Clients

• Clients receiving therapy services in-person at SPACE will be picked up for therapy from their vehicle and returned to their vehicle after their therapy session is complete. If the child has difficulty transitioning, guardians may also bring their child to the main entrance door, under the canopy. Please stand 6 feet apart from other families to assure appropriate social distancing.
• A pre-session health screening will take place for each client before entering the building:
  • Clients will have their temperature taken. Any client with a fever over 100.0 cannot be seen for services that day
  • Parents/caregivers will be asked to report any COVID-19 symptoms the child has had in the past 10 days
  • Parents/caregivers will be asked if any person in their household has had COVID-19 symptoms within the past 10 days
• If a client has a fever over 100.0 or the answer or does not pass any of the screening questions, the client will not be seen for therapy that day. There will be no charge for the missed session as a last-minute cancellation.
• Parents, caregivers and siblings will not be allowed in the clinic or waiting room unless it is to use the restroom. Special considerations will be made for initial evaluations and for children who are absolutely unable to separate from their caregivers.
• All parents are encouraged to wait in their vehicles during sessions. However, if a parent leaves, they must arrive 10 minutes before their child’s therapy session ends to allow for transition, wrap-up and cleaning time. Because of increased demands on staff to thoroughly sanitize and clean the facility, staff are unable to watch your child if you arrive late for pick-up.
• Clients who have been ill may not return to SPACE until they have been fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.
• Clients will sanitize their hands before starting and at the conclusion of their therapy.
• Clients may not bring materials, toys or food from home to therapy unless requested by your clinician. They may bring a drink to the clinic.
• Clients receiving in-person services will be charged for no-shows at this time.
• Client’s families will be notified of precautions SPACE is taking to minimize the spread of infection so they are aware of the risk of their child returning to therapy.
• Social distancing will be used when possible, however, it is very likely that your child’s therapist will be within 6 feet of your child during their therapy session. Masks and/or face shields are available to our therapy staff to wear during the session, but due to the nature of some therapies, they may be removed for part or all of your child’s therapy sessions to facilitate strategies that help your child in therapy.
• If you would like for your child to wear a mask during their session or if you need to enter the building for any reason, please bring personal masks to therapy.
• Clients who are immunocompromised, medically fragile, or who are otherwise at risk for complications arising from catching an illness are encouraged not to return to the clinic at this time. Please continue telehealth services to meet your child’s needs. Any client who is not ready to return to the clinic can still receive services through telehealth pending insurance coverage or through private pay options.
• If we are made aware that a client tests positive for COVID-19, the Health Department will be notified and notification of potential exposure will be sent to SPACE families by the Clinic Managers.

Staff

• Staff have been educated about our COVID-19 precautions, use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), new policies and universal precautions related to decreasing the spread of germs and sanitation
• Staff who have a fever or symptoms of COVID-19 will not report to work and will follow CDC guidelines about returning to work
• Staff with members of their household who have COVID-19 or who are symptomatic of COVID-19 will not report to work
• Staff will take their temperature upon arrival to work
• Staff must pass the same screening questions as clients when they report to work daily. Staff will be sent home if they answer “yes” to any screening question
• If a staff member has a fever or becomes ill, they may return to work following CDC guidelines:
  • Fever free for 24 hours
  • Other symptoms have improved
  • At least 7 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared
• If a staff member becomes ill with COVID-19 or COVID-19 -like symptoms, the Health Department will be notified and a notification of potential exposure will be sent to SPACE families by the Clinic Managers

Personal Protective Equipment and Use

• Employees will wear masks during all pick up and drop offs
• When it does not prohibit clinical intervention, masks may also be worn during therapy sessions
• Face shields are also available to staff during therapy sessions as needed
• Staff may not congregate in common areas without wearing face masks
• All therapists will bring a change of clothes to work in case they come into contact with bodily fluids during a therapy session
• Gloves may be worn if a therapist is at risk for coming into contact with bodily fluids, during feeding/snack times and during oral motor activities

Clinic

Our new clinic allows for ample rooms and space so that social distancing can be adhered to throughout the day. Sessions will be held in private rooms with a 1:1 ratio. However, as stated earlier, there may be points in time during therapy where your child’s clinician may be closer than the 6 foot distance. SPACE staff will also take every opportunity to keep our clinic disinfected and sanitized throughout each day. Our cleaning procedures are as follows:

During Sessions:

• Therapist initiates hand washing for self or child with any cough, sneeze, or runny nose
• Mouthed, coughed on or sneezed on toys immediately put aside in a bin for sanitation
• Any items suspected of contact with respiratory droplets will be sanitized and/or removed immediately

Daily Sanitization:

• Door handles
• Light switches
• Sinks, faucets, bathrooms
• Counter tops
• A/C unit keypads

Weekly Sanitization:

• Waiting room surfaces
• All large seating and sensory motor equipment (2x weekly)
• All frequently touched toys
• Towels and other fabric materials washed after individual use

General Precautions:

• Therapists/staff will wipe down keyboards, phones and desks daily using a CDC approved cleaner
• Materials that are too tedious to be cleaned (i.e., ball pits) will not be in use
• Visual alerts (Cover your Cough from CDC) will be posted at the doors of the clinic, educating others about decreasing the spread of COVID-19
• All clinicians will have their own cleaning supplies including tissues, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, soap and gloves
• Paraprofessionals/therapy technicians will be available to clean shared therapy areas while therapy occurs to minimize cross-contamination
• Cleaning/disinfecting of hard and soft surfaces will follow CDC guidelines

Payment

• In order to remain contact free, all payments will be collected at the time of services via credit card on file. If your credit card information is not on file, please call the front desk for payment during the scheduled session
• A receipt will be emailed to you upon request

We are so excited to see our families and know that your children will love our new SPACE. We are all in this together. Thank you in advance for your patience during this time as we adjust to new policies that have been created to ensure safety for our families and staff! Any questions about these policies may be directed to Clinic Managers. Vanessa Felcman at [email protected] and Michelle Reed at [email protected].