Third Community Health Advisory: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
What a Difference Another Week Makes?
News is still changing so fast that it can be confusing for everyone. This message is an update for our Valley Mountain region:

It is important to be clear that your Valley Mountain Regional Center (VMRC) is still working to help people with disabilities get the services and supports they need.

Is the Regional Center Closed?
No. Almost all of our staff are WORKING from their homes but no one is having meetings in our offices. VMRC has about 270 case carrying staff with an average of 80 people on each caseload, traveling around our region with face to face meetings with everyone is too dangerous for our consumers and our communities at this time. While some face to face meetings are still happening at the consumer's request, most work is being done by calling on the phone, using FaceTime, using Skype, using Zoom and other tools that allow people to talk and work with each other remotely.

What Do I Do If My Needs Were Met But Now They're Not?
If you are a consumer, or family member, who was getting supports and services before this crisis but you are not getting them now and you need some other kind of service or help please call your Service Coordinator ( Staff Directory) to talk about what other service can meet your needs during this time. Some providers are having a hard time keeping staff available during this crisis but other kinds of services might be available. Your Service Coordinator will help you figure out the best way to get your needs met, call them or send them an email.

Is My Day Program Closed?
First, if the day program site had to close because of this crisis, it is a temporary site closure, not forever. Second, though the site may have closed, VMRC is working very closely with the leaders in our service provider community to come up with ways that services can still be provided in the home.

How is a Day Program Suppose to Provide Services if the Site is Closed?
The latest Directive (8 AM March 19, 2020) says the rules requiring services in a specific location or in-person are hereby waived. This directive lets the following services be provided in an alternate location or remotely:

Service Code Description
017 Crisis Team
028 Socialization Training Program
048 Client/Parent Support Behavior Intervention Training
055 Community Integration Training Program
062 Personal Assistance
063 Community Activities Support Service
091 In-Home Day Program
094 Creative Arts Program
102 Individual or Family Training Services
106 Specialized Recreational Therapy
108 Parenting Support Services
110 Supplemental Day Program Support
115 Specialized Therapeutic Services (Age 3-20)
116 Early Start Specialized Therapeutic Services
117 Specialized Therapeutic Services (Age 21+)
505 Activity Center
510 Adult Development Center
515 Behavior Management Program
520 Independent Living Program
525 Social Recreation Program
605 Adaptive Skills Trainer
612 Behavior Analyst
613 Associate Behavior Analyst
615 Behavior Management Assistant
616 Behavior Management Technician
620 Behavior Management Consultant
625 Counseling Services
635 Independent Living Specialist
691 Art Therapist
692 Dance Therapist
693 Music Therapist
694 Recreational Therapist
707 Speech Pathology
772 Physical Therapy
773 Occupational Therapy
780 Psychiatrist
896 Supported Living Service

Is There Help for the Residential Provider's to Meet Increased Need?
The Regional Center Executive Director will grant rate adjustments for residential services and/or supplemental services in residential settings, to protect a consumer’s health or safety as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. VMRC can also assist ICFs to provide residential supplemental services, if funding for this is not available through the Medi-Cal program.

Thank you for your continued support of one another especially during these difficult days ahead.

Sincerely

Tony Anderson
Executive Director
Valley Mountain Regional Center.
Lets Talk Today - March 20, 2020

Today we're hosting open forums using Zoom (you use your computer or phone) to talk about our responses and planning activities related to COVID-19. We have three forums open to the public at different times in the day and one that was already scheduled hosted with the Coalition of Local Area Service Providers. We are also working on scheduling more open forums targeting the needs and topics for specific groups. These meetings are intended to communicate with our community, as well as answer any questions that our community may have as it relates to our IDD community and Coronavirus. If we don't have the answer, we'll look into and get it onto our FAQ web page. The meetings are as follows:





Each meeting has a capacity of 100 participants total, and will last 60-90 minutes.
To participate, just click above. You can participate via your PC, your smart phone, or call into the conference via your telephone. Zoom offers an option for a free account.

More Targeted Group Talks Being Scheduled
Consumers Only
Families Only
Spanish Speaking Only
Staff Only
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.
We're working on the updates for the FAQs to answer the new questions that have come in and should be completed by the end of the day today.

Check it out here and visit our Covid-19 Update Webpage regularly at: https://www.vmrc.net/covid-19-coronavirus/


What's Going On and
What Have We Been Doing About This
Since Sunday March 15, 2020
  1. Another meeting with regional center directors and DDS to discuss several policy ideas that are being worked on to help the regional center respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
  2. Governor Gavin Newsome calls for shelter in place for all seniors 65 and older and those with chronic vulnerable health conditions. VMRC institutes this guidance for our region.
  3. Monday March 16th: Meeting with the CLASP leadership on the status of the response and questions and answers and scheduling of membership Zoom meetings with the Director.
  4. Quality Assurance meeting with teDirector to discuss a re-prioritizing of issues to focus on during the crisis. Prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and consumer health number 1 priority.
  5. By the end of the day all gatherings of more than 10 were rescheduled or went to remote formats.
  6. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions postponed all future gatherings and institute teh governors restrictions for seniors.
  7. Tuesday March 17th: The City of Manteca calls for Shelter in Place following Six Bay Area Counties simultaneous call for Shelter in Place. Allows for grocery shopping, gas, doctors, essential services.
  8. Reiteration to VMRC staff to work from home if they can and that remote meetings is the preferred way to do your work in the crisis - consumers not conferring overrules this preference.
  9. By the end of the day on Tuesday 10 day programs had voluntarily closed their doors tot eh public.
  10. VMRC announced the site closure of our San Andreas - services still operational.
  11. Wednesday March 18th: VMRC receives 5,800 N95 masks from DDS for distribution to our provide community and consumers. Announces the ordering process online.
  12. CLASP and VMRC held our first Zoom meeting with about 50 members Updates and questions.
  13. Thursday March 19th: Several more day programs closed their sites.
  14. DDS releases a much anticipated state Directive: DEPARTMENT DIRECTIVE ON REQUIREMENTS WAIVED DUE TO COVID-19 AND ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.
  15. VMRC announced the site closure of the Modesto office - services still operational.
  16. All 5800 masks were distributed either by drive through pick-up or deliveries by staff and volunteers.
  17. Senior Leadership meets with all managers at VMRC meet to review the status of the responses and discuss administrative solutions to the many problems related to this crisis and the overwhelming workload.
  18. Senior Leadership begins it's planning process for the most scenarios are our region.
  19. Another meeting with regional center directors and ARCA staff and DDS for updates and planning.
  20. Thursday evening Governor Newsome calls for the state to shelter in place:
  21. Friday March 20th: 4 Open Forums being held to inform the public of our activities with more targeted group forums being scheduled.
  22. Stockton head quarters office closes for public meetings. All service Service Coordination still operational throughout the regional center.
  23. ...


Since Monday Morning March 9, 2020
  1. Monday March 9th VMRC published it's first Health Advisory on the Coronavirus. All 5 of our County Departments of Public health had no known cases. 
  2. Tuesday March 10th: San Joaquin and Calaveras Counties had reported confirm cases.
  3. Wednesday March 11th: World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 spread to be a global pandemic.
  4. Wednesday March 11th: Stanislaus reported confirmed cases bringing our regional total to 3 counties and 5 cases.
  5. Wednesday March 11th: Major sports leagues cancel or suspend their seasons and the media reports athletes and celebrities with confirmed cases.
  6. Wednesday March 11th: The President addresses the nation suspending and restricting travel, signed a bill authoring increased funding to the Centers for Disease Control for COVID-19 response,and a plan for fiscal relief for Americans.
  7. Thursday March 12th: Governor Newsome holds another press conference on COVID-19 response and release executive order highlighting the specific needs of Californian's with developmental disabilities. Calls for waiving in-person contact requirements, allows for public meetings to be remote, mitigation efforts for the financial losses of providers, and social distancing requirements of large gatherings.
  8. DDS publishes a directive for regional centers outline the mitigations and waivers in support of the governor's executive order.
  9. VMRC begins the process for cancellations of large group gatherings and developments it's first FAQ document to answer the question from consumers, providers, and families.
  10. Friday March 13th: Messages sent out to staff and community and manager and senior leadership begin the implementation process for the new policies. As of today there are no known cases of consumers with COVID-19.

Previous Recap
During the first half of February the Clinical staff were monitoring the worldwide, nationwide, statewide and local developments of the COVID-19.

In the last week of February to current:
  1. Advisories were developed and CDC resources ordered.
  2. Policies and an advisory for staff developed and disseminated.
  3. Informational plain language web page developed and updated regularly.
  4. First report of potential exposed person (Consumer A) (a few days later was tested negative)
  5. Clinical Director along with Senior Leadership developed staff policy plus enhanced universal precaution procedures and resources and supplies ordered.
  6. Facilities manager is ordering additional supplies and equipment for antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizers, tissues, etc. for the universal precautions kits we will be assembling.
  7. Hand sanitizer dispensing machines ordered for the lobbies and public areas, supplies were found in short supply and higher costs.
  8. Wednesday March 4, 2020 (Consumer B): It was reported that a consumer potentially exposed second hand (no symptoms - testing scheduled - reported as low risk).
  9. Thursday March 5th (Consumer C): It was reported that a consumer potentially exposed third hand (no symptoms - testing scheduled - reported as low risk).
  10. CA Department of Public Health and Office of Emergency Services Published Official Use Only report which show all of our five counties listed at either Lowest Risk or Level 3 (lowest Risk) (San Francisco and Berkeley ranked Highest Risk)
  11. Friday March 6th:  DDS has called for a Directors Meeting to discuss regional activities and ideas to support the local communities.
  12. VMRC Resource Development receives a message from a parent wanting us to shut down the schools because of COVID-19. While misdirected and alarming it’s a good reminder that there are probably many out there in our community that are afraid and in need of good and reliable information. 
  13. Public Health officials warned us to be careful not to violate HIPAA by revealing anyone is under quarantine and reiterating that the involved person can reveal whatever they want about their own health condition but no one else can.
Local County Public Health Resources
  1. Amador County (one known case March 19, 2020)
  2. Calaveras County (2 known cases March 19, 2020)
  3. San Joaquin County (17 known cases - two deaths March 19, 2020)
  4. Stanislaus County (5 known cases March 19, 2020)
  5. Tuolumne County  (no known case March 19, 2020)
  6. VMRC - No confirmed case March 20, 2020
What Can You Do?
Here are some things you should do based on the Center for Disease Control and the Dept of Labor recommendations:
  1. It’s the time of year when many people get the flu so you should get the flu vaccine and flu antivirals if your doctor prescribes them. All providers serving people should follow these 10 actions to ensure the health and safety of those they support.
  2. Stay at home if you are sick. People who have a fever and or respiratory symptoms should not go to work or school or any public gathering until 24 hours after their fever ends.
  3. Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds; use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.
  4. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes.
  5. If you have a cough or sneezing wear a mask and if you’re working with someone who is coughing or sneezing offer them a mask.
  6. If you do not have a mask cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your upper sleeve(s) – wash hands immediately after. 
  7. Keep frequently touched common surfaces clean with disinfectants.
  8. Try not to use someone else’s phone, desk, office, computer, or other work tools and equipment. If you must use a coworker’s equipment, clean it first with an alcohol wipe.
  9. Avoid shaking hands or coming in close contact with people who may be ill.
  10. Speak with your doctor and find out if you are in a high risk category for seasonal flu (e.g., elderly, pregnant women, small children, persons with asthma, etc.).
  11. If you have been have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you will face some limitations on your movement and activity. Contact your doctor or county public health if you think you might be exposed.
Worldwide Health Organization