|
|
|
|
POLICY It is the policy of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services to ensure that potential conflicts of interest are identified and managed appropriately. This conflict of interest policy is designed to help directors, officers and employees of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. identify situations that present potential conflicts of interest and to provide Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. with a procedure which, if observed, will allow a transaction to be treated as valid and binding even though a director, officer, or employee has or may have a conflict of interest with respect to the transaction. Identified potential conflicts of interest are to be addressed by the Executive Director when the potential conflict of interest involves an employee. If an employee is not satisfied by the response of the Executive Director or if the potential conflict of interest involves financial risk of over $5,000, then the potential conflict of interest will be presented to the Board of Directors for resolution. Potential conflict of interests involving the Executive Director or any Board members will be addressed by the Board of Directors. For purposes of this policy, the following circumstances shall be deemed to create potential Conflicts of Interest: Outside Interests; Outside Activities; and Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment. These circumstances are defined as follows: A. Outside Interests 1. A Contract or Transaction between Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. and a Responsible Person or Family Member. 2. A Contract or Transaction between Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. and an entity in which a Responsible Person or Family Member has a Material Financial Interest or of which such person is a director, officer, agent, partner, associate, trustee, personal representative, receiver, guardian, custodian, conservator or other legal representative. B. Outside Activities 1. A Responsible Person competing with Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. in the rendering of services or in any other Contract or Transaction with a third party. 2. A Responsible Person’s having a Material Financial Interest in; or serving as a director, officer, employee, agent, partner, associate, trustee, personal representative, receiver, guardian, custodian, conservator or other legal representative of, or consultant to; an entity or individual that competes with Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. in the provision of services or in any other Contract or Transaction with a third party. C. Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment A Responsible Person accepting gifts, entertainment or other favors from any individual or entity that: 1. does or is seeking to do business with, or is a competitor of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc.; or 2. has received, is receiving or is seeking to receive a loan or grant, or to secure other financial commitments from Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc.; 3. is a non-profit organization operating in Ohio; under circumstances where it might be inferred that such action was intended to influence or possibly would influence the Responsible Person in the performance of his or her duties. This does not preclude the acceptance of items of nominal or insignificant value or entertainment of nominal or insignificant value which are not related to any particular transaction or activity of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. D. Other Definitions 1. A "Conflict of Interest" is any circumstance defined above as an Outside Interests; Outside Activities; and Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment. 2. A "Responsible Person" is any person serving as an officer, employee or member of the Board of Directors of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. 3. A "Family Member" is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child or spouse of a child, brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister, of a Responsible Person. 4. A "Material Financial Interest" in an entity is a financial interest of any kind, which, in view of all the circumstances, is substantial enough that it would, or reasonably could, affect a Responsible Person’s or Family Member’s judgment with respect to transactions to which the entity is a party. This includes all forms of compensation. 5. A "Contract or Transaction" is any agreement or relationship involving the sale or purchase of goods, services, or rights of any kind, the providing or receipt of a loan or grant, the establishment of any other type of pecuniary relationship, or review of a charitable organization by Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. The making of a gift to Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. is not a Contract or Transaction. E. Confidentiality Each Responsible Person shall exercise care not to disclose confidential information acquired in connection with such status or information the disclosure of which might be adverse to the interests of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. Furthermore, a Responsible Person shall not disclose or use information relating to the business of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. for the personal profit or advantage of the Responsible Person or a Family Member. F. Review of policy 1. Each new Responsible Person shall be required to review a copy of this policy and to acknowledge in writing that he or she has done so. 2. Each Responsible Person shall annually complete a disclosure form identifying any relationships, positions or circumstances in which the Responsible Person is involved that he or she believes could contribute to a Conflict of Interest arising. Such relationships, positions or circumstances might include service as a director of or consultant to a nonprofit organization, or ownership of a business that might provide goods or services to Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. Any such information regarding business interests of a Responsible Person or a Family Member shall be treated as confidential and shall generally be made available only to the Chair, the Executive Director, and any committee appointed to address Conflicts of Interest, except to the extent additional disclosure is necessary in connection with the implementation of this Policy. 3. This policy shall be reviewed annually by each member of the Board of Directors. Any changes to the policy shall be communicated immediately to all Responsible Persons.
PROCEDURES A. Prior to board action on a Contract or Transaction involving a Conflict of Interest, a director or member having a Conflict of Interest and who is in attendance at the meeting shall disclose all facts material to the Conflict of Interest. Such disclosure shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. B. A director or member who plans not to attend a meeting at which he or she has reason to believe that the board will act on a matter in which the person has a Conflict of Interest shall disclose to the chair of the meeting all facts material to the Conflict of Interest. The chair shall report the disclosure at the meeting and the disclosure shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. C. A person who has a Conflict of Interest shall not participate in or be permitted to hear the board’s discussion of the matter except to disclose material facts and to respond to questions. Such person shall not attempt to exert his or her personal influence with respect to the matter, either at or outside the meeting. D. A person who has a Conflict of Interest with respect to a Contract or Transaction that will be voted on at a meeting shall not be counted in determining the presence of a quorum for purposes of the vote. The person having a conflict of interest may not vote on the Contract or Transaction and shall not be present in the meeting room when the vote is taken, unless the vote is by secret ballot. Such person’s ineligibility to vote shall be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. For purposes of this paragraph, a member of the Board of Directors of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. has a Conflict of Interest when he or she stands for election as an officer or for re-election as a member of the Board of Directors. E. Responsible Persons who are not members of the Board of Directors of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc., or who have a Conflict of Interest with respect to a Contract or Transaction that is not the subject of Board action, shall disclose to the Chair or the Chair’s designee any Conflict of Interest that such Responsible Person has with respect to a Contract or Transaction. Such disclosure shall be made as soon as the Conflict of Interest is known to the Responsible Person. The Responsible Person shall refrain from any action that may affect Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc.’s participation in such Contract or Transaction. In the event it is not entirely clear that a Conflict of Interest exists, the individual with the potential conflict shall disclose the circumstances to the Chair or the Chair’s designee, who shall determine whether there exists a Conflict of Interest that is subject to this policy. Conflict of Interest Information Form Revised 02/2004 |
|
