Office of Home and Hospital Teaching

Referral Process

 I.  TEACHING STUDENTS WITH TEMPORARY CONDITIONS

Students are recovering from temporary medical conditions—such as surgery, broken bones, mononucleosis, and accident injuries—and are expected to be homebound or hospital-bound for three or more weeks.  A Home & Hospital Teaching—Initial Contact and Referral (form DSS-21) and a Physician’s Verification (form DSS-22) should be completed by the parent, counselor, and licensed physician and submitted to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching.  If the student is eligible for services, the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching assigns a home teacher who will contact the school to arrange an initial conference to pick up books/assignments and to discuss pertinent matters, such as grading procedures.  Instructional services are provided in the home, hospital, or therapeutic center.  When a student is met at home, a responsible adult (18 years or older) must be present.  The Physician’s Verification must be updated if the student has not recovered from the temporary health condition within the time indicated by the physician—not to exceed 60 calendar days.  At the end of each quarter, and upon completion of services, a progress report signed by the school designee, with grades/summary of work or IEP goals covered, is submitted by the home teacher to the school and to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching.  [COMAR requires re-verification of medical need every sixty (60) calendar days for all H/H students.]

 Pregnant Students (Category IB):

Students typically attend school until confinement per the licensed physician’s recommendation, usually until the birth of the baby or near the due date.  Students may receive services up to six weeks postpartum.  Category IA information above applies to these referrals.  In addition, the pregnant student and her parent/guardian meet with the professional school counselor to complete a IB packet, which includes the DSS-21, DSS-22, and PS-9.  The IB packet is submitted to the principal and then forwarded to the Secondary Counselor Specialist of the Office of Professional School Counseling for approval.  Once approved, the packet is forwarded to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching so a home teacher can be assigned.

 Students with Emotional Conditions (Category IC):

Students may be experiencing short-term emotional conditions (crises) that do not qualify them for special education programs and services, but do require treatment by a qualified mental health professional (licensed psychologist or psychiatrist), who recommends educational intervention as part of the continuing treatment.  The DSS-22 or referral letter is reviewed by the school psychologist, who initials the referral if approved.  The Category IC student continues therapy sessions and transitions back into the school program within 90 calendar days; if not, the school team needs to consider other solutions/strategies.  All Category IA information above applies to these referrals except:

The Category IC student is usually taught at the school, an initial conference to discuss pertinent details and to establish a transition timeline for reintegration back into the student’s class(es) is held (to include the student, parent, instructional support teacher, counselor, and sometimes the school psychologist and other appropriate people), and the home teacher completes and submits to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching a Plan of Action per the school team’s decision.

II.  TEACHING STUDENTS WITH IDENTIFIED NEEDS

 Students Identified as 504:

These are non-special education students who have chronic medical conditions which adversely affect their educational performance and who need accessibility-to-school issues addressed.  The 504 student is expected to attend school daily, as much as his/her health permits.  If the student is absent because of the identified health condition for three to five consecutive days, the student is eligible for instructional makeup services via the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching.  All Category IA information applies to 504 referrals.  Additionally, the 504 student is usually taught at school (except when the licensed medical examiner has submitted documentation stating the student needs to be homebound or hospital bound for an identified period of time), a 504 meeting per the 504 procedures is held to discuss pertinent details regarding the implementation of instructional support via the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching for each period of absence, and the school team completes and sends to the Office of Home and Hospital teaching a copy of the 504 Plan of Action.

 Students Identified as Other Health Impaired or Traumatic Brain Injury (Category IIA):

Students are signed into Special Education and have chronic medical conditions or acquired brain injuries (caused by an external physical force) which adversely affect their educational performance.  They are expected to attend school daily, as much as their health permits.  If the student is absent because of the identified health condition for three to five consecutive school days, the student is eligible for makeup services via the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching.  A Home & Hospital Teaching—Initial Contact and Referral (form DSS-21) and a Physician’s Verification (form DSS-22) should be completed by the parent, counselor, and licensed physician.  When completed forms are submitted to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching; the assigned home teacher will contact the school to request an IEP meeting.  During this meeting the medical documentation is reviewed to determine whether the health condition adversely affects the student’s educational performance and, as appropriate, to discuss and write up the plan of action for implementing makeup instructional services via the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching for each period of absence.  A copy of the plan of action and the IEP team meeting summary should be forwarded to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching.  The home and hospital teacher may provide instructional services on an “as needed” basis throughout the school year, provided the medical documentation or re-verification is current and the school team monitors the student monthly via a school team meeting (SIT/SST/SSST/IEP).

At the end of each quarter, and upon completion of home teaching services, a progress report signed by the school designee, with a summary of work completed and/or IEP goals covered (and with grades if the student were homebound or hospitalized for a period of time and receiving instructional services), is submitted by the home teacher to the school and to the Office of Home and Hospital Teaching.