Hypertension Awareness and Prevention Program at Yale (HAPPY) and its partners are committed to ethical and responsible work in New Haven communities. The following principles of conduct aim to establish a framework that aids HAPPY members in volunteering with integrity, honesty, and consistency.
How HAPPY Happens
As a HAPPY volunteer, you are essential to our work in New Haven communities. Our goal is to allow you to volunteer in an impactful, educational, and fulfilling way. Many volunteers have found tremendous joy and gratification from volunteering with HAPPY. As such, we must all represent HAPPY as our best selves and preserve the trust extended to us by our partners and by community members.
Be Responsible
We encourage HAPPY volunteers to be approachable, helpful, and sociable during their shifts. Bonding with fellow volunteers on your shift is encouraged. However, the primary focus of HAPPY is to positively contribute to the health of community members. Being a HAPPY volunteer is a position of responsibility that must not be misused. The following list outlines how to avoid irresponsible behavior, though it does not cover every situation:
- Do NOT misrepresent your qualifications or capabilities.
- Giving formal medical diagnoses is outside the scope of HAPPY.
- You must not attempt or perform any medical procedure, including hypertension screenings, before you have been trained to do so.
- Your interactions with community members must be respectful, nonjudgemental, and accommodating.
- Understand that community members may belong to underserved populations that face unique struggles in accessing healthcare.
Be Committed
You are expected to arrive punctually to your designated shifts and to be professional and focused during hypertension screenings. However, if you present symptoms of illness - such as those associated with COVID-19 - please do not attend your shift until you have fully recovered. It is best practice to inform your shift leader as soon as possible and to ask fellow volunteers to cover your shift through the HAPPY group chat (TBA).
Be Proactive
HAPPY has many opportunities for active members to improve themselves and to contribute to the organization. Examples include volunteering with one of our community partners (ex: serving meals in the community soup kitchens), contributing to our hypertension education outreach programs, or joining one of our research projects. In December, interested members are encouraged to apply to the board of HAPPY, which is a year-long position with substantial leadership responsibilities.
Scheduling
- Most HAPPY volunteers commit to a weekly, one-hour blood pressure screening shift for the entirety of an academic semester (excluding Breaks, Reading Period, and Finals) or for the duration of a summer. Students must complete the necessary trainings in order to be eligible to participate in hypertension screenings.
- Only active HAPPY volunteers can participate in our research projects.
- HAPPY members who are not able to commit to a weekly blood pressure screening shift may participate in one of our community education outreach and service programs or substitute for regular members that are unable to make their shifts.
- All HAPPY volunteers are encouraged in participate in fundraising projects to sustain our operating budget.
- All HAPPY volunteers can earn volunteer hours through The President’s Volunteer Service Award program for their work for hypertension screenings, education outreach, community service, and fundraising.
Safety
The safety of our volunteers is paramount. Exercise caution and common sense while traveling to and from HAPPY shifts. Try to walk to shift locations with fellow volunteers and refrain from carrying or displaying expensive personal items. All HAPPY volunteers must use Yale shuttle bus (nighttime shuttle: 203-432-6330) and/or 24/7 To-Walk escort service (203-432-9255) when volunteering in the early morning and in the evening. Additional Yale shuttle contact information can be found here. If you see something, say something; know how to contact Yale Police and community center supervisors.
Absences
If you present symptoms of illness - such as those associated with COVID-19 - you will automatically be granted an excused absence by your shift leader. You are expected to keep your HAPPY obligations in mind when planning your schedule, to reach out to your shift leader as early as possible to request excused absences, and to take all reasonable efforts to make your shifts. You should contact the VPs of Finance and Directors of Community Outreach as early as possible if you have any concerns about your ability to consistently volunteer with HAPPY.
Equipment
Hypertension screening volunteers will receive free blood pressure cuffs from HAPPY for the sole purpose of conducting blood pressure screenings. Although volunteers may practice conducting blood pressure screenings on themselves or with close friends / family, the primary use of these cuffs is during HAPPY shifts in community centers.
You must take good care of any HAPPY equipment you are given. Upon termination of your volunteer duty with HAPPY, you must return the blood pressure cuff to the HAPPY executive board. If you are not able to commit to a screening shift in a given semester but can resume in a subsequent semester, you are also required to return your blood pressure cuff for this semester so that another HAPPY volunteer may use it. During school recess, winter and summer vacations, you are responsible for storing the HAPPY blood pressure cuffs if you plan to continue volunteering with HAPPY in the subsequent semester. You are expected to compensate HAPPY for the loss or damage of any provided equipment.
Disciplinary Actions
Irresponsible or unsafe behaviors undermine the trust extended to us by our partners and by community members, thus damaging our ability to continue making a positive impact on local communities and the reputation of HAPPY and Yale University. Any such incidents will be investigated seriously by the HAPPY board and either resolved by the full board or referred to the appropriate Yale Committee.
Unexcused absences are documented by shift leaders and are a factor in your candidacy for leadership positions at HAPPY. After the second unexcused absence, volunteers will be required to meet with their shift leader and discuss plans to maintain future attendance. Any volunteers who have more than two unexcused absences in one semester will be required to meet with their shift leader and the Director of Internal Affairs to determine whether they can remain in their active volunteer position.
Shift leaders are expected to be make all efforts to attend their shifts, with the exception of illness. A shift leader must inform their fellow volunteers and the board in advance of any absence. Shift leaders or board members with more than one unexcused absence are accountable to the rest of the board, which will decide whether action must be taken and the extent of the action, which can include forfeiture of the officer title.