Twenty-Eighth
Community Health Advisory Coronavirus (COVID-19)
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weekly message from the director... |
National Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Recognition Week
This year National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week starts this Sunday, September 13, 2020, and goes through Saturday, September 19, 2020. This group of professionals represents the foundation of our state developmental services system. Every year recognition for this essential workforce is expressed by congress, national and state associations, and governors and state legislatures all over the country. Most people in our IDD community recognize and value the DSP workforce. Yet, every year, we struggle to increase the average wage of $10.72 per hour, which leads to the average worker living below the federal poverty level. As a developmental service system we all suffer through a typical turnover rate of 45% (national range is 16-76%), which harms consumers and families who desperately need a consistent and steady workforce, and works to destabilize an already fragile network.
Impact of COVID-19 on DSPs
During this current global pandemic, COVID-19 is creating new challenges and difficulties for the DSP workforce. All the DSPs working in licensed residential services and in Supported Living and Respite, and in many other services, continue to work face to face with our consumers. They are practicing strict precautionary measures to keep everyone safe, but any direct contact with others has its risks. As of this week, almost 1500 staff have tested positive statewide, 66 in our region, and recently, we are very sad to report, one of our own providers died related to COVID-19. They are working as much as before, and many are working extended hours. In a recent national study (University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration) 34% of DSPs report working longer hours, and a quarter of them report working under short staffed conditions, and about a third of the new staff report they received very little to no orientation in their new positions.
State and National Impact and Resolutions
The California DSP provides long-term care supports and services outside of the family home to about 20% of all consumers in our community system, which is about 70,000 people a year. Throughout California DSPs also provided services through over 322,000 person-centered IPP directed contracts in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, while in that same year the state served a total of 329,000 people. In February of 2017 the President's Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities published their report to the President of the United States called, "America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis: Effects on People with Intellectual Disabilities, Families, Communities and the U.S. Economy." (https://ici.umn.edu/products/frontline-initiative/151/DSP-Changing-Expectations/#DSP-Changing-Expectations) In the report, the committee highlighted 10 recommendations to address what they recognized as a crisis for this country (edited for brevity):
1. States should include sufficient Direct Support Professional wages, etc in rate-setting.
2. Federal government should give assistance and incentives to states to promote the use of technology solutions, i.e., remote monitoring, sensors, robotics, and smart homes, etc.
3. The Federal government should give states grants and contracts to assist providers to improve business acumen to reduce Direct Support Professional turnover and improve services.
4. Several Federal departments should provide grants and other incentives for states to expand the pool of Direct Support Professionals through recognition programs, to expand awareness about the profession and encourage greater diverse workforce.
5. The Federal government should work with states to expand self-direction in long-term services and supports.
6. The Bureau of Labor Statistics should work to recognize “Direct Support Professional” as a distinct occupation title and provide labor statistical reporting on this occupation.
7. Several Federal departments should ensure that states identify provider qualifications that recognize Direct Support Professionals as skilled practitioners and make sure wage etc., are aligned with appropriate status, value, respect, a living wage and benefits.
8. Several Federal departments should develop federal standards and work with the Department of Labor to implement specialized credentials and professional development opportunities for Direct Support Professionals.
9. The U.S. Department of Labor should work with community colleges and American job centers so DSPs get career training and credentialing.
10. Several Federal departments should work with the business community and provide incentives to states to develop online matching registry services and other creative options to match people with IDD and their families who need help finding available DSPs.
Join in the Celebration and Recognition
Many of us who work in the field of developmental services were once DSPs. Personally, I loved working as a DSP, and created close connections with co-workers and consumers that I will be forever changed by these relationships. I encourage everyone who benefits from the work of a DSP to please thank them for their service and let them know you appreciate their work as professionals. This week we celebrate the workforce of these dedicated individuals and I encourage you to participate in a week long virtual event “From Praise to Promise” jointly hosted by the National Association of Direct Support Professionals and the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.
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Tony Anderson
Executive Director
Valley Mountain Regional Center
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Case Management Update
Participant-Directed Services Are Available
A reminder to our consumers and families that, in an effort to increase access and flexibility in service delivery, Valley Mountain Regional Center offers some services that may be participant-directed. The option to access these services through participant direction affords consumers the ability to choose workers (e.g. friends, some family members, etc.) to provide these services and the process could prove to be convenient for your circumstances. The following Participant-Directed services are available:
- Participant-Directed Respite Service - Family Member
- Participant-Directed Day Care Service - Family Member
- Participant-Directed Transportation - Family Member
- Participant-Directed Community-Based Training Service for Adults
- Participant-Directed Nursing Service - Family Member
- Personal Assistance—(Temporary due to COVID-19)
- Independent Living Specialist—(Temporary due to COVID-19)
- Supported Employment—(Temporary due to COVID-19)
The participant is required to use a Financial Management Service (FMS) vendor of his or her choosing. The FMS must be vendored by VMRC, but the participant does not need to be. The consumer and/or family must use a FMS provider to handle payroll, taxes, and reporting. VMRC will help in identifying available FMS providers, explain the types of FMS (Fiscal Agent vs. Co-Employer), and help the consumer/family determine the best type for their situation. Here is an overview of accessing Participant Directed Services at VMRC:
Step #1: Have an Individual Program Planning meeting with your Service Coordinator and discuss your needs or the needs of your family member you are responsible for and discuss your needs for support and determine the type of services that would best meet your needs.
Step #2: If one of those services is any of the above services, then have your service coordinator write in your IPP the service type, duration, and that you will be choosing, scheduling, and supervising your own provider for one or more of the above services.
Step #3: Ask your service coordinator to provide you with a list of Financial Management Service providers, and then you select the FMS you would like to support you. Once you select an FMS let your Service Coordinator know.
Step #4: You identify someone able and qualified to provide the service as you outlined in your IPP. The person must be 18 years or older and be able to provide the service you identified in your IPP. (If the service is, Personal Assistant or Independent Living Skills the provider cannot be the consumer’s spouse or parent)
Step #5: You refer your provider to the FMS who will confirm proof of age and qualification and gather the provider’s employment and federal disclosure information.
Step #6: After your service coordinator has completed the request for services, you and the FMS will receive an authorization for services, which will be available on the portal for the FMS. The FMS will then send a timecard to the provider when the authorization is complete.
Step #7: Your provider begins after you tell them your expectations for working with you and you both agree to the terms of service.
Step #8: Your service provider submits a timesheet to you for approval and the timesheet is sent to the FMS for them to pay the provider directly.
Step #9: VMRC pays the FMS twice a month based on the record of utilized hours or units as authorized.
COVID Purchase of Service (POS) Data
We have been tracking additional purchases authorized strictly due to pandemic reasons. Since March of this year, VMRC Service Coordinators have met with consumers and families to discuss their needs during these difficult times. We have authorized a total of 6,794 additional services to date, with the following breakdown by category:
- Program Support (PATCH)—2,206
- Supported Living/Independent Living—173
- Employment/Transportation—55
Voter Registration Campaign
California offers voter registration online, by mail, and in person. Online voter registration is available at https://registertovote.ca.gov/. You can also request and complete a paper voter registration form and mail or hand deliver it to your county elections official to register to vote.
However, for convenience you can complete a registration with the help of Valley Mountain Regional Center staff. VMRC is designated as a Voter Registration Agency and is planning an intensive campaign to assist our consumers and families in registering to vote prior to the 2020 election.
A few facts you should know:
- Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
- The deadline to register online to vote is Monday, October 19, 2020.
- The deadline for registering by mail to vote is (postmarked by) Monday, October 19, 2020.
- All registered voters will automatically be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 General Election.
- The early voting period runs from Monday, October 5, 2020 to Monday, November 2, 2020.
- You can also register and vote on Election Day at a polling center.
VMRC is planning to offer an in-person option to register during an upcoming PPE distribution day in each of our offices. We will also be holding a webinar in the very near future to explain the process. Please check our website www.vmrc.net and future Health Advisories to obtain more information about the Voter Registration Day in your area and to find a link to the webinar.
Transition Services to Continue During Pandemic
Federal officials are reminding schools and vocational rehabilitation agencies of their responsibility to work together to help students with disabilities transition to adulthood, even amid the pandemic. According to Disability Scoop, in a letter this week to special education and vocational rehabilitation administrators across the nation, officials from the U.S. Department of Education said that while the Coronavirus might alter how things are done, the expectations for transition remain.
Under IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act, the transition process should be outcome-oriented with students and their families working in collaboration with officials from their state education department, school district, school and vocational rehabilitation agency, according to the correspondence. State vocational rehabilitation agencies and school districts also have a responsibility to provide pre-employment transition services to students with disabilities.
In addition to the letter, the Education Department also recently released an updated 60-page transition guide that’s meant to help students with disabilities and their families understand the years-long process and the options available to them as they prepare to leave public education. To view the letter or for more information please access the following link:
Cindy Mix
Director of Consumer Services
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Clinical Update
· Various Pharmaceutical Companies, Vaccine makers, unite and pledge to uphold the integrity of scientific process and ethical standards of clinical trials as they move forward with the regulatory approval of vaccines for COVID-19.[1]
· AZD1222, the COVID-19 vaccine on phase 3 clinical trial from AstraZenica Oxford has paused the phase 3 study due to a reported unexplained illness that occurred in one of the volunteer participants in the U.K.[2]
· A systematic review investigating the effects of the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) has shown that 71% of children were admitted to ICU, it affected the heart, hospitalization stay averaged 7.9 days with common clinical presentation of fever, abdominal pain or diarrhea, and vomiting.[3] Concerning for the authors was that MIS-C develops even with asymptomatic carriers and those who don’t have underlying medical conditions.3
· Individuals with COVID-19 experiencing prolonged fever, defined as temperature of greater than or equal to 38.0oC beyond 7 days from onset of illness, are more likely to have poorer outcomes from COVID-19. [4]
· A retrospective cohort study on children with seasonal influenza and COVID-19 showed similar rates of hospitalization, ICU admission and mechanical ventilation.[5]
· CDC has put together an easy to understand comparison of COVID-19 and seasonal flu.[6]
Claire B. Lazaro, MSN, RN, NP, PHN, CCRN, FNP-C
Clinical Director
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Education Update
Our presentation on Distance Learning, with help from different Special Education Local Planning Areas (SELPAs), and local resources for families was completed last week. The information on how to access the video was sent out to families, but if you did not receive that email, please see below for the Zoom link & required password. Please be advised that many of the video submissions were completed before the most recent educational guidelines were announced by the state. Regardless, the information is still helpful and important. If you are having any concerns with Distance Learning, please reach out to your school district and your VMRC Service Coordinator for assistance.
Password: 9?g!v@88
Reopening
Many school districts are looking into the small cohort option for allowing Special Education students to return to in person instruction or applying for the waiver to entirely reopen schools. As frustrating and exhausting distance learning has been for so many families, and how eager many are to return to school, it will take time to determine what next step is appropriate and safe for school districts.
Resources
Please see the attached link for more distance learning resources.
This link will allow you access to a multitude of online resources from behavioral support, visual schedules, progress tools, and social narratives.
The following link is tips for families.
This link has resources like setting up your home for success, how to implement a visual schedule, and family support plans in both English and Spanish.
Olivia Held
Education Specialist
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Voting Update
If you still need to register to vote, you have just over 1 month to register. The deadline to fill out your registration form and mail it in is Monday, October 19th, which is 15 days before the General Election day of Tuesday, November 3rd.
Here you can:
Register to Vote
Find Your Polling Place
Track your California Ballot...and much more!
Imagine the Power of 4 Million Californians with Disabilities Voting!
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Update
Sonora PPE Distribution Day Today POSTPONED!
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We hope to have an announcement on new dates and times soon in Sonora, as well as San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County and San Andreas.
If you are in the Sonora/Tuolumne County area, and still have an urgent need for PPE, please contact your Service Coordinator or Community Services Liaison, and we will arrange for delivery to you.
We apologize for this inconvenience and urge everyone to stay safe!
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North Valley Hills Update
Dena Hernandez, Regional Manager
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This year, in support of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week, World Suicide Prevention Day and National Recovery Month, all held in September, we are encouraging a special focus on the intersection between suicide prevention, alcohol and drug use and efforts that foster resilience and recovery. This activity guide is intended to help organizations across California with planning and implementation of Suicide Prevention Week activities. For additional support and questions, please email info@suicideispreventable.org.
If you are in emotional distress please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.273.8255. Trained counselors are available 24/7.
For a collection of mental health resources during COVID-19 please visit the Each Mind Matters Resource Center here.
· You can preview all available files here.
· You can download them here.
Eachmindmatters.org/spw2020
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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: Friday September 11th, 2020
TIME: 11:00am-12:00pm
WHERE: ZOOM- computer, tablet, cell phone
The next SAC6 CHAT:
· Friday, September 11, 2020 - Person Centered Planning with the SAC6'ers
Join Zoom Meeting on your computer, tablet or phone
https://zoom.us/j/92176037090?pwd=VS9WRXpSeFFrS2IweEpTaWtpc2duUT09
Meeting ID: 921 7603 7090
Password: 666744
You must enter the Password or you can call in:
TOLL FREE NUMBER TO CALL IN:
· 877 853 5257 US Toll-free
California Memorial Project
Remembering Those Who Were Forgotten
Disability Rights California’s Peer Self-Advocacy (PSA) Program advocates for and oversees the California Memorial Project (CMP). The CMP’s mission is to honor and restore dignity to individuals with mental health and developmental disabilities who lived and died in California state institutions.
CMP Annual Remembrance Ceremonies
We celebrate the 3rd Monday of each September as California Memorial Project (CMP) Remembrance Day. On this day, the CMP holds remembrance ceremonies throughout California at state institutions and local cemetery grave sites where these individuals were buried. Leading a statewide moment of silence, we honor and celebrate the lives of all our peers.
Upcoming Events for September 2020
This year, the 18th Annual California Remembrance Day ceremony will be held on Monday, September 21, 2020. We will have a virtual ceremony via a Zoom webinar this year instead of in-person ceremonies to take precautions during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We help fight the mental health stigma and discrimination
we experience as peers by remembering those
who came before us.
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Five County Data Update
as of September 10, 2020
San Joaquin County
- 18,528 total positive cases and 383 deaths
- 12.6 new cases per 100,000 people and 9.1% positivity rate
Stanislaus County
- 15, 749 total positive cases and 303 deaths
- 14.1 new cases per 100,000 people and 10.3% positivity rate
Tuolumne County
- 212 total positive cases and 3 deaths
- 1.9 new cases per 100,000 people and 1.2% positivity rate
Calaveras County
- 286 total positive cases and 2 deaths
- 8.4 new cases per 100,000 people and 5.6% positivity rate
Amador County
- 241 total positive cases and 15 deaths
- 2.2 new cases per 100,000 people and 2.6% positivity rate
State of California
- 749,843 total positive cases and 14,032 deaths
Valley Mountain Regional Center
- 164 positive consumer cases and 10 deaths
- 10 positive staff cases
- 1 positive volunteer case
- 66 positive provider cases and 1 death
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Local County, State and National Public Health Resources |
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