Grand Forks facilities for developmentally disabled reopen, as pandemic fatigue wears on

Grand Forks Herald - 7/6/2020

Jul. 5--Organizations that serve people with developmental disabilities are slowly beginning to reopen the full range of their services, and, for some, it has been a long time coming.

As the coronavirus pandemic accelerated in mid-March, organizations either created or implemented COVID-19 plans that shut down drop-in and day services, and required clients who live in group homes to stay in quarantine. Programs and visitation are slowly restarting from a time that took an emotional toll on clients, parents, caregivers and staff alike.

"It's been a tough challenge for everybody, there's no question about that," said John Vastag, CEO of Development Homes Inc.

The period of quarantine, which stretched on for nearly three months, saw an increase in behavioral incidents, something Vastag likens to the situation that would arise if any family were quarantined together for the same period of time. Tensions can rise, Vastag said, when four teenage boys, for example, are quarantined together for weeks at a time, at a group home.

"Every now and then things happen, but nothing too serious," said Vastag, adding that the increase in behavioral incidents didn't extend to violence.

In a gradual process, clients and family members are able to visit one another. It took time. At first, people met in the yard of a group home, but now clients are able to go out, following precautions of social distancing and other state guidelines. Some clients, Vastag said, are spending the 4th of July holiday weekend with their families.

Before the pandemic, about 25 to 30 clients would participate in support services at DHI's location on South Columbia Road. These days that number has been reduced to five people in the morning, with the same number coming in the afternoon. The facility serves 180 clients. About 10% of DHI's staff come into the facility, the remainder are working from home. The reduction has not been without good reason.

Earlier in the pandemic, five staff members and one client tested positive for COVID-19. Those individuals have all recovered, and the staff members have returned to work.

Vastag said his organization has been able to retain its staff during the pandemic, with the exception of furloughing blackjack dealers DHI employs at charitable gaming operations in the area. The nonprofit made use of a Paycheck Protection Program loan to keep staff employed, as well as a $25,000 Community Development Block Grant from the city.

The Ann Carlson Center also has been able to retain its staff during the pandemic. The group has a location in Grand Forks, with others across the state, and serves 4,000 individuals. It's live-in facility is located in Jamestown. Like DHI, that center was in quarantine during the pandemic, to protect its vulnerable members with medically complex issues. The Jamestown facility is also slowly beginning to reopen for visitation.

Staff at the Ann Carlson Center were quickly able to transition to providing services through telehealth. The location in Grand Forks offers day services for people with developmental disabilities, vocational and employment services and assists families with children who are on the autism spectrum.

"That has been a huge help and a huge benefit, for us to be able to continue to stay connected and provide the support and the services, but keeping everybody safe at the same time," said Stephanie Nelson, COO of the Ann Carlson Center. Nelson added she hopes to continue to make use of telehealth platforms.

Working through the pandemic and adapting to all the changes, health, safety and technology has been tough on caregivers, Nelson said. In Moorhead, a team of therapists at Ann Carlson make use of social media to highlight topics to help staff maintain their well-being. The effort is bolstered by bringing in speakers and making additional training available.

For Nelson, it's a balancing act -- managing day-to-day efforts during the pandemic while looking to the future. Ann Carlson Center has plans to rebuild its Jamestown campus. Nelson said she focuses on the mission of her organization: to make the world a more inclusive place.

"Our independence is a gift," she said. "That's our guiding principle through all of this."

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