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Reliant needs to first verify that the program participant's application shows that they have responded with a YES to the Confidentiality Agreement on the event application.  (We have added this new question to the application in the AGREEMENT Section asking for the participant's permission to discuss their application answers with their local pastor or named reference.) We will be required to honor their answer.  If they respond NO, then Reliant will inform the program Director that we see a concern but since they have answered the Confidentiality question with NO we do not have permission to discuss this further.  Reliant will then give their recommendation to the program director who can decide if they would  like to move forward with the acceptance. 

PARENTAL CONCERNS

In 2017 there was only one participant that Reliant choose not to accept and that was due to a parent saying “absolutely No” to their child attending Honduras Leadership Training. 

The only case that Reliant would say absolutely NO to accepting an applicant, is in cases such as where the parent has clearly stated that in no way they want their son/daughter to attend LT. It would say on the application "WE HAVE PERSONALLY ADVISED OUR SON/DAUGHTER NOT TO PARTICIPATE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS".  and an example of a reason would be... "I have read that this location has a high crime rate and as her mom, I am NOT OK with this."  In the case of a parent saying no way they absolutely can not go, then Reliant cannot accept them due to insurance liability reasons.  

In the scenario of parental concerns, Reliant will ask the local pastor or director to follow up with parent and probably follow up with the applicant to help relieve concerns.  Emails and documentation will be needed to confirm that parents are willing to move forward with their child’s participation in the program.  If the parent has clearly written “No, my child may not attend”, Reliant and the church/network must respect the desires of the parent and will unfortunately not be able to accept the applicant into the program due to insurance and liability reasons.

In general, most parents say they have concerns and those are usually adequately addressed after the parents have a discussion with the director.  You may see written on the application: "WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO OUR SON/DAUGHTER PARTICIPATING, BUT WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING RESERVATIONS THAT WE SIMPLY WANT TO MAKE RELIANT AWARE OF"....... and that usually follows with a question or concern from the parent. Reliant will then send an email to the director to ask that the director follow up with the parent to discuss and seek to resolve the reservations/concerns.

Reliant would prefer to leave the overall acceptance criteria up to the program directors and local pastors; however, there are certain issues that Reliant must be involved and follow up with in order to protect both our partner churches/networks and Reliant form liability, risk and legal issues. 

ACCEPTANCE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH NO CONCERNS

Reliant will automatically accept all participants that have no concerns on their application. However, the director may request that all acceptance names first be sent to them to confirm their acceptance prior to officially being accepted. 

ACCEPTANCE DECIDED ON A RELIANT LEVEL

There are a few smaller more frequently seen concerns listed below that typically appear on applications. It is Reliant’s understanding that in these scenarios a director and/or local pastor does not need to be notified and that acceptance is considered approved without notifying the church/network and is simply accepted with no questions by Reliant.  The director may also request that all acceptance names first be sent to them to confirm their acceptance prior to officially being accepted. 

• If a participant mentions that they have struggled with slipping once or twice with underage drinking 

• If they have slipped once sexual purity but it is no longer a struggle

• If they struggle with masturbation but have accountability

ACCEPTANCE CONCERNS DECIDED ON THE LOCAL PASTOR/PROGRAM DIRECTOR LEVEL

There may be other concern scenarios where Reliant would like the program director and/or local pastor to be aware and to give their consent before approval/acceptance, but Reliant is not requiring a follow up meeting between the local pastor and event participant and Reliant will not send a conditional acceptance email unless requested by the director. These are concerns that Reliant wants to get director approval for, but we do not seem them as serious enough to need follow up discussion with the students (unless the director requests it).

Those scenarios include, but are not limited to:

• Depression/anxiety (seeing a counselor and/or taking medication)

• Alcohol usage (habitual underage drinking and/or lack of seeing underage drinking as an issue)

• Sexual purity (continued issue and/or no accountability listed)

• Pornography/masturbation (continued issue and/or no accountability listed),

• Multiple concerns listed

• Spiritual reference is unaware of the struggles listed by the participant

• or the spiritual reference listed struggles that the participant did not.

We want to leave the final acceptance decision of these concerns in the hands of the local pastor and director that will be with the participant all summer.

RELIANT AND THE PROGRAM DIRECTORS DECIDE ACCEPTANCE  TOGETHER

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These above scenarios do not mean automatic Reliant rejection from program acceptance. It just means additional follow up for information and email trails to be able to provide legal protection for Reliant and the program to prove we did our due diligence. These scenarios may include Reliant asking the director or designated representative to discuss with the local pastor to follow up with the individual participant with an in-person interview discussing the concerns and then giving Reliant their candid thoughts prior to potential acceptance. It will then include the overall approval of the director as well as the approval of Reliant. It may also include requiring the participant to have continued follow up meetings with a pastor during the program.  It will almost always include a conditional acceptance email from Reliant that is sent to the participant which strengthens our written legal protection for the program to show that we did our due diligence. For those struggling with emotional issues or self-harm there may be additional steps taken prior to acceptance such as asking a counselor's opinion or having them continue counseling over the summer.  See Conditions for Acceptance for more details on conditions and the conditional acceptance email.

PROGRAM DIRECTORS DISCUSS WITH LOCAL PASTOR/SPIRITUAL REFERENCES

Here are steps that we suggest the director taking once they receive an email from Reliant saying they have a concerned participant and Reliant is asking for them to follow up with the local pastor/spiritual reference and meet one on one with the participant to discuss the concerns.

• Text the local pastor or spiritual reference listed on the application to set up a time to discuss the concerns.
• Call and talk through the concerns with the pastor/spiritual reference and explain the below expectations. 

-Ask them to help you know more about who the person is and what you would be getting into by accepting them into the program. 
-Discuss specific questions that you would want them to ask the participant in regards to the specific concerns.
-Remind them to take notes and report back via email so that we have written documentation about how we handled the concern.
-Explain the process to them so that they know what our expectations are:

1)
• • We are asking them to follow up one on one with the concerned participant and discuss the concerns in more detail. We want to explain to the participant that we care about them and our heart is to help them have a good experience during the program and we want to figure out the best place for them if that's to attend or not to attend the program. 
2)
• • If we feel like the best place is the attend the program, then let them know there will likely be conditions put in place for them to follow (for example meeting with a staff member bi-weekly for accountability and/or asking them to refrain from what they are doing, etc.)  and make sure that they are willing to agree to those conditions. 
3)
• • Let the participant know that if we decide to move forward with acceptance, they will be receiving a conditional email. The email will sound more formal and perhaps a little intense and will list policies and conditions that we are asking them to agree to follow. The wording on the email has been created for liability reasons so it will sound more legal and less friendly so we just want to let them know so that they are not surprised by the way it is worded. 

• After the call with the local pastor or spiritual reference, send an email to them explaining everything that was just discussed over the phone again as a way to remind them in written form what you discussed. Ask them to report back details from the conversation with the participant by replying back to this email so that we have it documented in written form the student's responses and the pastor/spiritual reference's recommendation of whether or not they feel like we should accept the participant  
• The director would then forward that email along with the director's recommendation and a list of any conditions the director recommends to Reliant (and Collegiate NEB member for LT programs). Reliant will then review the situation and decide if additional conditions need to be added and whether or not they agree with the recommendation to move forward with the acceptance. 
• If Reliant decides to move forward with the conditional acceptance, the director would then assign a staff accountability person to meet with the participant and hold the participant accountable during the program to the conditions that have been put in place. We suggest finding someone who has a shepherd heart and also clearly identify this as part of the role prior to the beginning of the program. If possible, have the staff member reach out to the participant before they arrive at the program to begin discussions and gain trust. 
  

SUICIDAL CONCERNS

With concerns regarding suicidal thoughts or attempts we may require (depending on the situation) an additional condition before acceptance if the event director and Reliant are still in favor of moving forward.   

The potential condition for acceptance is that we would like the participant to sign a waiver with their counselor that allows the program director (or program director and local pastor) to be able to call the counselor and get their recommendation on whether they think the participant should attend the program or not.  We want the program director to be on the waiver because we want to have the ability to contact the counselor to keep the lines of communication open over the summer if a follow up conversation becomes necessary. However, we would be open to allowing a local pastor to be that person as well if the local pastor is also attending the program with them to continue following up. The participant’s acceptance is conditional on them signing the waiver and the director/local pastor being able to talk with the counselor.  If they do not want to sign the waiver then that shows (an unwillingness to co-operate instead of that they are potentially hiding something) and Collegiate is not willing to accept them due to liability. If the counselor does not recommend them attending the program then we will not accept them. If after talking to the counselor, the LT director is now not convinced that they should be accepted,  even if the counselor says it’s fine then we don’t accept them.

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If the participant is not currently seeing a counselor, then we may ask that they do see a licensed counselor in order to move forward with our conditions for acceptance.

We will also add on the conditional acceptance email that they commit (if possible) to continuing to meet with their counselor via phone or skype at least once a month during the months of the program. This is not always possible though as some states will not allow this to happen if for example the counselor lives in a different state than the program is occurring.  We also ask that the a leader in the program meet periodically with them over the summer.  

CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE EMAIL

This conditional acceptance email has the potential to sound more legalistic due to the needed legal sounding wording requirements. It is advised that if there is the need to send a conditional acceptance email then we ask that the local pastor or director share with the participant that they will be receiving an email from Reliant asking them to refrain from the concerned struggles/behavior, discussing the conditions for acceptance, and letting them know that there is a possibility that the program director may ask them to leave the program if they do not follow the policies while in attendance of the program.  Again, the conditional email will only be sent AFTER the local pastor/director has already met with the individual to discuss the concerns and let them know that they will receive a conditional acceptance email assuming the director wants to continue with the acceptance. 

Here is a copy of the Reliant Conditional Acceptance Email:

Hello!

Thank you for applying to the ___program administered by Reliant. At this point, you should have received a general acceptance email from the ___ program.

We appreciate the fact that you were open and even willing to meet and discuss your application answers with your local pastor or spiritual reference.  We are thankful that you have expressed your commitment to growing in the areas outlined as concerns (e.g. marijuana usage and suicidal thoughts) on your application.  ________program can challenge individuals physically, spiritually and emotionally. Also, for those that are already struggling in certain areas, ______program can be a challenge to not revert back to old habits or areas of weakness during the program. We hope that this summer helps you find growth in these areas of concern.

Therefore, we want to inform you that Reliant is conditionally accepting you into the _____program with full knowledge of these concerns. Conditional acceptance means that Reliant reserves the right to continue to monitor  your situation, make suggestions, and even make recommendations for medical attention or professional counseling if necessary. Your acceptance to the program is conditional based on you continuing to....(e.g. refrain from marijuana usage between now and the end of the program and continuing to meet with a counselor throughout the program).  

.________. In addition, we need you to know that while at this program if your program director feels that you are not displaying the character outlined in the policies or they see continued struggle in the areas of concern, then Reliant in agreement with the program director reserves the right to remove you from the program.  

We encourage you to please ask for help and accountability this summer in your areas of concern.  Please be open with your friends, Reliant missionaries attending the program with you, and your program leaders. If you have any questions along the way please don’t hesitate to ask.

We pray that you will see God do amazing things in your life this summer.

PARENTAL CONCERNS

In 2017 there was only one participant that Reliant choose not to accept and that was due to a parent saying “absolutely No” to their child attending Honduras Leadership Training. 

The only case that Reliant would say absolutely NO to accepting an applicant, is in cases such as where the parent has clearly stated that in no way they want their son/daughter to attend LT. It would say on the application "WE HAVE PERSONALLY ADVISED OUR SON/DAUGHTER NOT TO PARTICIPATE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS".  and an example of a reason would be... "I have read that this location has a high crime rate and as her mom, I am NOT OK with this."  In the case of a parent saying no way they absolutely can not go, then Reliant cannot accept them due to insurance liability reasons.  

In the scenario of parental concerns, Reliant will ask the local pastor or director to follow up with parent and probably follow up with the applicant to help relieve concerns.  Emails and documentation will be needed to confirm that parents are willing to move forward with their child’s participation in the program.  If the parent has clearly written “No, my child may not attend”, Reliant and the church/network must respect the desires of the parent and will unfortunately not be able to accept the applicant into the program due to insurance and liability reasons.

In general, most parents say they have concerns and those are usually adequately addressed after the parents have a discussion with the director.  You may see written on the application: "WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO OUR SON/DAUGHTER PARTICIPATING, BUT WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING RESERVATIONS THAT WE SIMPLY WANT TO MAKE RELIANT AWARE OF"....... and that usually follows with a question or concern from the parent. Reliant will then send an email to the director to ask that the director follow up with the parent to discuss and seek to resolve the reservations/concerns.

ACCEPTANCE CONCERNS DECIDED ON THE LOCAL PASTOR/PROGRAM DIRECTOR LEVEL

There may be other concern scenarios where Reliant would like the program director and/or local pastor to be aware and to give their consent before approval/acceptance, but Reliant is not requiring a follow up meeting between the local pastor and event participant and Reliant will not send a conditional acceptance email unless requested by the director. These are concerns that Reliant wants to get director approval for, but we do not seem them as serious enough to need follow up discussion with the students (unless the director requests it).

Those scenarios include, but are not limited to:

• Depression/anxiety (seeing a counselor and/or taking medication)

• Alcohol usage (habitual underage drinking and/or lack of seeing underage drinking as an issue)

• Sexual purity (continued issue and/or no accountability listed)

• Pornography/masturbation (continued issue and/or no accountability listed),

• Multiple concerns listed

• Spiritual reference is unaware of the struggles listed by the participant

• or the spiritual reference listed struggles that the participant did not.

We want to leave the final acceptance decision of these concerns in the hands of the local pastor and director that will be with the participant all summer.

ACCEPTANCE DECIDED ON A RELIANT LEVEL

There are a few smaller more frequently seen concerns listed below that typically appear on applications. It is Reliant’s understanding that in these scenarios a director and/or local pastor does not need to be notified and that acceptance is considered approved without notifying the church/network and is simply accepted with no questions by Reliant.  The director may also request that all acceptance names first be sent to them to confirm their acceptance prior to officially being accepted. 

• If a participant mentions that they have struggled with slipping once or twice with underage drinking 

• If they have slipped once sexual purity but it is no longer a struggle

• If they struggle with masturbation but have accountability

ACCEPTANCE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH NO CONCERNS

Reliant will automatically accept all participants that have no concerns on their application. However, the director may request that all acceptance names first be sent to them to confirm their acceptance prior to officially being accepted. 

FOLLOW UP DURING THE PROGRAM

For those participants that have received a conditional email typically that email has conditions that need to be followed (for example: meeting with a staff accountability during the event to see if conditions are being followed) so follow will be required after acceptance and even during the program. 

Reliant will create a google doc that lists the name of all participants that have been conditionally accepted that will be edited by the local event director and will be viewed by Reliant and in the case of Collegiate LTs it will also be viewed by an NEB member. 

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Updates with dates and details will need to be made to monitor progress and continued issues throughout the summer. This helps us with liability (keeping a trail of notes) as well as keeping it consistent throughout all of the events.  If a new issue arises that was not on the original acceptance the director agrees to add that new issue along with a new condition to the google doc to allow Reliant and NEB representative to be aware. 

In the case that one of the conditions for acceptance (or a new conditions) has not been met, the event director will discuss with Reliant and/or the Collegiate NEB member for next steps. Typically, there is grace if the condition was not met one time (depending on the severity of the issue).  Be sure to write down what was discussed and create a new condition that is agreed upon by the participant saying they are aware that if the condition is again not met they will be dismissed from the program at the discretion of the event director.