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Bringing Children and Families Together
The Circular
March 2020, Issue 15
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"We have set a standard where it's not okay to act without morality and values and human respect. No person is better than another."
Stefani Germanotta
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The news surrounding the novel coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19 is pouring in by the hour, and trying to keep up with it all can be overwhelming. Some of the news is conflicting or frightening, and it can be hard to know what you should be doing. Grocery stores are being emptied out, cleaning supplies are becoming more rare, and it can look pretty scary out there...
But this is no time to panic! This a time to come together as a community, support one another, and to exercise calm, rational caution. The CDC and the US Government have released clear instructions that people can follow to protect themselves, protect their families, and protect their communities. In addition, we are here to support our foster parents and our homes while we wait for the risks to pass. In the meantime, keep the following things in mind:
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Do so especially after you have been in public or after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing.
- If you do not have soap and water, use a hand sanitizer composed of at least 60% alcohol.
- Clean commonly used/touched surfaces in your home, car, and place of work. These include tables, desks, counter tops, door knobs and handles, cabinet doors and handles, remote controls, keyboards, and game controllers. Effective cleaning products include disinfectant wipes and bleach solutions.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue and immediately discard it in the trash. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your bent elbow. Immediately wash or disinfect your hands.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth, and face in general.
- Do not hoard supplies. A supply of nonperishable foods and other products is important, but hoarding supplies is dangerous, deprives other members of your community of access to essential items, and may induce panic. Take or purchase what you need to maintain your household and consider the needs of those around you.
- Avoid public places and large gatherings. Do not dine in restaurants, do not visit bars, avoid shopping malls and stores, and avoid groups larger than 10 people. The virus is spread from person to person, so the best way to avoid it is to avoid other people. Takeout, delivery, and drive-through services are safe to use. Remember to practice good hygiene while using these services.
- Stay home if you are sick! If you feel at all unwell, do not leave your home. If any member of your household is experiencing fever, coughing, and shortness of breath (the most common symptoms of Covid-19), your entire family should stay at home. Do not go to work; do not go to school.
- Senior citizens and people who have underlying health problems or are immunocompromised should stay at home even if they feel okay. These are the people who are the most susceptible to Covid-19 and protecting them is the highest priority. While younger people are at a less serious risk, they can very easily transmit the virus to a more vulnerable person. Therefore, people of all ages should follow these guidelines.
- Face masks - face masks are not necessary and are not helpful if you are healthy. Using them while you are healthy can cause a shortage and a detriment to those in the medical and healthcare fields. Do not wear one if you are healthy. If you are sick, a face mask may be worn to prevent the spread of the illness from you to another person.
- Avoid unnecessary travel. Travel can introduce the virus to new places where it has not begun to spread.
- Engage in social distancing. If you must leave home, maintain a space of at least six feet from anyone who is not a member of your household.
- Call your doctor before attending appointments. The healthcare system can easily become overwhelmed, and several business are closed to the public. It is best to call and ensure it is still safe to appear before attending appointments.
- Ignore rumors and conspiracy theories! The virus and its effects are real and a risk to everyone. Democrats, Republicans, foreign governments, world leaders, the scientific community, and the global population agree on these facts. Get your information from trusted sources (including the CDC and the WHO), beware of potential misinformation, and fact-check information you have gotten from social media or less regulated sources.
Covid-19 sounds scary right now, but it is preventable, it is manageable, and the current situation will improve with time. Practicing the above guidelines and using common sense will help to protect everybody. Continue reading for more general information on all communicable diseases as well as additional news from Circles of Care.
Sources:
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Communicable diseases
A communicable disease is a disease that is passed from person to person by direct contact with an affected individual, the individual's discharges/bodily fluids, or by indirect means. Communicable diseases are caused by germs (bacteria and viruses) and include a very wide range of illnesses such as the common cold, influenza, chicken pox, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS among others. Many communicable diseases are very common while others are relatively rare. Some can be treated with simple rest and time, others require prescription medications or hospital admission, and others still are incurable and even life threatening. DFPS and Circles of Care have special procedures that foster parents must follow to aid in the care and treatment of a person with a communicable disease and to protect themselves and others from infection.
Foster parents must maintain a clean, hygienic home and are encouraged to routinely clean common surfaces with disinfectant wipes, detergents, or soap and water. Spills of bodily fluids on clothing and surfaces should be cleaned with a solution consisting of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Dishes soiled with bodily fluids must be washed separately by hand or in the dishwasher.
Some communicable diseases require reporting to the Department of State Health Services such as HIV and Hepatitis C. If a member of your home has such a disease, you must consult a physician regarding their treatment and follow all of the physician's instructions. You must sanitize all items used by that person and have authorization from a healthcare professional that it is safe for the sick individual to participate in ordinary foster household activities. If the sick person is a foster child, the child's parents must also be notified as applicable.
Foster parents must take Prevention of Communicable Diseases as part of their pre-service training and annually thereafter. Circles of Care offers this training routinely online.
Vaccines are safe and effective ways to prevent some common communicable diseases, and they are required for foster children by the state and by Circles of Care.
If we all follow these steps, we can ensure safe, healthy environments for ourselves and for the children we serve!
Standards: 749.503; 749.881; 749.941; 749.1415; 749.1417
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A psychotropic medication is defined as any drug which is capable of altering a person's mind, emotions, or behavior. They affect a person's thoughts, mood, and perception. Psychotropic medications may be prescribed by a physician and some others are illicit substances such as cocaine. This column will focus on prescribed psychotropic medications and the considerations that come with them.
Psychotropic medications are available in five classes (types): Stimulants, Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, Mood Stabilizers, and Anti-anxiety Agents.
- Stimulants are commonly used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and minimize side effects that may interfere with a person's ability to function at school or work.
- Antidepressants are mainly used to treat depression. There are several different kinds of antidepressants including SSRIs and MAOIs. A doctor may try different types of antidepressants to see what works best for a particular patient.
- Antipsychotics are used when a person is experiencing psychosis such as hallucinations or delusions. Psychotic symptons may be a part of (but not necessarily have to have) conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder.
- Mood stabilizers are prescribed to treat a person's mood changes. They can change a depressed feeling to a "manic" high feeling and vice versa. They can help reduce mood swings and prevent manic and depressive episodes.
- Anti-anxiety agents have physical effects on the brain and body to help reduce anxiety symptoms such as fear, worry, stress, panic attacks, or disordered sleeping. They are usually only recommended for short-term use.
Psychotropic medications, like all prescriptions, carry a risk of side effects, and foster parents should be on the lookout for these when administering medications to children. Psychotropic medications must be prescribed by a licensed physician, must be continued uninterrupted until the physician says otherwise, and must be given exactly according to the physician's instructions. Remember to notify Circles of Care when a child's medication is started, stopped, or changed.
Psychotropic medications are important for many children in foster care. When used responsibly and under the care of a physician, they can dramatically improve a child's quality of life.
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Emily was originally placed in the Dale home for a short period of time in 2017 prior to moving back with biological family members. When Emily returned to care in 2018, the Dale family knew that she was the missing puzzle piece to their family. The Dales have encouraged Emily to know that she can love her adopted family and her biological family at the same time. Emily has been able to develop a close relationship with her sister, Ashley, and even wore matching tiaras during the adoption consummation hearing. Mrs. Dale has served as a tireless advocate for Emily to receive the extra attention she needs to be successful in school while Mr. Dale shows never ending patience in helping Emily with her math homework. When visiting the Dale home, you only meet a family. There is no difference between children that are biological and those that are foster or adopted.
The Dale family became complete on January 23, 2020 with the adoption consummation of Emily Joy. She was joyfully welcomed into the family by her mother and father as well as her siblings, Daniel, Ashley, and Caleb. The courtroom was brought to tears when the Dale’s oldest son, Daniel, was asked if he agreed with the adoption of Emily. He stated that he had told his parents he never wanted Emily to live anywhere but with them. The Dale family has provided a safe and nurturing home for dozens of children through their years as a foster family, and we at Circles of Care look forward to many more years of partnering with them to provide a loving and supportive home to children in Texas!
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A Message to Our Foster Parents
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The situation with the novel coronavirus is rapidly changing and we must all adapt to keep pace with it. That is why we have implemented some operational changes to protect our staff, our clients, and the children in our foster homes. While we continue to be available 24 hours a day to support you, you should be aware of the following:
- Our offices will be operating with very minimal staffing, and most of us will be working from home. Some offices may only have one person at a time. We will still be available by phone and email. Our website is available with a live chat and our social media is constantly monitored. We will be available if you need to reach us.
- Case Managers will practice social distancing when they visit you. Home visits will continue as normal, but Case Managers will maintain a distance of six feet between themselves and members of your household.
- Group trainings are on hold. You are required to stay current on your annual trainings, and we will help you to complete them. However, they will be held in a one-on-one setting. Remember that we have a training website filled with self-instructional videos and materials.
- Family visits will continue as normal. This is essential to the well-being of a child in foster care, and you are responsible for ensuring they attend their visits with their biological family members. This is unlikely to change without notice from the state government. Family visits must be held at CPS offices or official meeting spaces for the time being.
- Routine medical and dental appointments must be kept. It is recommended, however, that you contact your child's physician or dentist prior to the appointment to ask the doctor's recommendation regarding the visit. If the doctor recommends the child not come in, that must be documented in the child's file. Please get the doctor's recommendation in writing.
- We are here for you no matter what! Your Case Manager is available to you 24 hours a day, and our administrative staff is available to you as well. We know that you have questions and concerns, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our foster parents are our most valuable resource, and we thank you for all that you do to care for children every single day even as it seems like the world outside is so unstable. More than ever, the children in your home need your love and your care, and we are here to support you in the essential mission.
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Henry Martinez has been the Program Director in the Corpus Christi office for more than nine years. He joined our team from CPS, bringing with him the knowledge and expertise that only working for the Department can impart. He has led the Corpus Christi and Laredo foster care programs to great success, guiding staff members and providing the support our Case Managers need to fulfill their duties to the children in care. In addition, he has built our STAR program from the ground up and seen it grow year over year. He plays an essential role in our South Texas programs, and these programs and our communities would not be as successful without him.
Henry lives in Corpus Christi with his wife and two lovely children.
We thank you, Henry, for all that you have done for us, for South Texas, and for the children and families who depend on you.
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Training
Group trainings are not available at this time. Contact your local Circles of Care office to schedule one-on-one training sessions according to your needs. Remember that we offer a training website with self-instruct programs and materials.
Events
Event cancellations are happening with little warning and the public is being urged to stay inside and avoid large groups. For questions or information, please contact your local Circles of Care office or visit our website.
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STAR services are designed for youth and families with youth aged 17 or under (up to 18 if they are still in school) in the home who are undergoing family problems such as truancy and school problems, a recent loss or death, divorce, behavioral issues, drug and alcohol abuse, and more. Families and youth are seen by trained, certified Specialists who give them the tools to overcome their obstacles and help to prevent future problems. STAR services are offered to the community free of charge in Nueces, Jim Wells, and Kleberg counties.
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