We have had many staff conversations about the issues of substance abuse, aggression and mental illness. It seems to be on the rise here in Missoula, MT, like most places probably. We've had some trainings yet not enough. We are scheduling more for the winter and spring. I'm going to copy our current policy, out of our staff hand book, below.
I believe we have had to permanently ban about a half dozen folks over the last couple decades. We've had about a dozen year-long bans- the person's privilege can be restored if they come back and have a conversation that we feel comfortable with. Only one has asked for the privilege to be restored, and we are doing that on a '2 hour limit per month, as a trial run' basis.
This is the hardest part in leading our community bike shop efforts. The bikes are easy. Being inclusive, with boundaries, is challenging.
If we see/smell alcohol, we have them leave. Cannabis is a bit different. We do not ask them to leave if they can function and do not pose a threat to staff or the community- for many, cannabis can play a role in maintaining mental health.
For those with mental health challenges, as you describe, it usually means a conversation with that patron. 'Are you OK?' 'Do you need water or other resources?' We might ask them to come back another day, and we usually make headway with compassion. We do not want to make anyone else in the shop feel unsafe. We live with other community members sometimes feeling uncomfortable, as degraded mental health is not a crime and they are fellow human beings with struggles. It's all a challenge we are working on, consistently and constantly.
2 of our 8 staff have some training as social workers; however the community bike shop setting seems to be unlike any other.
Do others have strategies, trainings and policies that seem to be working?
-Bob Giordano, Director, Free Cycles Missoula,
"Free Cycles Missoula Policy of Inclusion
The Free Cycles Community Bicycle Shop strives to be a safe, open, and accessible space. We value diversity, integrity, respect, and people working together. We welcome input, feedback and participation. Utilizing the services of Free Cycles is a privilege for all.
Breaking this policy of inclusion (POI) can result in the loss of privilege for using Free Cycles’ services. Examples of breaking this policy could be the use of demeaning language or actions that are harming others or detrimental to a healthy community. When this policy is broken, we can ask people to leave the shop.
As an employee, it is important to adhere to this policy just as everyone else. Our actions and communications matter. We should be very mindful of appropriate body language, tone, text and volume when engaging with each other and with the community.
If a staff witnesses or becomes aware of breeches in this policy of inclusion, the situation should be addressed:
First, mitigate any immediate potential harm.
Second, communicate with the offending party and resolve the situation. If possible, this should be done in private. This can and should be done publicly if safety is a concern.
If the situation cannot be resolved, other staff should be consulted for support. For more serious violations, a member of the Free Cycles leadership team (Executive Director and Programs Director) should be made aware of the situation and asked for help. For any episodes of note, please fill out an incident report in the Incident Report notebook.
Only the leadership team has the authority to restrict members of the public from utilizing Free Cycles services for more than one day.
Examples of POI breeches that can occur at Free Cycles:
Being under the influence of alcohol: we do not allow people to drink alcohol on-site during open shop hours. This includes being obviously inebriated. The solution is to ask the person to leave the area and come back when they are sober.
Using aggressive or abusive language or actions towards others: if members of the public engage in any type of bullying towards staff or other community members then the offending party must be asked to leave.
Not following general rules: While we do not have many rules for utilizing the shop and grounds, the ones we do have are important in order to maintain a safe and welcoming space for all. Rule breeches can result in loss of services. Rules also change from time to time, as we learn and grow. An example of changing rules would be our adjustments for pandemics, which are based on health guidelines and best practices.
There are different levels of restrictions that can occur when someone breaks the Policy of Inclusion or shop rules. The restriction depends on the severity of the offense and the history of the patron. Sometimes it may result in a permanent loss of Free Cycles resources, while other times it may be asking someone to leave for a day. After any altercation, dispute or restriction, an incident report should be filled out and filed.
Staff play an integral role on the front lines for making the space inclusive for all. It can be a challenge to maintain a fair and equitable shop environment. Words that are offensive or demeaning to one person may not be offensive or hurtful to another person. While we are accepting of free speech and the expression of different beliefs, we must always consider the greater community good. As a staff we need to explicitly strive to always do our best leading by example. We must not make assumptions about people's knowledge, background, gender, or race when helping someone. It is also crucial to be considerate of each other internally as staff as well as shop patrons. "
-From Free Cycles Missoula employee handbook.
On 2023-10-07 3:01 pm, wade--- via TheThinkTank wrote: The Bike Connector is a non-profit, volunteer-run, community-based program that collaborates with community partners to distribute and maintain free bikes.
We've been serving the community for five years and have traditionally
worked with schools and social service agencies. Most of our customers
are referred to us through partner organizations. Recently, we've been
seeing an uptick in unaffiliated adults walking into our shop looking
for bikes. Many of these folks have heard of us through word of mouth.
News of "free" bikes spreads fast. We do not know the stories of the
people we serve, nor do we care. We treat everyone that walks in the
door with dignity.
Occasionally we get people that walk in the door that appear drunk or high. There is a prevalent opioid use problem in our community. People often smell like they've consumed alcohol and/or weed. I recently noticed an adult visitor discreetly drinking a nip. He did not behave drunk and I did not intervene. I'd like to have an understanding of how best to deal with these individuals in a respectful manner. When someone comes into the shop smoking a cigarette, I don't hesitate to let them know that smoking is prohibited and to take the cigarette outside. When they smell of alcohol or weed, what do we do? When they exhibit signs of drug abuse or mental illness (stumbling, slurred speech, anger, confusion), what do we do?
We have policies in place for minors. With regards to adults, things get a bit more complicated.
Suggestions and resources are welcome.