Since March of 2020, Communitas has worked hard to mitigate risk to our staff and families, while still providing the supports and services that our families need, deserve, and expect. During the initial shut-down, our Day Services Division provided remote services to all their participants. Our Family Support Division transitioned to telehealth, providing support via telephone calls and home visits on Zoom, Facetime or Teams. Our Residential Services Division, like the rest of the country, stayed home. This meant being inventive in keeping people engaged in learning, growing, and staying connected to their friends and families.
While none of these measures were perfect, they were necessary to slow the spread of the pandemic and to keep people safe.
And, for the most part, these measures were successful. Many people were able to return to in-person Day Services. Family Support home visits were once again being done in person. Folks supported by our Residential Division were able to enjoy getting out and doing the normal activities of daily living.
During this time, new variants have arisen and updated information has been released on the most effective ways to stay safe.
In response, Communitas developed a team of agency staff who were consistently reviewing our safety protocols and revising them as needed. This group is known as our Continuity of Operations Planning Team, or COOP, and consists of Division Heads, front-line supervisors and other key employees. The COOP team meets three times a week via conference call. This allows us to stay current with ongoing health status, to react to trends, and to plan ahead. Suggestions from the programs are reviewed, with input from our nursing staff, maintenance crew and Safety Committee.
As we move forward, we will continue to strive for balance between providing critical services while mitigating risk from this pandemic.