Updated October 22^nd, 2020.

Effective October 26th, due to the accelerated rise in Covid-19 cases in El Paso county, we have decided to temporarily require all individuals to wear face coverings. We understand all students may not tolerate a face covering and have taken that into account. We have not required masks for everyone before now because it is a barrier to teaching communication. As you know teaching and practicing communication is the at the core of behavior therapy. We are reviewing the policy monthly and will rescind it when the current spike in cases has subsided.

Face coverings are not appropriate for all students. For students that do not tolerate the face covering, after consulting with the family, we will use behavior strategies to increase the students’ tolerance for the face covering after consultation with the family. In the following situations the student will not have to wear a face covering:

• While eating or drinking
• The student has received an exemption by a medical professional
• Keystone clinical staff in collaboration with the family has determined that face coverings are not appropriate for the student
• Student has experienced significant regression in therapeutic goals and the clinical staff has determined that face coverings are hindering clinical progress.
• Situations when continued use of the face covering will lead to a dangerous situation (e.g. escalated behavior).

Keystone has implemented this new requirement due to the extremely accelerated rates of new Covid-19 cases in our community. Communication is key to successful ABA and covering one’s face creates a barrier to learning communication. Long term use of face coverings can slow clinical progress, and in some cases, students may see some regression. Because of risk of regression, Keystone will evaluate the community risk monthly and determine if continued use of face masks is appropriate. This policy may be rescinded or modified at that time.

View the complete policy here. Please contact your BCBA if you have concerns regarding your student.

Effective July 17th, 2020 Keystone’s response to CoVid-19 is continuing with the same attention to detail and level of enforcement as when initially implemented. Our sanitation, handwashing, social distancing, and exposure reduction plans have continued. Our team frequently seeks opportunities to remind one another of these guidelines and ensure we do not stray from our precautions.

In regard to the Mask Mandate instituted by Governor Polis yesterday, we are allowing our staff to wear masks during sessions if they prefer to but are requesting they use clear masks to support our ability to effectively teach communication. We will be providing a clear mask to each of our staff members as soon as possible as well. There is specific verbiage in the mandate that exempts our staff from wearing masks while applying ABA that can be found here(section II, item M).

We will continue to require all transitions (student drop off, package delivery, food deliver, etc) take place curbside and will require that anyone entering our building, other than current staff or students, wear a mask at all times as well as submit to temperature check upon arrival.

Effective June 29th, 2020 Keystone is continuing to request that our community strive to limit their exposure, especially to high risk activities as outlined by the CDC. For our staff we are evaluating travel and additional exposure on a case-by-case basis and relying on guidance we’ve received from the Department of Public health. Some of the precautions we’ve implemented are quarantine or negative test following air travel or travel to specific high infection states, and encouraging limited access to activities deemed high risk.

Additionally, as of June 30th we are no longer allowing crossover of any sort between our Academy and Aerotech centers. All meetings, supply exchanges, or other business needs that would typically require a member of our team traveling between centers have been halted and alternatives put in place to further reduce any exposure between our two centers.

These measures will remain in place until we see a sustained downward trend in new cases in Colorado. Our team is frequently reviewing the data as it is made publicly available here.

Effective April 16th, 2020 Keystone’s Academy location will be closed for the remainder of this week. Both center and in-home session are cancelled effective today April 16 and tomorrow Friday April 17. A determination will be made no later than this weekend on reopening, Monday April 20 or later. Please check your email on file with us for further information.

We are reviewing our schedules and staff transitions and have found that our efforts to reduce exposure between the two centers have been effective and there has been no exposure during the infectious period between the centers as far as we can tell. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to provide communication through this page and email.

March 30th, 2020: With the announcement of the Shelter in Place last week and federal communications regarding the duration of social distancing measures we are continuing with all our current precautions. We are ensuring our staff are limiting their travel outside of work time as well as remaining vigilant on our cleaning and sanitizing.

For in home sessions we are requesting some additional support from families as well. Todd sent an email this afternoon offering greater detail on these requests. The primary requests are that you also limit travel and exposure, help our therapist verify everyone is fever free upon arrival, disinfect surfaces in the work area, and maintain social distancing parameters as much as possible through out the session. Our staff will have students wash their hands at the start of every session as well as once every hour and our scheduling team will limit the size of teams coming to your home to further reduce exposure. You can read the full message here!

Thank you to everyone for helping curbside transitions happen so effectively! We’ve been able to greatly reduce our center foot traffic.

Effective March 24th, 2020 Keystone is further implementing additional procedures to keep our essential services available yet as safe as possible.

The primary change will be that drop off and pick up will occur curbside moving forward. Staff will wait in the lobby or nearby to transition students inside and sign them in. Temperature checks will be conducted just inside the main doors.

Academy families: Upon arrival if you don’t see a therapist coming out to greet you you can call our main line to notify staff you have arrived.
Aerotech Families: Upon arrival if you don’t see a therapist coming out to greet you you can call Colin Maynard or Dee Hiatt. Our cell phone numbers will be posted in the front lobby and handed out at end of session today.

In center we are taking additional steps as well. We are limiting every room to no more than 6 people at any time. Of course, this requires us to change a number of clinical and daily tasks as well. Circle time will happen in smaller groups or be canceled, and lunches and snacks will continue to take place at each student’s desk. We are continuing our efforts to continually sanitize commonly touched surfaces as well as help our students wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Finally, maintaining 6 feet between peers is also being followed.

Effective March 19th, 2020 we are strengthening our illness policies, both for staff and students. Anyone exhibiting a fever in excess of 100 degrees alongside either of the other two primary CoVid-19 symptoms (Cough, shortness of breath) will be asked to stay home until there has been a sustained improvement of those symptoms for 72 hours continuously.

Students or staff with other underlying chronic conditions or physician identified illness that mimic CoVid-19 can be excused from this rule and allowed to return provided they submit documentation of said illness and are fever free.

On an unrelated note, our In Service day previously scheduled for March 27th has been canceled. Sessions will be scheduled as usual on that day.

Effective March 17th, 2020 we are taking the next steps in social distancing in compliance with recommendations from the CDC and the government to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.

Our staff are maintaining a lower number of students per room and helping them reduce contact with their peers while still striving to provide the naturalistic teaching opportunities that make ABA therapy effective.

Additionally we have made the difficult decision that we will no longer be allowing outside therapists to work with our students during Keystone session time. Our goal for slowing the spread of this virus revolves around social distancing and decreasing foot traffic in our buildings. Due to the possible impact of this decision it is a restriction we plan to keep as brief as prudent.

Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions and check back here frequently for updates regarding Keystone Achievements and our response to CoVid-19.

Effective March 16th, 2020, we are effectively in Phase 2 of our CoVid-19 Prevention plan. All ABA Therapy sessions will begin with a temperature check of all those involved with therapy including, staff, students, administrative staff, and family in the home for in home sessions.

Previous steps of our action plan as detailed here are still in place and being diligently followed.

Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions and check back here frequently for updates regarding Keystone Achievements and our response to CoVid-19.

Effective March 6th, 2020 we have put out phase 1 CoVid-19 prevention action plan in place. The primary aspects of this phase are;

1. Frequent Handwashing (at arrival and every 2 hours through out the day.
2. Sanitizing commonly used surfaces 3 times daily.
3. Teaching our students proper coughing, sneezing, and general hygiene
4. Strict adherence to our illness policy as outlined in our Parent Handbook.
   • Students with a fever of 100 or above will be sent home and will need to remain fever free for 24 hours before returning
   • This policy is being applied to staff as well

These steps will be continued with this rigidity for the duration of the emergency.