A sponsor shall:
(a) Focus Senior Companion resources on critical problems affecting the frail elderly and other adults with special needs within the project's service area.
(b) Assess in collaboration with other community organizations or utilize existing assessment of the needs of the client population in the community and develop strategies to respond to those needs using the resources of Senior Companions.
(c) Develop and manage a system of volunteer stations by:
(1) Ensuring that a volunteer station is a public or non-profit private organization, whether secular or faith-based, or an eligible proprietary health care agency, capable of serving as a volunteer station for the placement of Senior Companions;
(2) Ensuring that the placement of Senior Companions is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding:
(i) That is negotiated prior to placement;
(ii) That specifies the mutual responsibilities of the station and sponsor;
(iii) That is renegotiated at least every three years; and
(iv) That states the station assures it will not discriminate against volunteers or in the operation of its program on the basis of race; color; national origin, including individuals with limited English proficiency; sex; age; political affiliation; religion; or on the basis of disability, if the participant or member is a qualified individual with a disability; and
(3) Reviewing volunteer placements regularly to ensure that clients are eligible to be served.
(d) Develop service opportunities that consider the skills and experiences of the Senior Companion.
(e) Consider the demographic make-up of the project service area in the enrollment of Senior Companions, taking special efforts to recruit eligible individuals from minority groups, persons with disabilities, and under-represented groups.
(f) Provide Senior Companions with assignments that show direct and demonstrable benefits to the adults and the community served, the Senior Companions, and the volunteer station; with required cost reimbursements specified in Sec. 2551.46; with not less than 40 hours of orientation of which 20 hours must be pre-service, and an average of 4 hours of monthly in-service training.
(g) Encourage the most efficient and effective use of Senior Companions by coordinating project services and activities with related national, state and local programs, including other Corporation programs.
(h) Conduct an annual appraisal of volunteers' performance and annual review of their income eligibility.
(i) Develop, and annually update, a plan for promoting senior service within the project's service area.
(j) Annually assess the accomplishments and impact of the project on the identified needs and problems of the client population in the community.
(k) Establish written service policies for Senior Companions that include but are not limited to annual and sick leave, holidays, service schedules, termination, appeal procedures, meal and transportation reimbursements.
(l) Conduct criminal history checks on all Senior Companions and Senior Companion grant-funded employees who start service, or begin work, in your program after November 23, 2007, in accordance with the National Service Criminal History Check requirements in 45 CFR 2540.200 through 2540.207. [64 FR 14115, Mar. 24, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 60998, Sept. 27, 2002; 69 FR 60095, Oct. 7, 2004; 74 FR 46508, Sept. 10, 2009; 77 FR 60933, Oct. 5, 2012]