Our Policies

Our Student Code of Conduct is in place to ensure a safe and motivational learning environment for all YouthBuild students. For more details, click links below:

Our Health and Safety Information

YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School Student Health Services Policy

Keeping our students healthy—both physically and mentally—is essential to their educational success. YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School takes this responsibility seriously. This policy pertains to vaccinations, mandated health screenings, physical-health/medical services, mental-health services, and homebound instruction.

Vaccinations

The website https://vax.phila.gov/ must be checked for all new students within 10 days of admission to verify that each student has had the appropriate vaccinations. (All students are selected and admitted each year at the end of August, immediately before the start of the new school year, so it is not possible to verify vaccination histories prior to the start of the new school year.)

Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4): A dose of the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is needed for 12th-Grade entry, unless the student has a medical or religious/philosophical exemption. The website must be checked to ensure that all students have received the MCV4 vaccine. Students who have not received the MCV4 vaccine must be notified immediately that they have until September 30 to receive the vaccine or risk exclusion from the School.

Mandated Health Screenings

As required by Chapter 23 (School Health) of the PA Code, each year, all YouthBuild Philadelphia students must undergo the following two health screenings:

  • Growth Screening (height and weight)
  • Vision Screening

These screenings are scheduled to be conducted by a contracted provider in the fall months of the school year.

Physical-Health/Mental-Health Services

As it prepares its young-adult students for success in postsecondary life, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School works to foster in them a sense of responsibility for the care and maintenance of their physical and mental health. It does this by encouraging students to (1) recognize that physical or emotional problems pose an obstacle to their long-term success and (2) utilize the available resources, both at School and in their community. Such resources include—

  • Health insurance. As young adults (and often as parents themselves), eligible students are enrolled in the Federal Medical Assistance (Medicaid) Program (if they do not already have health insurance) to provide for their medical, mental-health and dental needs.
  • Medical services. Students are encouraged to utilize the existing Medicaid system and seek medical services through a primary care provider in their community, instead of relying on the services of hospital emergency rooms.

In the event that a student needs emergency care while at the School or on one of the School’s worksites, staff ensure that the student is transported as quickly as possible to the nearest hospital, by the most appropriate means under the circumstances, given the student’s medical condition.

  • Behavioral Health (Counseling) Services. For students with emotional or psychological challenges, YouthBuild Philadelphia offers them school-based behavioral health (counseling) services. To meet students’ long-term psychological needs, YouthBuild Philadelphia’s Behavioral Health Clinicians work to connect students with community-based mental-health providers.

In the event of a mental-health emergency—for example, when a student is suicidal or having a psychotic episode—School staff immediately contact the City of Philadelphia’s Mobile Crisis Team and escort the student to the hospital for emotional support.

  • Drug-and-alcohol services. YouthBuild Philadelphia provides school-based drug-and-alcohol services. The goal is that students with addictions come to the conclusion that they need professional help, and then School staff help them to arrange that in the community.

Homebound Instruction

Homebound Instruction provides students with some level of instructional services during a temporary period of absence so that when they return to school they will not fall behind in their class curriculum. Homebound Instruction is intended as a temporary accommodation to keep the student engaged in the school program. It is not intended, nor can it be construed, as a method of delivering the full curriculum.

Homebound Instruction should be used as a last resort after all other options and/or alternative schedules have been exhausted, and is not a replacement or substitute for school attendance. All requests for Homebound Instruction are made through the student’s Success Manager.

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