An attendance policy clearly states the expectations for attending meetings and communicating if you need to miss a meeting or leave early. It may also outline after what number of absences or late meetings YAB membership will be re-evaluated. Include your attendance policy in onboarding materials to ensure everyone is on the same page about these expectations.

For Example:  

Our current YAB attendance policy is that YAB members should give 48 hours' notice if they are unable to attend a meeting & 24 hours' notice if they need to join or leave a meeting early (except for emergencies). If any member misses 3 meetings without prior communication, their YAB membership may be re-evaluated. Members will only be compensated for the meetings they attend & the time they are in attendance.

It is important to strike a balance between accountability & understanding in setting & enforcing your attendance policy. Consider:

• Attendance and participation are the responsibility of the YAB as a group, not any individual member.
• Not every member will be able to attend every meeting, and some meetings may have more participation than others.
• Find a meeting time that works best for the majority of your YAB members using scheduling tools (e.g., Doodle, When2Meet).
• Rather than punishing members who don’t attend meetings, work to increase attendance & participation by engaging and positively reinforcing those who do attend (See the Development & Retention section for strategies!)
• If attendance and participation is low for several meetings raise this with members via email & consider recruiting for more members.

If your YAB is meeting virtually (e.g., via Zoom), it is beneficial to clearly define & discuss participation expectations around:

How often are members expected to have their cameras on?

• Members should have the ability to turn their cameras off if they need a break or are having a bad mental health day.
• Consider that not every member may have reliable internet access or a private space to attend meetings.
• Is the expectation for people to message the facilitator if they need to have their cameras off, or do we trust them to make use of their discretion responsibly?

What is considered active participation? Is it:

• Raising your hand?
• Speaking out loud?
• Typing in the chat
• Having your cameras on
• Attending the meeting

Can members participate if they can’t attend the meeting synchronously?

• If a YAB member can’t attend a meeting time due to work, school, medical or other conflicts, consider giving them the option to review materials and submit comments in advance of the meeting via email.
• Members can self-report and then be compensated for time spent on this asynchronous participation. 

It is important to remember that youth with mental health conditions may struggle with consistent attendance, participation, and communication due to mental health symptoms.

• Some members will identify and communicate with facilitators if they are no longer able to be on the YAB. 
• Some members will miss multiple meetings and stop responding to facilitator outreach. 
• Understand that some young adults may not have the tools to effectively communicate if they no longer can or want to serve on the YAB.
• Communicate to members that their mental health should come first, and it is okay if they have to take a step back or step down from the YAB.