another area of high severity claims are those related to special education. Most of these claims are related to the lack of an appropriate policy and/or operational procedures, and substantive compliance. ASCIP is looking for a resource that can review member policies/ protocols, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, make recommendations to enhance policies/ protocols, assist with implementation, and provide staff training as necessary.

 

Workers’ Compensation/Return to Work Program

 

While the frequency of Workers’ Compensation claims has been fairly consistent over the past three years, the average cost of indemnity claims has increased. ASCIP has determined that one of the contributing factors to the rising costs is the injured employees being off of work/ or having lost work days for longer duration of time.  Statistics show that when an injured employee returns to work, the recovery period is reduced and the injured employee returns to full duty much quicker.  Therefore, ASCIP is looking for a resource that will assist districts with a return to work program by finding temporary transitional work assignments to place employees with restrictions. Additionally, provide assistance to bring the employees back to their usual and customary position more quickly.

 

Title IX

 

There has been increased media attention regarding cases involving school districts, community colleges and universities for non-compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). These cases have the potential to be high severity. ASCIP is looking for a resource to assist members reach compliance with Title IX requirements including creating appropriate policies, tracking incidents, creating a system to report incidents, and providing training to staff.