Tompkins County Administrative Policy Manual

COMMITMENT TO SERVING THE PUBLIC WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION

Effective: June 15, 1993 01-39

Objective: To establish the commitment of County government to serve all persons

Definitions: Public - All members of the community, including clients, inmates, patients, probationers or anyone who receives County services.

Infectious Disease - Life-threatening illnesses which shall include, but not be limited to: AIDS, HIV Infection, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis.

Policy of the Board of Representatives:

Non-Discrimination:

Tompkins County commits itself to serving all persons without regard to race, color, sex, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, ex- offender status, Vietnam Era Veteran status or sexual orientation.

Tompkins County recognizes that members of the public living with life- threatening illnesses may choose to conduct their lives following their normal routines insofar as receiving County services. All members of the public will continue to receive County services for which they qualify without regard to any life-threatening illnesses. The County will ensure that the public is notified of this right through the prominent posting of notices within reception areas and within other areas designated for public use.

Grievance Procedure:

Any member of the public who believes that s/he is denied County services and/ or discriminated against based on having a life-threatening illness shall have the right to file a complaint. Said complaint may be filed with the Office of the County Administrator, the Human Rights Department, the Personnel Department, the department/office within which the discrimination is alleged to have occurred, the State Department of Human Rights, or any of the State departments which monitor local services. Information to this effect shall be prominently posted in public areas and shall be furnished to individuals upon request.

Confidentiality:

When the course of business requires that a member of the public divulge information about an infectious disease or life-threatening illness, that information will be kept confidential according to the rules of confidentiality established by State and Federal laws, the policies and procedures of the individual department and this policy. In all cases reasonable precautions will be exercised to protect information about any individual's health condition. Unless otherwise

specified, any information released shall be divulged only when necessary and subsequent to receiving a signed release of information as developed by the New York State Health Department for that purpose.

Any individual who believes that confidentiality has been violated shall be given immediate information about the grievance procedures available in Tompkins County. Information shall include how any member of the public may register their complain. The information will be available in written form and shall be posted in conspicuous places within each County department. Addition- ally, this information may be obtained from the individual department head or the Personnel Department.