November 5, 2020 -- Alternative services have now been in place for several months and are going well. Participants at both the Cathedral Oaks Day Program and SlingShot have completed new Individual Service Plans related to alternative services. We are excited that more services are being utilized.
With the change of season and weather, we are assessing ways to continue community-based alternative services safely. Inside activities will increase when appropriate and safe. Participants and families will be contacted by our staff about any suggested changes to make sure everyone is comfortable with changes to service delivery.
Our Children and Family Services team continue to work throughout the county providing supports and delivering PPE and other items such as diapers. While this team is working remotely, the supports have been unaffected.
More information on alternative services can be found in the update below.
--------------------
September 3, 2020 -- The month of September brings new changes to adult services. State of Emergency funding has given way to alternative services. Alternative services are adjustments to the services our participants receive from Alpha that fit within the most restrictive safety guidelines of our area.
For example, many of our participants used to arrive to campus via transportation services and then spend a portion of their day involved in group activities either on or off campus. At our art studio, SlingShot, artists would arrive and spend their day in a full and vibrant studio surrounded by other artists. These settings are not currently safe. However, key elements of these activities can be provided through alternative service delivery.
What does that look like? It is an Alpha team member picking up a participant from their home and spending a few hours in the community one on one or in a small pod. It is an artist receiving the materials needed for their next project at their home with scheduled visits from a teaching artist to support their creative process. It is small groups in physically distanced outdoor settings rehearsing a skit. It is one-on-one access to the art studio to continue working on mediums like ceramics that cannot be done from home. It is front porch visits from Alpha team members just to hang out and talk about life. It is Zoom activities like yoga or book club.
The list goes on and on. This is an opportunity for us to be creative and try service delivery options that once fell outside of what was allowed by our oversight agencies. Some of the alternative services may continue even after the pandemic is over. Other services will resume as before when it becomes safe.
In the next two months, we will be in contact with every participant and artist to develop an alternative service plan. Our goal it to meet every desire. However, it will take some time to balance the availability of staff and transportation with the growing need. Please be patient with us as we learn how to live out the mission of Alpha Resource Center in a new and safe way.
More information will be available here as it becomes available.
CHILDREN, FAMILY, AND ADVOCACY SERVICES
Our Children and Family Services team are available to support families during this time. For contact information, CLICK HERE.
For additional resources on our Padlet page, CLICK HERE.
For more information regarding our thrift stores, CLICK HERE.
