Good afternoon VBA,
I want to reach out to all of you to update you on our status as we head into the summer months. As you know, we have received funding via the CARES Act 
(PPP), and support from many school districts to retain your employment. However, as of June 11th, our PPP funding ends, and schools will be out for the summer. What this means is that the company will only be reimbursed for hours of actual services rendered to clients. In addition, telehealth waivers from insurance companies and the Regional Centers are set to expire in early to mid-June. In order to address this, a few things are happening:
- In the first half of June, VBA is going to pay out PTO balances to employees so that you have the extra funds for the summer. In paying in this manner, you will receive the money but still be eligible for unemployment benefits or work share assistance under EDD. As stated in previous emails, we encourage all our employees to be very mindful of your personal spending at this time. If you have the means to put any extra money aside in your savings, this is recommended.
- We are going to begin increasing our offerings of in home services as of June 15th, with the health precautions below. We are following the guidance from the state and the county on lifting restrictions. Our governor issued a notice last week indicating that the state is already in process. As of now, providing in person services is still optional, but please be aware that there will be no supplemental hours available as of June 12th. As restrictions are lifted, if you are offered work and decline it, this may affect your eligibility for benefits under EDD, however we will proceed with caution and the understanding that restrictions may be reimposed depending on the status of the health crisis. Scheduling will be reaching out to you to determine your willingness to provide direct services as of June 15th.
Health & Safety
- All employees working directly with clients must take their own temperature prior to entering the home (either before you leave your home or before you enter). Clients also must take their own temperature and will be notified in advance. If a member of the household, or the employee has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, the session will be cancelled.
- Wash hands immediately when you arrive at a client’s home. We prefer you use soap and water, however, hand sanitizer is also acceptable. Please also wash your hands before leaving. Be diligent about this.
- Wear a mask at all times when working within the homes of our clients. Again, you may use a handmade reusable face mask, handkerchief, or disposable face mask.
- Sanitize your reinforcers before and after each session. If you cannot do this, then do not bring any reinforcers into the homes of the client.
- Sanitize the work area you are using in the family home at the start and end of each session. We will be instructing the families to be prepared for this.
- The office will remain closed, with our office staff working remotely. Should you need to go to the office, it will be by appointment only and you will be required to disinfect all areas you are in and all items touched.
- We will continue to maintain small teams of 1-2 people per client for the time being, and limit the number of homes that you are sent to.
- Supervision will be offered primarily via telehealth to reduce the number of people entering homes.
- Telehealth will be continued as an option as long as permitted by funding sources, although we expect this to start phasing out.
In talking to school districts and directors, I am optimistic that schools will be open in some capacity in the Fall. Regardless, the demand for our services is expected to be higher than ever due to the needs of our students and how being out of school for several months has affected them. We are also staying on top of any government programs that may become available in the next round of legislation to support job retention. In the meantime I want to be sure we are as well prepared for summer as possible.
Should you have any questions, always feel free to reach out.