Hello to all Duluth Core Learning Clients,

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During this time of uncertainty and change due to COVID-19, Duluth Core Learning is committed to

providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our employees and clients. To ensure we have a safe and

healthy workplace, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic. All of us will be responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the

potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplace and community, and that requires full

cooperation among our staff and our clients. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and

maintain the safety and health of our staff and center.

 

Employees are responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this COVID-19

Preparedness Plan. Duluth Core managers and employees have our full support in enforcing the

provisions of this policy.

 

Our employees are our most important assets. We are serious about safety and health and keeping our

staff working at Duluth Core Learning. Worker involvement is essential in developing and implementing

a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, federal OSHA

standards related to COVID-19 and Executive Order 20-48, and addresses:

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 • hygiene and respiratory etiquette;

 • engineering and administrative controls for social distancing;

 • cleaning, disinfecting, decontamination and ventilation;

 • prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;

 • communications and training that will be provided to managers and workers; and

 • management and supervision are necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan.

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Screening and policies for employees exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19

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Employees have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess employee health status prior to

entering the workplace and for staff to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms.

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 • Employees will complete a checklist of symptoms prior to coming to the center and again once

     they arrive at work.

 • Employees will take their temperature when they arrive at the center.

 • If an employee is not feeling well or has symptoms on the screening checklist, they will notify

     the center immediately and will not come into work. Sessions will either be done remotely or

     will be rescheduled.

 • If an employee becomes sick at work. They will be isolated immediately from all other staff

     and clients and will be sent home.

 • If exposed, in close contact, with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 inside or

     outside the clinic, employees will follow self-quarantine guidelines outlined below.

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 • Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to self-quarantine for 2 weeks and be

     72 hours without a fever.

 • Clients will also be notified if they have been in close contact at the clinic with someone who

     tests positive for COVID-19.

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Duluth Core Learning has implemented leave policies that promote employees staying at home when

they are sick, when household members are sick, or when required by a health care provider to isolate

or quarantine themselves or a member of their household. Accommodations for workers with

underlying medical conditions or who have household members with underlying health conditions have

been implemented. Their sessions will be done remotely.

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Duluth Core Learning has also implemented a policy for informing employees if they have been exposed

to a person with COVID-19 at their workplace. Those that have been within 6 feet of the infected

person for an extended amount of time, will be required to quarantine for the required amount of

time for up to 7 days.

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*Their therapy sessions would continue remotely.

In addition, a policy has been implemented to protect the privacy of workers’ health status and health 

information. This will be monitored as needed by supervisory personnel only.

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Handwashing

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Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented at our workplaces at all times. Employees

are instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout

the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their shift, prior to any mealtimes and after using the

toilet. All clients and visitors to the workplace will be required to wash or sanitize their hands prior to or

immediately upon entering the facility. Hand-sanitizer dispensers (that use sanitizers of greater than

60% alcohol) are at entrances and locations in the workplace so they can be used for hand hygiene in

place of soap and water, as long as hands are not visibly soiled.

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 • Hand sanitizer and disinfectant sprays will be available at each entrance, throughout the

    center, and at each session area.

• Employees and clients will wash their hands before and after each session.

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Respiratory etiquette: Cover your cough or sneeze

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Workers, customers and visitors are being instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or

a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and

eyes, with their hands. They should dispose of tissues in provided trash receptacles and wash or sanitize

their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette will be demonstrated on posters and

supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all workers, customers and visitors.

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Social Distancing

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Social distancing of six feet will be implemented and maintained between workers, clients, and visitors

in the workplace through the following engineering and administrative controls:

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 • Only those clients who are unable to continue therapy remotely due to programming or other

     concerns, will attend sessions in clinic. (Please speak with your clinician if you have questions.)

 • Most therapy sessions will be administered remotely, limiting the amount of people in the

     center.

 • Tape will be placed on the floor to indicate appropriate distancing. Table areas will be at least

    10 feet apart.

 • Clients will be picked up and dropped off outside the clinic. The reception area will be closed.

    Please have clients remain in the car until their clinician has opened the door for them.

 • Clinicians will take client temperatures before the client exits the entry.

   Clinicians will go through the Symptoms Checklist with the client at this time.

 • All tools and programming will be fully disinfected following each use.

   Table areas, chairs, and other surfaces, such as handles, and light switches, will be disinfected

    following sessions.

 • **Clients and clinicians will be asked to wear a mask and/or a face shield during sessions.

    Masks and face shields will be provided if you do not have one.

 • Masks, facial shields, gloves, and plexiglass shields will be available for employee and client

   use.

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Cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation

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Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of

work surfaces, equipment, tools, and areas in the work environment, including restrooms, break rooms,

meeting rooms, and drop-off and pick-up locations. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted

in high-touch areas, such as phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles, copy machines,

etc.

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 • Ultraviolet wands/towers and disinfectant sprays will be used to sanitize session areas and

    objects.

• The bathroom will be closed for 15 minutes once in the morning and again in the afternoon,

    while the ultraviolet tower is being used to sanitize the room. Disinfectants and

    decontaminates will be used after use.

• Each night, the entire clinic will be cleaned with a combination of ultraviolet light and

   disinfectant.

• Clinicians will be sanitizing their session areas after each client, along with any other tools that

   are used.

• Hand sanitizer and disinfectants will be located throughout the clinic.

• The air filtration system will be run throughout the day. Fresh air will be maximized by

    opening available windows.

• A staff member will be appointed to be COVID - Monitor to ensure we are up to date on all

   recommendations and that all procedures are being followed.

• Any employee or client questions or concerns can be directed to Carolyn or Micah.

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Communications and training

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This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan was communicated to all employees during our weekly staff meetings

and necessary training is being provided. Additional communication and training will be ongoing and

provided to all employees who did not receive the initial training. Instructions will be communicated to

families about: how

 

drop-off, pick-up, and follow up communication will be conducted to ensure social distancing between

the clients and employees; required hygiene practices; and recommendations that clients use face

masks when dropping off and picking up. Clients are advised not to enter the center if you are

experiencing symptoms or have contracted COVID-19.

 

The COVID – Monitor and supervisors are to monitor how effective the program has been implemented.

Management and employees are to work through this new program together and update the training as

necessary. This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan has been certified by Duluth Core Learning and will be

posted throughout the workplace. It will be updated as necessary.

 

Thank you to all of our wonderful clients and families! We appreciate all your help and support during

this time. For those few clients that will be part of this initial limited opening, know how carefully

we monitor ourselves now, will help ensure the possibility of opening the doors for more clients. It is

paramount that we all maintain the protective guidelines (masks, washing hands, distancing, covering

coughs and sneezes) so that we can continue to move forward while maintaining the health and safety

of Duluth Core Learning families and staff. We look forward to continuing to move clients forward

towards success.

 

Certified by (5/20/2020):

 

Carolyn L. Haney, Director

Micah Schwecke, Clinical Director

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