COVID-19 UPDATE

August 20, 2020

Mohican Young Star Academy Paves the Way in Virus Control

Mohican Young Star Academy avoided a COVID-19 outbreak by implementing rapid and strict quarantine measures, which were reviewed by local and state health departments and praised by our licensing body and Disability Rights of Ohio.

Early at the start of the pandemic, we requested and received approval for a bed increase.  This proved crucial in increasing our capacity to 99 beds and enabled us to allocate two separate dorms as Quarantine Units in order to facilitate continuous safe intake. While many residential facilities have suspended intake since the start of the pandemic, we are still taking in new youth.

Mohican’s Quarantine Units are supervised by dedicated staff, who work exclusively with the quarantined youth to ensure campus safety. All staff, however, wear mandated masks as well as goggles and/or face shields; these measures were implemented months before Dr. Fauci declared the benefits of eye protection.

We strived to be ahead of the curve during this unprecedented time, and our efforts were recognized several times by the news media (https://www.the-review.com/news/20200727/mohican-young-star-academy-has-success-resisting-covid-19).

Visitation continues to be suspended, which is difficult for our youth; however, we have maximized our use of technology to facilitate Zoom calls with loved ones as well as virtual tours and calls with county workers.

We are grateful for the local and state-wide support we have received. We’d love to hear from you to see if there are ways we can make our program even better and safer for everyone, so please open an email from us with the  word “Survey” in the subject line – it will only have 5 questions! While the email is forthcoming, please feel free to contact us directly with any concerns or questions.

June 4, 2020

As Ohio gradually reopens, Mohican Young Star Academy (MYSA) is weighing options for loosening some of the quarantine restrictions.

The safety measures in place since March 12 have proven to be effective in containing the virus and our Academy, unlike a few other residential facilities in Ohio, was able to avoid an outbreak.

In order to ensure our residents’ and staff members’ safety, many processes were tweaked; namely, custodian and family visits took place over phone and Zoom conferences versus in-person.

We believe that in-person visits are of utmost importance for our boys’ mental health, which is why we are moving towards changing the family visitation process:

• This week, case coordinators will start scheduling “quarantine-safe” family visits for our visitation window on Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm
• Parents and family members will be able to see their boys through the front lobby glass and communicate via phone
• Snacks and gifts can be dropped off as well, subject to the academy procedures
• We ask parents to limit their visit time to 15 minutes, as that is the only way we are able to accommodate everyone
• To schedule a “quarantine-safe” visit this Sunday, our case coordinators must hear from parents/families before 2 pm on Friday
• Depending on families’ participation, we may be able to accommodate visits longer than 15 minutes

We understand that this set-up is still not ideal, but we have a duty to our youth and staff to ensure their safety until there is a significant and consistent decrease in new COVID-19 cases state-wide.

We will continue posting updates on our quarantine protocols as they develop over time. Please stay in touch with us if you have any concerns. We are in this together!

May 17, 2020

Over the past month, many residential facilities have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. At Mohican Young Star Academy (MYSA), there was one positive COVID-19 case, but MYSA was able to successfully prevent an outbreak.

The COVID-positive youth arrived from another facility – unaware of his medical status – and was immediately placed into quarantine per the strict quarantine protocol MYSA put in place mid-March, prior to any other residential treatment facility

MYSA’s quarantine protocol was implemented in order to protect residents and staff through proper social distancing, wearing masks, daily temperature and symptom checks, as well as self-quarantining if potentially exposed. Additionally, any youth presenting flu or cold symptoms, as well as their roommates, were immediately isolated from others and tested for the virus.

The COVID-positive youth is past his contagion period and per the guidance of the Ashland County Health Department, he and his roommates have been able to join their respective groups. Our campus has switching from Level 2 to Level 1 of the quarantine protocol; this means boys may leave their rooms for recreation, group therapy, online schooling and chores.

MYSA remains vigilant with screenings, disinfection and containment protocols, as well as mandatory face masks for staff and youth. We are hopeful that our processes will continue to ensure the safety of our academy.

March 18, 2020

Mohican Young Star Academy is following recommended protocol for the COVID-19 crisis; however, we are also taking additional steps to ensure our staff and residents remain safe and healthy. Our response has been one of the most prompt and proactive in the State of Ohio.

The additional steps we have taken have been effective ensuring our campus is as safe as possible. For example: this morning, two residents were isolated in a containment unit due to fever. Neither one has symptoms directly pointing at COVID-19, however, we will continue monitoring their condition and providing treatment as needed.

Mohican’s commitment to offering a safe and healthy environment for staff and peers is unwavering.

Despite the quarantine, our residents continue receiving:

1. Residential treatment and one-on-one counseling;
2. Individual therapy;
3. School assignments;
4. “Virtual visitation” with county workers, parents and family members.
5. Activities and games to stay occupied.

Residents continue to show stewardship by completing daily deep-cleaning of their bedrooms and disinfecting frequently touched areas three times per shift.

Parents and family members are encouraged to schedule “virtual visitation” using Skype or Zoom.

Please note: to secure a time slot on Sunday, you must contact your child’s case coordinator by 2 pm on Friday.

We will continue providing weekly updates to all external stakeholders.

March 12, 2020

Due to COVID-19’s rapid progression and recent upgrade to pandemic, Mohican Young Star Academy is following government-recommended and mandated policies, as well as implementing effective measures to protect the health of vulnerable youth in our care.

Until further notice, the following policies will take effect tonight 3/12/2020 at midnight:

1. Quarantine: Our facility is temporarily shut down to visitors. If you are a parent/family member planning on coming down for Sunday visitation, we ask you to reach out to your child’s case coordinator and schedule a time for a Skype or FaceTime call. We will accommodate video calls from individuals on our youth’s contact list between the hours of 1 pm and 4 pm on Sundays; however, you must reserve your timeslot in advance. We must receive your requests via email or phone by 4 pm on Friday in order to make the necessary accommodations for the upcoming weekend. If you are not able to reserve your timeslot in time, you are still able to make a regular phone call between the hours of 1 pm and 4 pm on Sundays, or 7 pm to 9 pm on weekdays.
2. Home visits and car rides: All home visits and car rides are also suspended until further notice. We will ensure that the youth already scheduled to go home or on a car ride are informed about the cancellation in a caring manner and receive needed counseling.
3. Staffing meetings: Effective immediately, all scheduled staffings are to be held via teleconference.
4. Court hearings: We will contact judges requesting permission for the peers to attend via teleconference.
5. Medical appointments: We understand that counties may have specific timelines for youth’s medical, dental and vision check-ups, but considering greater risks of exposure inside a medical facility, we are postponing all non-emergency medical appointments.
6. All off-campus outings (church, shopping trips, special events etc.): These trips are suspended until further notice.
7. All on-campus gatherings involving groups of 12+ individuals: These gatherings are suspended until further notice. This includes: chapel, campus movie theater, cafeteria, athletic events.
8. Graduations: All upcoming graduations will be handled in small groups with no external visitors.
9. Tours: Tours of the academy will be suspended until further notice.
10. Daily routine: We are implementing a number of changes to our peers’ daily routine that aim to reduce their exposure to each other and minimize movement throughout common areas.
11. Decontamination schedule: We have a schedule for frequently-touched surfaces and areas, which will be followed.

We have put together a Medical Advisory Committee to further monitor the situation and develop additional precautions as needed. The Committee will be providing weekly updates to all external stakeholders.

As you continue your daily routines, we encourage you to follow everyday preventative actions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, which include:

• Staying home when you are sick, except to get medical care
• Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• Avoiding contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects daily

To request the comprehensive list of infection prevention measures implemented at Mohican Young Star Academy, please respond to this email.

Thank you for your continued support. We will keep you up-to-date if there are any changes in our current protocol.

For questions, please contact our Executive Director, Olga Starr: ostarr@mohicanysa.com