Guidance for Home and Community Services During Covid-19

Home and Community Service Guidance (effective 1/11/2021) 

The following guidance is intended for staff and families engaging in-home services.  We expect all staff and families to follow these recommendations in attempts to mitigate the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 by staff or families while providing services.  

For services being provided in the community (ex, summer camps), Potential, Inc. must receive a copy of the location’s COVID Response Procedures and review/accept before allowing staff to attend with participant. 

If a family has any reservations about their child receiving services, please let your BCBA know.  Let scheduling know immediately if you wish to cease receiving services. In the event that we determine that we will no longer provide services, we will work with families to determine if additional/alternative telehealth services are appropriate and how to utilize such services and/or to provide a suggested schedule, list of activities, strategies for teaching, and guidance on managing problem behavior. 

Parents/Guardians will be notified should the status of our staff change and potential exposure information will be shared with Parents/Guardians/Staff to the extent possible, while maintaining required confidentiality. 

Screenings:   

Clinical staff and participants must complete daily screening process which is based on recommendations from CDC, OHMSAS, and ODP. 

If any household member, the participant, or staff shows signs of sickness or answer yes to any of the below questions before, during, or after services we must discontinue the session. The individual should then alert scheduling or call the main office before resuming services. Sickness and quarantine actions will be reviewed per current CDC guidelines which may lead to a temporary hold on in-person service. 

• Do you have a fever equal to or higher than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or respiratory symptoms such as new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, chills, repeated shaking with chills, body aches, muscle pain, headache, or new loss of taste or smell, headache, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, and runny nose?   
• In the past 14 days, have you had a potential exposure to a person with COVID-19? A potential exposure means a household contact or having close contact within 6 feet of an individual with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for at least 10 minutes. The timeframe for having contact with an individual includes the period of time of 48 hours before the individual became symptomatic.  
• Have you tested positive for COVID-19, have a test pending for COVID-19, or been told by a medical provider that you may or do have COVID-19? 

Service session:   

Limited scheduling of staff with participants, allowing only one RBT assigned per day to a client to provide services either in home or community location. 

Personal Protective Equipment  

Staff and families recognize that access to Personal Protective Equipment may be scarce. Our staff are required to wear masks throughout services regardless of each individual situation. We ask that any individuals who engage with staff or client during the session utilize a mask to protect staff. Clients who are able should utilize a mask during sessions.   

Expectations for staff and family to reduce the spread:  

• Each household passes company’s policy for Home Expectations Checklist. 

• Families will limit access to the clinical environment by individuals who are not necessary. 
• All members of household and staff agree to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as soon as entering the home, and any time after nose blowing, coughing, or sneezing and dispose of paper towel in a waste receptacle immediately following.   
• Staff are required to wash hands upon arrival, between sessions and prior to leaving the client’s home.  
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.   
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.   

• Staff and participants will limit interaction/public gatherings based upon current social distancing guidelines according to CDC/local orders.   
• At or before the start of each in-home session, a household member should clean frequently touched surfaces involved in providing care (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks) with CDC/EPA recommended cleaning products.  
• Avoid close greetings, such as hugs or handshakes- use of other noncontact methods of greeting.  

Expectations of Community Based Services:   

• Services provided within the community must abide by all current guidelines by county.  This include limits to group sizes, required protective equipment, and proper social  distancing.    
• Staff and participant must follow protocol outlined in community location COVID  Response Procedures. 

Please contact us at 215-579-0670 x109 if you have any questions or concerns.