- Health Promotion
- Substance Abuse
- Food Services
- Ready Coast Guard
- Family Support
- Child Care
- Employee Assistance
- Suicide Prevention
- Critical/Incident Stress Management
- Sexual Assault
- Personal Financial Management
- Ombudsman
- Spouse Clubs
- Work-Life Field Offices
- Contact Us
Security Levels
Office of Work-Life Programs -
Ombudsman Program -
Appointing an Ombudsman
Quick Links
It is the commanding officer’s responsibility to ensure that the ombudsman
is thoroughly oriented and prepared to begin carrying out his/her duties.
The CO should ensure that the ombudsman has the appropriate materials and
equipment.
Commanding Officer Requirements
An ombudsman is considered an official Coast Guard volunteer and as such a
CO must:
- Provide a signed appointment letter/memo [Sample Appointment Letter] to the ombudsman.
- Provide a copy of the letter to the local HSWL RP ombudsman coordinator.
- Assign the ombudsman in the Coast Guard Ombudsman Registry at www.cgombudsmanregistry.org.
- Complete the Volunteer Agreement for Appropriated Activities or Non-appropriated Fund Instrumentalities, DD 2793. COs/OICs shall only execute Part I and II of this form (Appropriated Fund Activities). Part IV is signed upon termination.
- Maintain an ombudsman volunteer file. Files will be
retained for three years following termination (statute of
limitations for claims) and include at a minimum:
- A copy of the appointment letter.
- Volunteer agreement.
- Training records.
Command Meeting and Orientation
Once you have decided to appoint an ombudsman, you should schedule a command
meeting to complete required paperwork such as the volunteer agreement and
clarify roles and expectations. During the orientation meeting it is
recommended that the XO, CMC and command point of contact meet with the
newly appointed ombudsman as well. For a list of discussion topics click
here [Orientation Meeting].
Funding
COMDTINST
1750.4 (series) requires that the command ombudsman receives
adequate equipment, material, and funding support. Every unit with an
appointed ombudsman will establish a funding line item to support their
ombudsman program. Use of appropriated and non-appropriated funds is
authorized for this purpose. For reimbursement the ombudsman must document
expenses and provide receipts as well as submit a
Claim for Reimbursement
for Expenditures on Official Business, SF 1164. Ombudsmen must be acting in
an official capacity and reimbursements must be pre-approved by the command.
ITOs may be issued per
COMDTINST 12570.3
(series) and ombudsmen must have an
appointment letter. The following items may be reimbursed:
- Child care, not to exceed local Child Development Center (CDC) rates.
- Mileage, Parking, Tolls, paid at current government reimbursement rate for privately owned vehicles.
- Travel Expenses, incurred during participation in training, conferences and other approved events, provided it was approved in advance and an ITO was issued. Travel expenses will be paid in accordance with Joint Federal Travel Regulations.
The command may provide the following equipment to the ombudsman:
- Electronic equipment such as computer/Internet, etc.
- Use of administrative office equipment such as copier/fax, etc.
- Cell phone.
Welcome Packet
To ensure that a new ombudsman has all of the necessary information and
materials, it is helpful for the command to give the ombudsman a Welcome
Packet. The content of the Welcome Packet should include everything newly
appointed ombudsmen need to successfully carry out their duties and
responsibilities. The packet may be customized with command-specific
information but should include the following content.
- Letter of Appointment signed by the commanding officer.
- Position Description.
- Name tag and pin. Pins are available through the HSWL RP Ombudsman Coordinator.
- Ombudsman Program Instruction/Ombudsman Training Manual - Print out and put a copy in a binder for the ombudsman.
-
Volunteer Agreement for Appropriated
Activities or Non-appropriated Fund Instrumentalities,
DD 2793. - Claim for Reimbursement for Expenditures on Official Business, SF 1164.
- Updated command roster to include inbound personnel and families.
- Command Cadre roster and contact numbers.
- If applicable, previous ombudsmen resource binder.
Training
Online Core Training must be completed within 30 days of receiving
notification of access. In addition, ombudsmen must attend Coast Guard
Ombudsman training within three months of appointment. Ombudsmen shall
contact their respective Health, Safety and Work-Life (HSWL) Regional
Practice (RP) Ombudsman Coordinator for training schedules.
A variety of training opportunities exist for Coast Guard Ombudsmen.
Training begins with the CO guidance. The Coast Guard Ombudsman Program
Instruction
COMDTINST
1750.4 (series) and the Coast Guard Ombudsman Training
manual should be read by ombudsmen prior to taking on this volunteer role.
Ombudsman training is required of all ombudsmen. It provides information to
properly execute the duties required. Ombudsman training is approximately 16
hours long and includes:
- Program overview
- Ethical Standards
- Program Management
- Representing the Command
- Communications Link
- Resource and Referral
- Crisis Response
Ombudsman training is coordinated by the HSWL RP Ombudsman Coordinators and
is offered quarterly in various locations within each district. Commands are
authorized to issue ITOs for ombudsmen to attend training. Commands shall
work with the HSWL RP Ombudsman Coordinator to prepare the ITOs.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF)
MS Word