Grand Erie Special Education Plan 2023-24
Standard 7
Specialized Health Support Services in School Settings
The purpose of the standard is to provide details of the Board’s specialized health support services to the ministry and the public.
Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 81 – Provision of Health Support Services in School Settings provides direction about the delivery of services that go beyond educational services and are not part of normal preventative health programs already provided by boards of health to school children.
Policy/Program Memorandum No. 161 – Supporting Children and Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions (Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy) in Schools must have policies and procedures in place to support students with prevalent medical conditions. For students to fully participate in the learning environment and achieve success, the Grand Erie District School Board, the Home and Community Care Support Services of Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant (HNHB), and the Lansdowne Children’s Centre who manages the School Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS) program share responsibility for these specialized health support services.
Further information regarding specialized health support services in Grand Erie can be found in the following documents:
- Board Policy SO8 – Community Partnerships Link to doc
- Board Policy SO28 – Student Concussion and Head Injury Link to doc
- Board Policy SO30 – Management of Potentially Life-Threatening Health Conditions, Including Administration of Medication, in Schools Link to doc
- Board Procedure SO108 – Community Service Providers and Schools Working Together Link to doc
Key abbreviations:
- HCCSS - HNHB: Home and Community Care Support Services of Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant
- LCC: Lansdowne Children’s Centre
- PT: Physiotherapist
- PSL: Preschool Speech and Language
- SBRS: School Based Rehabilitation Services SLP – Speech and Language Pathologist
- OT: Occupational Therapist
- RN: Registered Nurse
Assessments are intended to assist the student by providing staff with insights into the student’s strengths, needs and learning profile. Three types of assessments are conducted by personnel within Grand Erie: Educational, Psycho-educational, and Speech and Language.
| Specialized health support service | Agency or Position of Person who performs the service (e.g. LHIN, board, staff, parent, student) | Eligibility criteria for students to receive the service | Position of person who determines eligibility to receive the service and the level of support | Criteria for determining when the service is no longer required | Procedures for resolving disputes about eligibility and level of support (if available) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy | SBRS program managed through LCC | Meets criteria for assessment established by SBRS Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment indicating if OT services are required | SBRS clinician based upon established criteria | Criteria determined by SBRS SBRS OT indicates when occupational therapy services are no longer required | Discussion with SBRS Manager. |
| Physiotherapy | SBRS program managed through LCC | Meets criteria for assessment established by SBRS Physiotherapy (PT) assessment indicating if PT services are required | SBRS clinician based upon established criteria | Criteria determined by SBRS. SBRS PT indicates when physiotherapy services are no longer required | Discussion with SBRS Manager |
| Speech & Language Therapy | SBRS program managed through LCC- Brant Haldimand Norfolk Preschool Speech and Language (BHNPSL) |
Meets criteria for assessment established by SBRS Speech- Language Pathologist (SLP) assessment indicating if SBRS Speech services are required |
SBRS clinician based upon established criteria SLP based on assessment results PSL clinician based upon established criteria |
Criteria determined by SBRS SBRS SLP indicates when intervention no longer required Transfer from PSL based on age and need |
Discussion with SBRS Manager School Team meeting with parent/guardian and student if appropriate or required by legislation and SLP report |
| Nursing | HCCSS - HNHB | Medical assessment indicating that nursing must be provided during school hours | HCCSS - HNHB HNHB Care Coordinator |
Medical assessment indicating nursing no longer required during school hours OR Parent/ guardian assumes responsibility | School or parent/guardian can request case conference with HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator |
| Administering of prescribed medications | Oral medication by school staff, G-tube and Intra-muscular medications by HCCSS - HNHB /Student (if appropriate) Note school staff are not authorized to administer injections; therefore, requests made in relationship to school staff administering injections shall be denied |
Medical Statement OR Authorization of parent/ guardian for medication to be administered at school except for administration of medicinal cannabis, which requires a Medical Statement |
School Principal HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator | Medical recommendation indicating that prescribed medication no longer needs to be administered during school hours OR Student has learned to administer medications independently |
School or parent/guardian can request a case conference with HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator |
| Toileting | School staff - Medical Referral training available from OT/RN | Physician, nurse | Once school staff training is complete service may be discharged or placed on hold for future requests | Not applicable | |
| Assistance with Catheterization | Student Board Staff (i.e., volunteer Educational Assistants after training by HCCSS - HNHB) | Medical assessment indicating that catheterization must be done during school hours. | HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator | Medical recommendation indicating catheterization no longer required during school hours OR Parent/guardian assumes responsibility |
School or parent/guardian can request a case conference with LHIN/HNHB Care Coordinator |
| Suctioning | HCCSS - HNHB | Medical Referral | HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator | Recommendation indicating that suctioning no longer required during school hours OR Parent/guardian assumes responsibility |
School or parent/guardian can request a case conference with HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator |
| Lifting and Positioning | School staff as trained by SBRS therapist as appropriate (usually OT/PT) | Assessment by health professional indicating that lifting and positioning must be done during school hours | SBRRs Manager | Recommendation indicating that lifting and positioning no longer required during school hours OR Parent/guardian assumes responsibility |
School or parent/guardian can request a case conference with SBRS Manager |
| Assistance with mobility | School staff as trained by SBRS therapist as appropriate (usually OT/PT) | OT/PT Medical Referral |
Medical Referral | Recommendation indicating that assistance with mobility no longer required during school hours OR Parent/guardian and student assume responsibility | School or parent/guardian can request a case conference with SBRS Manager |
| Feeding | Oral - school staff G-tube - HCCSS -HNHB | Medical Referral | Physician, Nurse | HCCSS - HNHB: Parent directives based on physician orders | School or parent/guardian can request a case conference with HCCSS - HNHB Care Coordinator |
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