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Day Program/Group Home Transportation

The Agency provides transportation for individuals attending the adult day program and/or the children’s programs and in our residential settings. The Agency will pick up individuals at home or other designated areas and transport them to and from the program each day. The Agency will also transport as needed for the residential homes. Service areas and hours are dependent on the needs of the individual. The Agency has a wheelchair accessible bus with a lift available for those who need it.

Any vehicle that is used for client transportation must have valid license plates, and at a minimum, the Arizona State required level of liability insurance.

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Agency staff is provided with a cell phone for emergencies and transportation concerns while providing transportation to the people we serve. If the employee must make or receive a call, they are required to pull off to a safe location and stop driving.

Scheduling Transportation

Transportation Approval Process

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Upon enrollment, the Director of the program will review the transportation program with the individual and/or family/guardian. If transportation is approved, the Director will add the individual to the schedule depending on the dates and times available. If the request can be met, it is the responsibility of the Director to provide the individual or family/guardian with a copy of the transportation information. The Director will highlight areas of greatest importance such as procedures to follow when cancelling.

Schedule Pick-Up And Return Service

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The Director will notify the transportation department of any transportation schedule changes (i.e. additions, deletions, special instructions). All individuals scheduled pick-ups to have a 15- minute window either early or late depending on possible traffic delays. Please Note: The caregivers, family and/or the individual will call the office with any emergency cancellations. The driver will check the messages/voice mail or call the agency every morning for cancellations. The transportation department will ensure that emergency information is available on the buses.

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Daily Transportation Schedule Will Include The Following

Whether the individual is ambulatory or non-ambulatory, if special assistance is required (e.g. walker, transport in a wheelchair, etc.) If the individual can be left at home alone or not, desired pickup and return times, address and directions from the nearest major intersection.

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It is our goal to provide drivers with the information and guidance needed to assure the safety of our passengers while in the Agency’s vehicles. Our bus drivers want you to know that we believe the clients we transport are the most precious gift we can receive. We thank you for your co-operation to ensure all Helping Hands Agency passengers arrive at the Day Program, and back home, on time and safely.

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As our buses are carrying numerous clients we cannot wait for clients that are not ready for the bus on time. In the past, we have tried to do so but the action of a few may result in the problem of buses running late to our day program causing all aboard to be late for their scheduled classes at the program. We must ask that all clients be ready and waiting for the bus to arrive 5 minutes early so that we can ensure that they all arrive at the day program on time. If your child misses the bus at their stop, please feel free to bring them into the program or contact the Agency to find out where the bus will be stopping next and take them there to be picked up.

 

To aid us in the continued safe and orderly transportation of these precious gifts, we ask that you take a moment to review some of the rules for clients riding our buses.

• No open food or drink is allowed on the bus (lunches or closed containers are allowed).

• Possession or use of tobacco products is prohibited.

• Remain properly seated, keeping the aisle clear at all times.

• Do not use profane or obscene language.

• Keep all parts of your body inside the bus at all times.

• Talk quietly, do not yell, or make other loud noises.

• Respect the rights, property, and safety of others.

• Do not distract the bus driver, as you are jeopardizing the safety of everyone on the bus.

• Clients are not allowed to get off the bus, once they have boarded until reaching the

  program or bus stop unless a parent or legal guardian signs them off the bus.

• Riding the bus is a privilege, not a right.

• Do not open the windows without the driver’s permission.

• Do not throw objects.

• Never touch the emergency door, exit controls or bus safety equipment.

   

Should you have any questions or comments regarding our transportation of students, we would like to hear them. Please feel free to stop by the transportation department facility or our day program offices, located on Haul Road or 6th Avenue. You may also call us at (928) 645- 9596.

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Transportation Of Client’s Medications

Transporting of prescription and non-prescription medications for the individuals in the program

is allowed under the following guidelines:

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• Medication is to be transported in a locked box. The driver will then bring the medication into the program or home and give it to the correct support staff.

• For those individuals who self-administer medications, upon arrival to the program or home the driver will notify the staff that the individual has medication on himself/herself.

 

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Bad Weather

​Our drivers will be keeping us up to date on the road conditions and as you know, not all roads are created equal. This may mean that even when our program is open and operating and students are here, we may not be able to pick up all clients due to the location and condition of their routes. Also, we may deem it necessary to take some students home early on bad weather days, so as to prevent driving later when roads may be icy and unsafe.

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We will make every attempt to contact parents in the event of these changes, however; we need to know what steps to take, in the event of bringing your child home, if no one is there. Please inform us of instructions for an alternate plan or drop off location, if necessary. You may also call us at 928-645-9596, to discuss this matter further.