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Family COVID-19 Letter 3/13/20
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To: SD Families
From: Lesha Rasco/Operations Director
Date: March 13, 2020
RE: Coronavirus
We first would like to apologize as this memo was supposed to go out to families on Monday; however, we had technical difficulties with our new emailing system. In the meantime, we have updated information and have added new information below.
To date, there are two confirmed cases reported in Vermont. We are continuously reading and staying informed with the information from the Vermont Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the school districts we serve.
Many of the precautions that help prevent other respiratory diseases, like colds and the flu can also help keep an illness like COVID-19 from spreading.
These are the routine behaviors that our staff and clients at SD will be encouraged to follow:
From: Lesha Rasco/Operations Director
Date: March 13, 2020
RE: Coronavirus
We first would like to apologize as this memo was supposed to go out to families on Monday; however, we had technical difficulties with our new emailing system. In the meantime, we have updated information and have added new information below.
To date, there are two confirmed cases reported in Vermont. We are continuously reading and staying informed with the information from the Vermont Department of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the school districts we serve.
Many of the precautions that help prevent other respiratory diseases, like colds and the flu can also help keep an illness like COVID-19 from spreading.
These are the routine behaviors that our staff and clients at SD will be encouraged to follow:
- Frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or a tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
In efforts to maintain a healthy environment for students and staff, keep your child home if they are experiencing:
- Fever of 100 F or above, currently or within previous 24 hours
- Diarrhea or vomiting, currently or within previous 24 hours
- A persistent sore throat with fever or enlarged tonsils/glands
Please do not send your child back to school/program until they have been symptom-free without fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours. Please inform your child’s BCBA of any sick like behaviors your child is experiencing or any recently diagnoses.
In our buildings, our custodial staff is diligently using disinfectants in a safe and effective manner to clean up potentially infectious materials.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has established geographic risk-stratification criteria for the purpose of issuing travel health notices for countries with coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission. Level 3 is the highest risk stratification currently identified, which is defined as “widespread sustained (ongoing) transmission.” The following four countries are currently listed at a level 3 risk (this list is subject to change):
- China
- Iran
- South Korea
- Italy
If your child(ren) or family have traveled to one of these countries, you must inform the SD immediately. We will provide the Vermont Department of Health with your contact information so they can follow up with you on your health status.
In order to prevent the spread of this disease, we highly recommend that the below action is completed relative to their return to program:
Have your doctor test your child for the virus before they return to program. Please note that not all doctors are willing to test individuals who are not showing any symptoms, so please be sure to inquire when scheduling the appointment.
We understand the concerns that families have about the COVID- 19 virus and protecting their children and family. This may result in families wanting to limit people in their home and/or the environments that their children occupy. We would like to minimize the cancellation of services so that your child can continue to receive programming that the therapist has deemed necessary for their growth. In doing so, we would like to offer the following accommodations. All or some of these accommodations could be possible depending on the school and your child’s therapeutic goals.
1. Service change in venue from your home to our offices in Williston and Montpelier. If you are engaging in parent training at this time, you are welcome to come to the office too.
2. In some cases, we can work with the school to have some of the services done at their community school.
3. If you would like to limit the community venues that your child may access based on their goals, please discuss with the BCBA.
Please note that any additional time spend in the car that may occur do make the above changes happen will not be billed to the insurance plan, but rather will be considered an overhead cost to SD Associates. If you are interested in any of the above accommodations, please let your BA know and we will work together as a team to put together the best possible plan.
For families who also receive SD services at school, we will be working with schools to minimize the risk of exposure to students, while keeping in mind the time your child spends out of programming.
Our hope is to be thoughtful of everyone’s concerns while still being able to meet the needs of your child and family under the scope of ABA therapeutic goals. If you have concerns about COVID-19, please visit the Vermont Department of Health’s COVID-19 website or dial 2-1-1 for more information.
Thank you for your time,
Lesha
