Category: Latest Updates

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

The following resources have been updated for the week of March 18th to March 24th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist

• Additional links and information to the approved COVID-19 vaccines from Health Canada can be found here

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

This week there will be a webinar on Friday March 19th at 2pm the following will be covered:

• Update on the AstraZeneca vaccine
  • Further addressing the coagulation concerns identified in Europe
• District specific breakout sessions will take place in order to discuss any local developments since our last webinar.

Pandemic Fatigue

“Pandemic Fatigue” can occur when we begin to experience a sense of burnout and become tired of pandemic measures that impact our normal life routines. Pandemic fatigue may present itself as a natural response to following strict health measures and restrictions for such a prolonged period of time. These days, we may feel inclined to ignore public health guidance or simply begin to drown out the messages and warnings related to the continued risk of COVID-19. It is important that we remain vigilant and conscious of all of our efforts to protect people who use our services, friends, families, and ourselves. For more information, you can visit the Wellington, Duffering, Guelph Public Health article by clicking here.

• Please continue to wear your PPE properly, wash your hands often, and be mindful of physical distancing.
• When completing the screening process before entering work, be mindful of any symptoms you may be experiencing.
• If you have had a confirmed or suspected exposure to someone who has or may have COVID-19 be sure to inform your manager and do not report for work.
  • We encourage an open dialogue with managers to verify personal circumstances as we understand exposure and symptom monitoring can be complex.

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

The following resources have been updated for the week of March 11th to March 17th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist

• COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ 
  • Information about the Johnson and Johnson vaccines recent approval.
  • Update on what employees who have been fully vaccinated are to do if they display COVID-19 symptoms.
• Additional links and information to the approved COVID-19 vaccines from Health Canada can be found here

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

This week there will be a webinar on Friday March 12th at 2pm the following will be covered:

• Update on the AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccines
  • How they work and how this could affect vaccine rollout
• Information about the updated vaccination schedule from Health Canada for the mRNA vaccines.
  • The original source from Health Canada can be found here
• District specific breakout sessions will take place in order to discuss any local developments since our last webinar.

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

The approval of the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) viral vector vaccine for use in Canada is an exciting development in our national continued response to COVID-19. Some of the key points about this vaccine include:

• It uses decades old vaccine technology
• 66.9% efficacy rate
  • 66.9% chance that if you were exposed to the COVID-19 virus and would have become sick that you will not have any symptoms
• Those who still became symptomatic from a COVID-19 exposure after receiving the vaccine had no reported long term hospitalizations or deaths.
  • This is a key determinant for how effective a vaccine is, being sick while inconvenient is okay. Becoming so sick that you need to be hospitalized and may die is not.
• Significantly easier to store and transport
  • Does not require extreme cold temperatures
• The Janssen vaccine is only one dose
• More information in the COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ

We continue to see more public health units with plans for vaccine access for direct support professionals. Most public health units are requesting that Christian Horizons releases a list of employee names and contact information in order to have an appointment booked. If you have not already done so it is encouraged the Release Consent for COVID-19 Vaccine Survey that was sent to your Christian Horizons email is completed. By completing the survey you are giving Christian Horizons permission to release your contact information to Public Health, you will not be consenting to receiving the vaccine with this survey. Consent for receiving the vaccine for employees will be done by Public Health.

For additional information about COVID-19 and any legal question you may have the ARCH Disability Law Center is offering weekly Webinars on Wednesday from 2-3pm. More information can be found here

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

The following resources have been updated for the week of March 4th to March 10th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist

• COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ 
  • Information about the Astra Zeneca vaccines recent approval.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

There is no scheduled webinar for this week however, we will continue with webinars in the near future in order to communicate broadly within our community. Be sure to regularly check your email for updates. The webinars have been an excellent way for everyone to come together and collectively gain knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccines and what is happening on a local level. Recordings of past webinars can be found internally on the COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources Web Page, the webinars are also available for sharing widely from our external website here.

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

The approval of the Astra Zeneca viral vector vaccine for use in Canada is an exciting development in our national continued response to COVID-19. Some of the key points about this vaccine include:

• It uses decades old vaccine technology
• 62% efficacy rate
  • 62% chance that if you were exposed to the COVID-19 virus and would have become sick that you will not have any symptoms
• Those who still became symptomatic from a COVID-19 infection after receiving the vaccine had no reported long term hospitalizations or deaths.
  • This is a key determinant for how effective a vaccine is, being sick while inconvenient is okay. Becoming so sick that you need to be hospitalized and may die is not.
• Significantly easier to store and transport
  • Does not require extreme cold temperatures
• In Canada this vaccine is not recommended for people over the age of 65.
  • More information in the COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ

We continue to see more and more public health units with plans for vaccine access for direct support professionals. Most public health units are requesting that Christian Horizons releases a list of employee names and contact information in order to have an appointment booked. If you have not already done so it is encouraged the Release Consent for COVID-19 Vaccine Survey that was sent to your Christian Horizons email is completed. By completing the survey you are giving Christian Horizons permission to release your contact information to Public Health, you will not be consenting to receiving the vaccine with this survey. Consent for receiving the vaccine for employees will be done by Public Health.

COVID-19 Vaccination Tracking for People Using Services

We are excited to hear that a number of people using services and employees have received the COVID-19 vaccine and many more are beginning to register for vaccination. To help with tracking for people using services, we have created a functionality to track the type of vaccines received under Immunizations Records in the ODB (see image below). Please document this required information in the ODB as people begin to receive their vaccination.

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

This week it was announced that North-Bay Parry Sound, Peel Public Health and Toronto Public Health would remain in lockdown due to continually elevated COVID-19 cases. Currently the lockdown is scheduled to end on March 8th at 11:59pm. It is not known what colour each of the health units will be in on reopening. Until reopening the Lockdown Directions will remain for direct support locations.

The following resources have been updated for the week of February 24th to March 3rd.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
• PPE FAQ
  • Language change to reflect the requirement for eye protection at all Christian Horizon direct support locations
  • Suggestions on navigating eye protection for visitors.

• COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ 
  • Information about whether or not stem cells were used in the development of mRNA vaccines.

• Flowchart for guidance on COVID-19 exposure for employees
  • Further information about contact of a contact situations have been outlined.
  • Note: Local public health units may require additional precautions/restrictions not outlined in this document.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

February 26th – Organizational Webinar
Similar to our last webinar, we will start by providing information and insights regarding the vaccines. Questions about the vaccine will be asked by a person who uses our services, who is an active member of the Our Voices Matter self-advocate group. Answers to the questions will be from our Healthcare Strategies Manager. After the Q and A session we will move into groups by  community, where you will have the opportunity to connect with your local community leaders who will share an update.

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

With continued information being released about COVID-19 vaccines, an additional web page focused on COVID-19 vaccine information has been released with links to relevant government resources, discussions with experts, and resources for the people who use our services.

• Georgia Tech has compiled a number of easy read resources that can be found here
• ConnectAbility.ca has a number of plain language resources that are available in both digital and print form. Specific resources can be found here
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources Web Page

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

With all public health units scheduled to exit lockdown as of February 22nd the lockdown directions that were in place will end and we will default back to our previously used guidelines. MCCSS has updated their visitor and operational guidelines for additional clarity.

The following resources have been updated for the week of February 18th to February 25th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
• COVID-19 Current Activity Restrictions
  • MCCSS released new guidelines that outline activity restrictions that correspond to your local Public Health Colour Zone.
  • Additional information about Christian Horizons specific situations, including in person meetings, training and employees working in office, have been included in the same template
• PPE FAQ
  • Updated information about the requirements for eye protection and masking at direct support locations as per MCCSS guidelines. 
• Supervisor response checklist
  • The checklist for employee positive cases has been updated to include contacting the Ministry of Labour
•  COVID-19 Visiting Guide for Locations
  • Updated to reflect additional requirements from MCCSS around visitors use of eye protection provided by Christian Horizons locations.
• COVID-19 Visiting Guide for Families and Friends
  • Updated to reflect additional requirements from MCCSS around visitors use of eye protection provided by Christian Horizons locations.

COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION

There are no additional updates about vaccine access for this week, For continued up to date COVID-19 vaccine resources please click here. Resources include:

• Government resources, both Ontario and Saskatchewan
• Webinars with various experts
• Easy read resources for people who use services.

There are no new webinars scheduled for this week. To view our previous webinars please follow the links below, these can be shared widely with anyone who may benefit from them.

January 18th- A panel of research scientists lead by Dr. Moriarty answering questions about COVID-19 vaccines

January 22nd– A panel of research scientists lead by Dr. Moriarty answering questions about COVID-19 vaccines

January 29th – Dr. Marwah Younis Damani – Pharmacist with experience in Developmental Services

February 5th  – Dr. Philip Dwek – Infectious Diseases Specialist

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Supporting People

The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of February 11th to February 17th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
• • • The Hand Sanitizer Recall List (on the U:\\ drive) was updated (February 10th, 2021), please confirm the removal of recalled sanitizers from all locations.

Over the next two weeks Ontario will be phasing out of lockdown measures that went into effect on December 26th. For an up to date list on when specific public health units will be returning to the COVID-19 response framework please click here.

We are expecting updated guidance documents from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services specific to our COVID-19 response and visitor guidelines in the next 24 – 48 hours. Once these are released updates to the appropriate Christian Horizons resources will be completed and can be found here. During the organizational webinar on Friday February 12th we will have the opportunity to speak to any updates from the ministry.

Working with our partners at the provincial level additional resources related to the COVID-19 vaccines continue to be added to our COVID-19 Vaccine Information page on ChConnect. Notably additional easy read resources for people who use services have been added this week.  Resources for families including recordings of our webinars can be found here.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

February 12th – Organizational Webinar

The webinar on February 12th will be an opportunity for everyone to discuss the unique situations COVID-19 vaccinations present at Christian Horizons. This will include a conversation around obtaining consent. There will be time set aside in this webinar to allow for breakout sessions with each district to discuss district specific issues/concerns around vaccine access. Please register here

To view a recording of the previous webinars follow these links January 18th, January 22nd , January 29th and February 5th 

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Supporting People

The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of February 4th to February 10th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
• • • The Hand Sanitizer Recall List (on the U:\\ drive) was updated (Jan 27th, 2021), please confirm the removal of recalled sanitizers from all locations.

Resources related to COVID-19 continue to be available and updated as new information and guidelines are made available to us. You can find all of the resources here.

Resources specific to the COVID-19 vaccines including recordings of our webinars can be found here.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

Webinars have been scheduled over the coming weeks that will be open to employees, people who use our services and their family members. To register for upcoming webinars click here

February 5th – Dr. Phillip Dwek

Dr. Dwek is an infectious diseases specialist primarily working in Oshawa. Dr. Dwek completed his internal medicine specialty in 2015 at Western University and went on to specialize in infectious diseases at the University of Toronto completing his training in 2019.

February 12th – Organizational Webinar

The webinar for February 12th will be an opportunity for everyone to discuss unique situations to COVID-19 vaccinations at Christian Horizons. This will include a conversation around obtaining consent. There will be time set aside in this webinar to allow for breakout sessions with each district to discuss district specific issues/concerns around vaccine access. Please register here

To view a recording of the previous webinars follow these links January 18th, January 22nd , and January 29th 

Thank you for your continued work and dedication, your commitment and tenacity to provide the best service and supports is exceptional!

◊

Questions or suggestions about any of the resources listed on the site?
Send us an email to let us know: covid-19@christian-horizons.org

Supporting People

The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of January 21st to January 27th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
• • • The Hand Sanitizer Recall List (on the U:\\ drive) was updated (Jan 27th, 2021), please confirm the removal of recalled sanitizers from all locations.

Resources related to COVID-19 continue to be available and updated as new information and guidelines are made available to us. You can find all of the resources here.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

Webinars have been scheduled over the coming weeks that will be open to employees, people who use our services and their family members. To register for upcoming webinars click here

January 29th –  Marwah Younis Damani PharmD

Marwah Younis Damani is a pharmacist with a focus on the developmental sector. Currently she is the medical director for Community Living Toronto. Marwah and her pharmacy student will be joining us to discuss the COVID-19 vaccines.

February 5th – Dr. Phillip Dwek

Dr. Dwek is an infectious diseases specialist primarily working in Oshawa. Dr. Dwek completed his internal medicine specialty in 2015 at Western University and went on to specialize in infectious diseases at the University of Toronto completing his training in 2019.

To view a recording of the previous webinars follow these links January 18th and January 22nd 

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

Let’s be ready when vaccines become available to us!

Public Health units are reaching out to Christian Horizons as they prepare for vaccination distribution.  Current shortages have caused vaccination delays so Public Health is getting set up for when vaccines become available so they can provide them as quickly as possible.

We are contacting all district employees who provide direct supports or are closely involved to the work of providing direct supports by Christian Horizons email. This email will provide a link to add your name to the list that we will provide to Public Health of employees ready to be vaccinated. You will also affirm in your response that when they reach out, we can provide your name and contact information to them. Keep an eye out in the coming days for this email and please respond as soon as possible to get on the list. Public Health may call for names at any time, and have required a response within 24hrs.

Along with Public Health we want to be ready and ensure everyone who wants the vaccine gets the opportunity at the first availability. Keeping Christian Horizons employees, those using our services and our communities safe is our top priority.

For more information and COVID-19 vaccines and links to:

• Government Resources
• Discussions with Experts
• Resources for people who use our services

Be sure to follow this link: COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources Web Page

Supporting People

The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of January 21st to January 27th.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist
• • • The Hand Sanitizer Recall List (on the U:\\ drive) was updated (Jan 20th, 2021), please confirm the removal of recalled sanitizers from all locations.

Resources related to COVID-19 continue to be available and updated as new information and guidelines are made available to us. You can find all of the resources here.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINARS

Additional webinars have been scheduled over the coming weeks that will be open to employees, people who use our services and their family members.

January 22nd – Dr. Linda Moriarty 

Dr. Moriarty is a research scientist and the director of the Moriarty Research Lab at the University of Toronto. The Moriarty Lab is an infectious diseases research lab, with a focus on blood borne pathogens. Dr. Moriarty hosts daily zoom calls for the public to engage with research scientists and ask questions related to COVID-19 vaccines.

To register for the January 18th webinar, and to include a question click here

January 29th –  Marwah Younis Damani PharmD

Marwah Younis Damani is a pharmacist with a focus on the developmental sector. Currently she is the medical director for Community Living Toronto. Marwah and her pharmacy student will be joining us to discuss the COVID-19 vaccines. It is possible that two weeks from now additional vaccine options will be approved in Ontario this will allow for an up to date webinar on what is available.

February 5th – Dr. Phillip Dwek

Dr. Dwek is an infectious diseases specialist primarily working in Oshawa. Dr. Dwek completed his internal medicine specialty in 2015 at Western University and went on to specialize in infectious diseases at the University of Toronto completing his training in 2019. More information about Dr. Dwek’s webinar will be available in the coming weeks.

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

With continued information being released about COVID-19 vaccines, an additional web page focused on COVID-19 vaccine information has been released with links to relevant government resources, discussions with experts, and resources for the people who use our services. This week additional information about vaccine roll out for both Ontario and Saskatchewan have been linked. Additional resources for the people who use our services are also available.

Our values, vision, and mission together with your well-being and the well-being of people who use our services continue to be our top priority during the current pandemic.

This week, look for the following updates:

SUPPORT PEOPLE TAB

The COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist has been updated for the week of January 7th, 2021 to January 13th,  2021.

• COVID-19 Weekly Preparedness Checklist

This week, updates have been made to the COVID-19 Exposure flowcharts for both people using services and employees. The goal of these flowcharts is to help guide decision making around COVID-19 exposure. The reformatting of the flowcharts allows for a more streamlined decision making process. A reminder that if local public health departments require additional measures during any of the outlined scenarios, they are to be followed.

• Flowchart for guidance on COVID-19 exposure for people using services
• Flowchart for guidance on COVID-19 exposure for employees

With the recent announcements of curfews in Quebec and the possibility of requiring proof of your affiliation with Christian Horizons to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, letters for proof of employment can be obtained through your program manager.

COVID-19 VACCINE WEBINAR

On Thursday January 14th from 230pm – 330pm a webinar will be hosted for employees to ask questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Be sure to register at the link below using a Christian Horizons email, all non Christian Horizons email registrations will be removed.

January 14th, Vaccine Webinar

Additional webinars will be booked as needed to ensure employee questions are addressed answered around COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE

With COVID-19 vaccine roll out across the country, the question, when will our employees and people who use our services have access to the vaccine continues to be explored. Christian Horizons is represented at the provincial level on committees and working groups focusing on vaccine prioritization, education, and distribution in order to advocate for the developmental services sector.

With those provincial connections come opportunities to help direct resources. In the coming days direct support professionals will have access to a survey from Dr. Yona Lunsky about the COVID-19 vaccine. It is strongly encouraged that direct support professionals complete the survey to help identify areas for improvement.

With continued information being released about COVID-19 vaccines, an additional web page focused on COVID-19 vaccine information has been released with links to relevant government resources, discussions with experts, and resources for the people who use our services. Direct support employees are strongly encouraged to review the material on this page in order to have up to date information around different vaccines safety and efficacy.

• COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources Web Page

A resource that is a great starting point for information around mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) is from our partners at Sunlife. It is strongly encouraged that you take the time to view this video.

• Sunlife Discussion with Dr. Alan Bernstein