We're still here...

Over the past six months all of us at CCI have learned a great deal about personal protective equipment (PPE) - when and how to use these protections properly, how to don (put on) and doff (remove) this equipment; proper hand-washing and sanitizing; and the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. We’ve developed and implemented; sanitizing schedules for every site and vehicle, posted reminders for hand sanitizing and social distancing, established capacity limits in office areas and commonly used spaces; and introduced a host of new procedures designed to keep everyone healthy.

In May, we began offering new service options that incorporated safety recommendations from the CDC and the Maryland Department of Health. These included opportunities for every person who had been participating in our traditional Day Habilitation Programs prior to the pandemic; some provided virtually and others in-person. All of these supports continue to be offered today.

In July, we started assisting those people living in our licensed residential sites with opportunities outside of their homes. We considered the specific risk factors associated with each resident’s age and health and developed safe and meaningful options for all residents.

We continue to exercise caution with regards to visits to our licensed residential sites. Visitors are screened with a series of health questions prior to their visits, and approved visits take place outdoors.

Visitors to our office sites are restricted to only those with essential business to conduct. Deliveries are made without entry into any of the program spaces, and we maintain records of all non-employees who enter our buildings.

Employees continue to complete personal health screenings prior to reporting to work. This screening includes the health of people with whom employees live. Employees are not permitted to work with symptoms of flu-like illness, a positive test result for COVID-19 or close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19. Protocols regarding returning to work are closely followed by our Human Resource department.

Similarly, Program Participants are screened prior to engaging in any activities and our nursing staff monitor any symptoms of flu-like illness, and/or COVID-19 exposures. Specific protocols are used to determine when a Participant may return to activities.

We are confident in our safety practices, and the procedures designed to prevent the spread of illness. Our commitment to supporting people with disabilities is unchanged by the pandemic although we have adapted our methods of doing so. As we offer more and more opportunities, we encourage you to weigh the benefits against the risk and make decisions that provide the most inclusive opportunities for yourself, and your loved ones, based on individual circumstances. We are still here to help!

At this time, we do not have a date to re-open our Day Programs in the traditional fashion, with groups of 30 -40 people. We will; however, persist in the development of opportunities for everyone we support.