Dear Providers,
We hope this email finds you and your family well. The Coronavirus presents significant challenges to our families, communities, schools and every aspect of our daily lives. At New York Therapy, we have been working hard to discover and share remote learning technologies that can help get our providers back in the field to continue the important work of caring for special needs children. The guidance being given to us by government agencies is changing almost hourly, and we are monitoring and reacting to these communications as quickly as possible to keep you informed.
SCHOOL AGE SERVICES ages 5-21 (does not apply to CPSE students)
Some districts have already authorized remote learning, and we anticipate many more will do so in the coming days and weeks. If the district(s) you are working in authorize remote services, NYTPS will send you an e-mail confirmation that you may begin remote services. Please do not offer remote services to the families in your district(s) until you receive this confirmation e-mail from us. If your district has specific policies pertaining to remote services that you must adhere to, your confirmation e-mail will contain those policies. Below are the basic protocols/guidelines to follow so that your sessions are payable to you and billable to the district.
CONSENT TO DO REMOTE SERVICES FROM PARENTS
It is the district requirement that you obtain some type of documentation stating that parents have either consented or declined remote learning sessions.
This can be as simple as sending an email asking the parent to confirm consent.
Suggested email communication: Your district has approved remote learning. Please confirm whether you consent or decline these services by responding to this email. If you are consenting to remote services, I will follow up to arrange a plan that works for your family. Thank you
We suggest that you be flexible in scheduling sessions with the families, as parents are juggling working from home and childcare with other demands.
You will be receiving a spreadsheet from your coordinator.
Please fill out and return the spreadsheet to NYTPS detailing which families have accepted, which have declined services and which families did not respond. We ask that your spreadsheet contain all students on your caseload with their status.
DOCUMENT ALL SERVICES
Continue to use IEP direct or written session notes utilizing our provider session note unless otherwise notified by your coordinator.
FOLLOW THE IEP MANDATES
Please try to follow the IEP mandates
to the best of your ability
. Specific platforms to provide remote services are not being mandated by the districts, and the choice is being left to the provider’s discretion. Tools such as Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Email, and others are available. During the time districts are closed and remote learning is being allowed by districts and by government agencies, HIPAA confidentiality guidelines that might previously have prohibited the use of these technologies have been relaxed to permit their use. However, most common-sense HIPAA guidelines still apply (e.g. never show another student’s name in communications with a different parent)
Our school age coordinators and clinical supervisors are available to discuss options for service delivery.
Clinical Supervisors
Note:
All New York Therapy billing
procedures and current service rates remain unchanged
We are excited about the opportunity to employ new technologies to continue providing sessions to children who need them while districts are closed. We will work closely with you to address and overcome any challenges you encounter during this difficult time.
Any questions please contact your coordinator.
Stay healthy!
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