Dear Benchmarks members.

We wanted to share with you the following information related to how the COVID-19 interventions, including social distancing, are impacting the courts.  This is particularly important for our PRTF facilities.  NC DHHS representatives are meeting with the Administrative Office of the Courts today and we expect more information to be forthcoming!

From  www.nccourts.gov:  In a  memo released today,  Chief Justice Cheri Beasley asked judicial officials to drastically reduce operations in courthouses throughout the state in an effort to further limit the spread of the coronavirus. The memo updated several directives delivered in her  March 13 order limiting operations of the North Carolina court system. Chief Justice Beasley stressed that while courthouses must remain open, officials must drastically curtail trips to local courts to help reduce community transmission of COVID-19 and further protect employees of the courts who must still interact with the public.

We understand that many of you have questions related to how to manage your businesses, staff and the people you service during this time.  

Please know that  Karen McLeod has been in regular contact with leadership at DHHS regarding all things COVID-19 and has been told this morning that we will soon be given specific guidance for how to manage staffing ratios, impacts on direct care staff, and opportunities and guidelines for telehealth.  We will keep you posted and informed as this information is released!

In the meantime, we have shared the questions gathered from our call on Friday with DHHS.  Please take a moment to review the document and if your question is not addressed there, we want to know!

We also realize that we may not be able to anticipate all questions and ask that you continue to send any and all issues, potential solutions and ideas our way as this evolves.
Latest update from DHHS: 

On Saturday, March 14th, Governor Roy Cooper ordered all K-12 public schools in North Carolina to close for a minimum of two weeks in response to COVID-19. The Executive Order also bans gatherings of more than 100 people. North Carolina currently has 23 people in 12 counties who have tested positive for COVID-19.
We know this change and the additional guidance below has massive impact on BH/IDD provider operations.  The Department is working aggressively to identify every flexibility possible to help sustain provider operations and refocus their work in this time to be of best use in the midst of this pandemic response.  A team is working through changes of regulatory, contractual, and payment rules in effort to maximize our ability to support those that are currently need our care and those that will need our care even more as a result of this event.  
 
Please send your questions to a new email box we have established:  BHIDD.COVID.Qs@dhhs.nc.gov.  Working with other providers and associations to come up with common lists of prioritized questions is most helpful.  As we resolve issues, we will push out updated information and we will be sure to alert every provider that has emailed us, in addition to our other notification lists.