May 11, 2020
To All Stakeholders (Individuals served, guardians, family members, employees, and IST members),
In response to the threat posed by the Coronavirus, in mid-March, Cornerstone Associates made several changes. The most obvious changes included closing the day program, arranging for administrative staff to work remotely as much as possible, and isolating individuals served in Supported Living by pausing all community based activities, encouraging limited visitors’ access to residential sites, and establishing alternate ways to continue day program activities within home. Services to individuals who receive Community Supports were also modified, when appropriate and acceptable, in ways to minimize risk.
We have continued throughout the past two months to work in perhaps less obvious ways to continue to protect both the individuals we serve and those who support them—our employees. We have made available fabric masks and hand sanitizers to each employee and individual served. We have provided, as needed, additional disinfectant cleaner. We have continued to provide administrative support services without interruption through email, texting, and virtual meetings. Telephone calls continue to be answered and directed as needed. We have continued to recruit and hire additional employees, but the onboarding and orientation process is now through on-line connections. Each Supported Living site has now been provided a limited access tablet for use to facilitate virtual face-to-face visits with family members, friends, IST members. These tablets are also intended to allow employee access to on-going training opportunities. Because providing consistent, reliable supports to our individuals in Supported Living is a 24/7 responsibility, employees who commit to working full-time as scheduled have received additional attendance bonuses.
As Indiana begins to reopen businesses and get Back on Track, we also will continue to develop plans to modify our services and to re-define what day-to-day will look like. For the immediate future, however, please know we intend to continue in the same manner as we have operated for the past two months. Our administrative office will remain closed for all but the most essential business. Our day program will remain closed until at least early to mid-June. (This also allows us time to complete a plan to relocate our day program—a plan that began in early March. The new site is larger, brighter, more accessible, offers more opportunities, and is next door to our administrative office.) This will allow us time to carefully, deliberately, slowly, and
with attentive eye on how events unfold within the general community, strategize ways resume community-based relationships and activities.
In the meantime, we appreciate the respect, understanding, and support we have received from each of our stakeholders as we have tried to navigate these challenging and unprecedented times. We ask for your continued patience as we move forward with caution.
Respectfully,
Marta Metcalfe, EdD
Executive Director
Covid19 update to Stakeholders (Click here to download the PDF version)
