Health & Safety
At Jembatan International we seek to provide a safe and healthy experience for you and your students. In fact, protecting your safety and health is one of our most important functions.
Insurance
In addition to your own or your students’ health insurance plans, Jembatan International requires all students and participating faculty to be covered by an HTH Worldwide Insurance plan that is effective during their study abroad. HTH Worldwide Insurance is a short-term insurer that specializes in insuring international study and travel. Based on the length of your program, we factor these insurance costs into your total program cost.
Medical Facilities Abroad
During program orientation, you and your students will be given the contact information for local medical facilities. Should you or any of your students need to visit these medical facilities, the onsite directors will facilitate such visits to ensure your access to quality medical care. And, whenever possible, they will also seek out English-speaking doctors.
Mental Health
Although students can learn many valuable lessons from their study abroad, our programs do not have the ability to solve all the troubles that young adults normally experience at school or at home. Leaving the country does not mean they can leave all those troubles behind. In fact, leaving the familiar environment of home and family may even amplify some health issues like depression.
Additionally, while “culture shock” is a common symptom that fades quickly for most students, others might find it a lingering condition, which makes it harder for them to adjust to their new surroundings. Consequently, as you accept students into your program, you should be aware of whether or not a student has experienced severe depression or other mental health issues in the past. To help us better care for the emotional and mental needs of your students, please indicate any such needs on their medical questionnaire.
Students with Disabilities
Many countries outside the US do not have the resources or infrastructure to accommodate the needs of disabled individuals. Consequently, disabled students should research the conditions in the prospective host country before they apply to a program.
We will do our utmost to make your study abroad program a rich experience for all your students, but you must be aware that we have real limitations on which activities we can make handicap accessible. Students should also be aware that additional fees may be necessary to facilitate the appropriate housing, transportation and care suited for their unique needs.
Medications
For students who are on prescribed medications, we recommend bringing enough medication to last the duration of the program. You will also want make sure your students visit their doctor prior to departure to obtain a note or copy of their prescription to help them through customs and allow them to refill their prescription if needed. They should also know the generic name of their prescription medications.
Our resident staff can help you and your students find local pharmacies or doctors to meet your needs; however, bringing your own supply ensures that you will have access to the medicines you need.
Safety Overview
We go to great lengths to insure that the programs you design with our help are educational, entertaining and unforgettable, and perhaps most importantly, safe. In an effort to keep you and your students (and our staff) safe, we have established several channels of communication, emergency plans and guidelines that can help you deal with potential emergencies during the program if they arise. These include:
- Constant communication between the resident program facilitators and US staff
- A student code of conduct that is to be read and signed as part of the application process
- Thorough overviews of local health and safety information before and during the program
- Wallet-size emergency contact cards written in English and the program country language that students can carry on their person
- An Emergency plan for assembly evacuation should the unlikely need arise
- Access to guidelines set by the US Department of State regarding US Citizens overseas
- Competent staff who put the students first and are familiar with the local language, their program area, and local medical facilities