Volunteer Services

Remote Volunteer Guidelines

Remote Volunteer Guidelines (UCLA Health Sciences)

Definitions:

  • "University Business" means any activity associated with the performance of one's duties as any employee, trainee, or volunteer, at any time of day or from any location.
  • "Protected health information" or "PHI" is any individually identifiable health information, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper or oral (includes identifiable information that pertains to any patient or study participant). 

Volunteers may assist in a hybrid format in which activities and duties MUST be conducted onsite AND remotely (restrictions apply):

  • The Volunteer Office approves the volunteer's role and duties via a Scope of Duties form (if duties are not on the form, then it cannot be part of their role). 
  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to be fully remote. 
  • Supervisors must train and supervise volunteers onsite for their start date.
  • If hybrid is feasible, supervisors must delegate their volunteers duties that are within their approved scope of duties form AND the remote volunteer guidelines. 
  • Volunteers must be within the local area (Greater Los Angeles) for any remote activities AND be able to come for onsite volunteering (under supervision) on a regular basis.
    • UCLA SRP students in the Health Sciences must adhere to the same policies and guidelines as volunteers. 

NOTE: VPN is NOT permitted to be granted to Volunteers or UCLA SRP students. You do NOT need VPN to perform any of the outlined appropriate remote volunteer duties as listed on this webpage.

What is NOT permitted for remote activities?

  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to access or store any clinical data, "identifiable information", or restricted information (deemed by the department) remotely.
    • "Identifiable information" includes PHI, Care Connect/EPIC, UCLA Health BOX with PHI, full-face images or video calls, communications and correspondents by phone or email, information which can identify or trace back to the individual, etc.
    • Zoom meetings with study participants/patients are considered identifiable information. 
    • For more details on "identifiable" information or data, please see: https://ohrpp.research.ucla.edu/hipaa/
  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to be granted VPN Access to Health Sciences (Mednet) server. 
  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to share login information, passwords, or any restricted or UCLA-owned data/information to outsiders or each other.
  • Departments and Supervisors are NOT permitted to issue or grant UCLA-owned devices to volunteers. 
    • UCLA Students may go to their UCLA Library to request a device, however, it is NOT considered a UCLA-approved device for any special accesses within the UCLA Health Sciences system. 
  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to be completely remote for their entire duration or purpose as a volunteer. They must be able to return for onsite volunteer activities with proper supervision when needed. 
  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to be remote if they are out of the local area (i.e. out of state, out of the country, etc.).
  • Volunteers are NOT permitted to use personal email accounts or campus email accounts to conduct any activities that involves "University Business" in the Health Sciences. Volunteers must be issued a Mednet account for the following purposes, which includes the following, but not limited to:
    • Non-Clinical or De-Identified Health Sciences or Research Data
    • Topics and Information related to departments, meetings, employees, or the Health Sciences
  • Additional restrictions and prohibitions not listed may apply. 

What is permitted for remote activities?

  • Volunteers may only assist remotely in a non-clinical capacity using their personal device(s) based on the guidelines and parameters in place under the Use of Personal Device Volunteer Parameters 
    • NOTE: remote is only allowed in conjunction with onsite volunteering, therefore, this can change at any given time based on new policies or revisions to existing policies. 

Health Sciences Policies Referenced (available on PolicyStat):

  • Use of Electronic Mail (Email), HS 9453-A
  • Device and Removable Media Encryption, HS 9453-C
  • Volunteer Computer Access and Usage Policy HS 0362

For any additional questions NOT listed in our FAQs, please contact the UCLA Health Sciences Volunteer Office.