Ninth Community Health Advisory: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
|
|
weekly message from the director...
|
Another week has passed with all non-essential workers staying at home to keep our communities safe. We still have no certain return date but this week Governor Newsom said we were weeks away from stage two of our state's response to COVID-19 pandemic. Our current situation is stage one but the second stage involves lifting restrictions on lower risk workplaces like retail, manufacturing, offices (telework still a priority), and child care centers. The governor says stage three (reopening gyms, spas and salons, sports without crowds, religious services, and places where workers come in close contact with customers) is months away. The last stage of the state's response is stage four and it includes large gatherings which will require "therapeutics" to be developed."
At Valley Mountain Regional Center we have begun to strategize our return to offices, and face to face meetings, and the reopening of the facilities so people can go to day and other non-residential programs instead of them going to consumers. These are careful decisions that need to be made and they will be made in conjunction with the state and public health guidance. A wrong move and uninformed decision could have grave consequences for the people VMRC is charged with supporting and we are fully committed to doing everything possible for their health and safety and well-being.
This weekend a team of VMRC staff will be delivering food to individuals and families in need served by our regional center. Our Education Specialist, Olivia Held will be delivering food in the Jackson area, Gaby Lopez, Cultural Specialist and Amy Browning, Program Manager will be delivering in Modesto, and Doug Bonnet will be delivering food in the Stockton area.” Thank you team for going the extra mile for our community.
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely
Tony Anderson
Executive Director
Valley Mountain Regional Center.
|
Case Management
VMRC reached out to consumers once again this week using Everbridge, their global mass notification system. 15,245 wellness check-in messages were sent out by phone, text, and/or email on Wednesday, April 29 hoping all contacted were healthy and safe. The message provided office contact information and asked anyone needing services to please let us know. Respondents acknowledged that they received the message and were asked if they would prefer their Service Coordinator contact them to which they could reply. As some preliminary reports indicated some contact numbers as unreachable, the data will be analyzed, corrected as necessary, and the message will be sent out again. Service Coordinators are working hard to make sure we have current and correct information for all. Your contact information is vitally important as it gives us the connection necessary to keep you informed.
New Additional POSs Due to COVID-19—Week of 4/20-4/24
Total—225
• Respite—119
• PATCH—92
• Personal Assistance—1
• Supported Living Services—12
• Medical Supplies—1
Cindy Mix
Director of Consumer Services
|
Resource Development
In an effort to continue to meet the DDS Guidelines for consumer isolation, we are continuing to develop Residential options. Resource Development would like to thank our partners at Community Care Licensing and the Department of Developmental Services and Alta California Regional Center for their support during this time. Below is the opening narrative in the above Health and Safety Waiver Request Process:
DDS Directive 01-041520 Health and Safety Waiver Exemptions
for Alternative Residential Model (ARM) Homes Requirements of Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code sections
4681.1
and
4681.5
and Title 17 establishing the residential facility rate schedule are hereby waived when necessary to protect a consumer’s health or safety as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 and/or to permit a consumer to remain at their current facility during the COVID-19 crisis.
Regional centers may pay a residential facility a rate that is necessary to protect a consumer’s health or safety as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19 and/or to permit a consumer to remain at their current facility during the COVID-19 crisis.
Rate adjustments pursuant to this waiver will require supplemental reporting to the Department. This waiver is necessary to allow regional centers flexibility to expedite rate adjustments to protect a consumer’s health or safety.
Brian Bennett
Assistant Director
Resource Development
|
Clinical Director Updates
During this COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights and the State of California has released a statement against discrimination when treating individuals with developmental disabilities. Providing accommodations for effective communication to individuals with disabilities will help avoid disability discrimination in treatment rationing. Family members, personal care assistant, and/or direct support professionals (DSP) are an integral part of the health care team of an individual with developmental disability. Their presence help understand the individual with disability better, help in effective communication, promote patient’s autonomy and healthcare participation, share important medical information, medical history, and list of medications, thus improving the clinical judgment and healthcare decision making of the healthcare professionals.
Here (attached above) are two documents that explain further the need of individuals with developmental disability to have their support person together with them when in the emergency room or hospitals. These documents uphold the rights of the individual under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the advocacy of AADMD. It is important to share these documents to hospitals and emergency rooms who have “No Visitor Policy” during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Claire B. Lazaro, MSN, RN, NP, PHN, CCRN, FNP-C
Clinical Director
|
Early Start, Intake and Education
VMRC vendor Psychologists continue to assess for autism virtually when appropriate. And our Intake Department in conjunction with our staff Psychologists and MDs are making some individuals presumptively eligible for services utilizing existing assessments.
Though not related to COVID-19, I wanted to include this great report,
Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism, it includes research from 1990-2017, 5 new practices identified, new data related to study participants (eg race/ethnicity/nationality data) and new information about intervention implementation (April was Autism Awareness Month).
Just To Reiterate...
"IDEA regulations have not been relaxed. Local Education Agencies obligation to access, hold IEP meetings and make an offer of FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) has not changed during the shelter in place. Service may be held through distance learning while we are there is a shelter in place. Olivia Held, VMRC’s Education Specialist has been working with Early Start ABA providers on navigating distance learning while we are in shelter in place. Parent coaching has been emphasized and is the foundation of Early Start services."
Tara Sisemore-Hester
Assistant Director
Clinical Services
|
Self-Advocacy Council 6
Lisa Utsey- Self Advocacy Council 6 chairperson invites you to join the SAC6
Friday CHATS!
With so much happening because of the virus SAC6 wants to hear how you are doing and share information so we can all get through this together!
Health and Wellness
Join us on a SAC6 ZOOM CHAT!!
Let’s Check In with each other!
WHEN
: Fridays May 1, 2020
TIME
: 11:00am-12:00pm
WHERE
: ZOOM- computer, tablet, cell phone
The next SAC6 CHAT:
- Friday, May 8, 2020- Update on all things Corona. When does it look like we are going back to program? What will that look like? Can we all ride the bus? Do we need masks?
Join Zoom Meeting on your computer, tablet or phone
Meeting ID: 917 7394 4767
Password: 310725 You must enter the Password or you can call in:
TOLL FREE NUMBER TO CALL IN:
- 888 475 4499 US Toll-free or
- 877 853 5257 US Toll-free
|
|
Local County Public Health Resources
|
- Amador County (8 known cases May 1, 2020 - one new cases this week)
- Calaveras County (13 known cases May 1, 2020 no new cases)
- San Joaquin County (543 known cases - 25 deaths May 1, 2020 - 11% increase in cases this week. This is another reduced rate of increase)
- Stanislaus County (374 known cases and 13 deaths May 1, 2020 - 45% increase in cases this week. This is an increased rate)
- Tuolumne County (4 known cases May 1, 2020 - two new cases)
- VMRC - 2 confirmed consumer cases May 1, 2020 - no new cases)
- California (50,411 cases and 2046 deaths, May 1, 2020 - 27% increase in new cases this week - reduced rate of increase)
- National (1,070,620 cases and 63,023 deaths May 1, 2020 - 23% increase in new cases this week no change in the rate of increase)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
