Lackawanna-Susquehanna Behavioral Health Intellectual ...



Lackawanna Susquehanna Early Intervention Guidance for Early Intervention Services During COVID-19

Based on OCDEL's Response to Governor's Wolf Targeted Mitigation Efforts on 7-16-2020, OCDEL has provided the guidelines below to ensure the safety of children, families, and EI IET, SC and Providers.

All Early Intervention programs should continue to use Tele-Intervention strategies as the primary method to provide evaluations, IFSP & IEP services.

It remains allowable to use in-person strategies when there are barriers to implementing Tele-Intervention strategies such as access issues, lack of progress, or an intermittent need to address an IFSP/IEP outcome.

Based on OCDEL's response, face to face requests protocol will be re-implemented if the below issues need to be addressed such as:

1. Access Issues- internet

2. Lack of Progress on the outcome/ IFSP

3. Intermittent Need to Address on the IFSP.

Requests should describe strategies that will be worked on face to face that could not be done through tele-health.

Once the face to face requests are approved, please note that face to face sessions will be limited and the majority of sessions will be via tele-health.

When doing the face to face sessions, remember that before proceeding into the home, you should use the COVID-19 screening tool with families, in addition to using the PA DOH and CDC guidelines.

Also, have a discussion with families to see if face to face sessions can be done outside.

After speaking to the families, the provider will email the SC and CC Kerri Orzechowski requesting a face to face session. In the email, the provider will need to have the following information listed in the email. Subject Line- Request for Face to face Session. the SC Supervisor will need to email the County EI Coordinator with the following information:

* Child’s Name

* Type of Session- Evaluation; Service Coordination; or Service Delivery

* Date and time of the session requested

* Reason for Face to Face Session.

* Description of the strategies that will be worked on through face to face that cannot be achieved through tele-health.

Once the County EI Coordinator reviews the above information, the County EI Coordinator will need to approve all face to face session in addition to the frequency duration that face to face sessions will occur. The remaining sessions will be through tele-health.

Face to Face Sessions

When there is an identified need for a home visit, the provider of the EI services should contact the family prior to the home visit to ask the following health screening questions. The provider should document the responses.

The questions and responses listed below should be documented in the session notes/ service notes.

1. Anyone in the home tested positive or suspected of having COVID-19?

2. Does anyone in the home have signs or symptoms of a fever, new or worsening cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, respiratory illness?

3. Has anyone in the home had contact within the last 14 days with someone with or under investigation for COVID-19?

4. Will a person with a weakened immune system, a person who is over the age of 65 years, or a person that has chronic health conditions (e.g. heart disease, lung disease, diabetes), or other factors that pose a risk if the person becomes infected with COVID-19 be present during the visit?

If the provider of EI services believes they are at risk of transmitting COVID-19 or the response is yes to any of the questions above, it is recommended that the provider of EI services communicate with the family the need to postpone the visit and to schedule a time to plan for a future visit.

o If the provider of EI services is not able to contact the family before the home visit and decides to proceed with the visit, the provider should ask the four health screening questions included above before entering the home to make sure the provider is doing everything the provider can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The provider should stand approximately 6 feet from the doorway when asking the four health screening questions.

o If the answer is no to all of the health screening questions included above, and the provider decides that going to the home is in the best interest of the child and family, then the provider of EI services should take the precautions listed below to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Precautions include:

• Following the CDC and PA DOH guidelines.

• Whenever possible, maintaining a minimum 6-foot distance between the provider of EI services and family members during a visit.

• Visits can take place outside of the home.

• Wearing masks or cloth face coverings to prevent the asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 and to provide protection when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

• Minimizing physical contact with frequently touched surfaces in the home.

• Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before entering/going to the home and after exiting. If soap and water are not available, using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth.

Health & Safety Procedures – Waivers:

Providers of Early Intervention services may develop waivers of liability to be signed by the parent of the child participating in in-person Early Intervention services. Waivers developed by a provider agency should be done in conjunction with their legal counsel. County approval is not required regarding any developed waiver of liability. A family is not required to sign a waiver of liability to receive Early Intervention services. Tele-Intervention services should be offered if the family choses to not sign a waiver of liability.

Families / EI Provider That Travel Out of State- Face to Face Sessions that were approved by County EI Coordinator

If a family and/ or EI IET, SC or Provider travels out of state in any of the high risk COVID-19 states, then tele-health services will resume for 2 weeks to ensure that family and or EI IET, SC and Provider is not showing any symptoms of COVID-19.

Child Care

Early Intervention services may be delivered in childcare settings. Additional planning may be required to ensure that the family, childcare personnel and EI provider are all prepared for a safe EI service delivery experience. Early Intervention providers do not need to screen the children and adults in the childcare facility. EI providers can accept the COVID health screening completed by the childcare program for the adults and children in the facility when evaluating the safety to deliver EI services. EI providers should be prepared to be screened by the childcare facility prior to entering the building. In situations where a childcare is not permitting the entry of non-employees into the childcare facility, EI service alternatives can be offered and can include the implementation of Tele-Intervention or in-person services in the home as appropriate. Families and EI providers should be aware that childcare providers may not be prepared for the implementation of Tele-Intervention.

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