REFUGE HOUSE, INC.

This is a current, standalone extract of the Drug Testing and Substance Abuse Policy as it appears in Refuge House's Personnel Manual & HR Handbook (June 2026 annual review). It is provided for SSCC monitoring to show where the drug-testing requirement is currently met. It supersedes any earlier standalone "Drug Testing Policy" submission. The governing copy lives in the Personnel Manual.

PURPOSE

This policy establishes Refuge House's position on drug testing and substance abuse to ensure the safety and well-being of children in care and staff while complying with Chapter 749 Minimum Standards and 24-Hour Residential Child Care Requirements. Substance abuse by caregivers creates unacceptable risks to children's safety and compromises the quality of care provided. Refuge House is committed to providing a safe and protective environment for children in our care and maintaining a drug-free workplace.

SCOPE

This policy applies to all Refuge House employees, volunteers, contractors, and any individuals who have direct contact with children in care.

DEFINITIONS

• Substances: Alcohol, marijuana, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or controlled substances that may cause impairment.
• Impairment: When an employee's normal physical or mental abilities or faculties are detrimentally affected by substance use, potentially compromising their ability to provide appropriate supervision or care.

PROHIBITIONS

Refuge House strictly prohibits reporting to work while impaired; becoming impaired while at work; using, possessing, transferring, or selling substances on Refuge House premises, parking lots, storage areas, or job sites; and working while impaired by medications that affect safety or performance. Violations constitute major policy infractions subject to severe disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING

All prospective employees must undergo drug testing as part of pre-employment screening in accordance with Chapter 749 Minimum Standards. Positive results will disqualify candidates from employment consideration.

TESTING DURING EMPLOYMENT

Refuge House will conduct drug testing of current employees under the following circumstances:

• Random Testing: Employees may be selected for random drug testing to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Reasonable Suspicion Testing: Testing will be required when there is reasonable suspicion that an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, based on specific, contemporaneous observations concerning appearance, behavior, speech, or body odors.
• Post-Accident/Incident Testing: Employees involved in workplace accidents or incidents that result in or could have resulted in serious injury or property damage will be required to submit to testing.
• Return-to-Duty Testing: Employees returning to work following a positive test result or treatment for substance abuse must submit to testing.

All testing will be conducted at Refuge House's expense, except in cases of employee-requested retesting of positive results.

TESTING PROCEDURES

All testing will be conducted by a certified laboratory using scientifically recognized methods; chain of custody procedures will be followed to ensure specimen integrity; results will be reviewed by Management when required; and confidentiality of all test results will be maintained.

CONSEQUENCES OF POLICY VIOLATIONS

• Refusal to Test: Employees who refuse to submit to required drug testing will be subject to immediate termination.
• Positive Test Results: Employees who test positive for illegal drugs or unauthorized use of controlled substances will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
• Documentation: All testing and related disciplinary actions will be documented in the employee's confidential personnel file in accordance with Chapter 749 Minimum Standards.

APPEALS PROCESS

Employees who test positive may request a retest of the original specimen at their own expense. The request must be made within 24 hours of being notified of the positive result. Employees may also submit medical documentation to explain positive results related to prescribed medications.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information related to drug testing will be maintained in confidential files separate from regular personnel files. Access will be limited to those with a legitimate need to know.

ONGOING COMPLIANCE VERIFICATION

Refuge House reserves the right to conduct substance testing upon reasonable suspicion of substance abuse, following workplace accidents or incidents, randomly as permitted by law, and as required by licensing regulations.

PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS

Employees taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that may cause impairment must report this information to their supervisor/manager before beginning work, provide appropriate medical documentation if requested, and not work directly with children if the medication causes impairment that could affect child safety.

IDENTIFICATION AND RESPONSE PROCEDURES

Supervisors who suspect substance abuse must document specific behaviors indicating possible impairment, immediately consult with their supervisor and Human Resources, remove the employee from direct care responsibilities, implement testing procedures according to established protocols, and maintain confidentiality throughout the process.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Refuge House will report substance abuse violations as required by Minimum Standards for Child-Placing Agencies (Chapter 749), 24-Hour Residential Child Care Requirements, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services regulations, and law enforcement agencies when applicable.

COMPANY EVENTS

Alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited at any Refuge House event where children are present. For adult-only, company-sponsored events, light alcoholic beverages may be served with prior executive approval. Social activities held off-premises and paid for personally are not subject to this policy.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE

Refuge House recognizes substance abuse as a complex health problem with both physical and emotional impacts. Information about treatment resources will be provided upon request through Human Resources, though seeking assistance does not exempt employees from performance standards or policy requirements.

SSCC ALIGNMENT (FY-26):

SSCC alignment (FY-26): Reviewed against the 2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026; not applicable — the manual imposes no provider-specific requirement on this policy. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC coverage tracker (temporary-reference/fy26-sscc-joint-monitoring/sscc-alignment/).

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — EMPOWER: EMPOWER Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 — not applicable; the manual imposes no provider-specific requirement on this policy. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — OCOK: OCOK Network Management Operations Manual Rev. 7-1-2025 — not applicable; OCOK imposes no provider-specific requirement on this document (its provider data channel is the Texas Provider Gateway). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — 4Kids: 4Kids4Families Joint Operations Manual (Dec 2025) / Subcontractor Agreement — not applicable; no provider-specific requirement on this document. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — Belong: Belong Stage I & II Provider Manual (Aug 2025) / Provider Services Agreement — not applicable; no provider-specific requirement on this document. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — SFCS: SFCS Placement Provider Manual (July 2020, publicly-sourced) / 2019 Affiliate Provider Agreement — not applicable; no provider-specific requirement on this document. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

DOCUMENTATION & ACKNOWLEDGMENT

All substance abuse allegations, investigations, and actions taken will be thoroughly documented and maintained in confidential personnel files in accordance with Chapter 749 Minimum Standards and 24-Hour RCC Requirements. All employees must review and acknowledge this policy during orientation and annually thereafter as required by licensing standards.

CAREGIVER (FOSTER PARENT) SUBSTANCE USE

For foster/adoptive caregivers (as distinct from employees), substance-use suitability is screened and monitored through the home study and verification process (26 TAC §749.2447) and the Foster Home Studies Procedure, and reinforced by the Foster/Adoptive Parent Agreement.

Current extract from the Refuge House Personnel Manual & HR Handbook (June 2026 annual review). The Personnel Manual is the governing source of record; this extract is maintained for SSCC monitoring and credentialing submission.