Supporting and Providing School Health & Mental Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Resources from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

On March 19, CMS posted Frequently Asked Questions to the Medicaid.gov website to aid state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) agencies in their response to the COVID-19 outbreak. CMS is taking this action in its continuing efforts to protect the health and safety of providers and patients, including those who are covered by Medicaid and CHIP.

A press release with further information can be found here, and the COVID-19 FAQs for State Medicaid and CHIP agencies can be found here.

These FAQs, and earlier CMS actions in response to COVID-19, are part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts. For updates, visit the Current Emergencies section.

Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC has released new guidance on keeping children healthy while schools are closed. The guidance includes steps to protect children from getting sick, information about social activities while schools are closed, and recommendations to help children continue learning:

Here is the CDC’s schools-based guidance:

• Guidance for Schools and Childcare Programs
• Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs
• Considerations for School Closures
• K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs FAQs for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents
• Talking with Children about COVID-19 — Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children
• Checklist for Teachers and Parents
• Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations

CDC resources in languages other than English are available here.

Resources from the U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education has released a number of resources to support states and local education agencies (LEAs) in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

• Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak
• Protecting Student Privacy: FERPA and the Coronavirus
• Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students

Resources from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

SAMHSA has released several resources and has established a Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) to help those in need of immediate counseling related to the current public health crisis. People can call the helpline or text “TalkWithUS” to 66746 to be connected with trained professionals from the closest crisis counseling centers in the nationwide network. Additional resources and information from SAMHSA can be found on its website.

Additional Resources From Our Partners

American Academy of Pediatrics: COVID-19 Resource Page
AAP’s resource page includes information on understanding COVID-19 and how to talk with your children about COVID-19.

American Federation of Teachers: Resources on COVID-19
Information is available for nurses, healthcare professionals, educators and school staff. In addition, AFT’s “Share My Lesson” includes remote learning and lesson plans for educators, school support staff and parents.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: Telepractice Resources During COVID-19
ASHA will update telepractice resources as new information becomes available.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials: COVID-19 Resource Page
ASTHO plans to update this page with additional information as it becomes available.

Center for Connected Health Policy: Telehealth Coverage Policies in the Time of COVID-19
The Center for Connected Health Policy is posting updates as new information and policies related to telehealth become available/are enacted.

National Academy for State Health Policy: States Act Quickly and Creatively to Curb COVID-19
Overview of how states are taking steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 and meet their residents’ needs.

National Academy for State Health Policy: States Use Federal Waivers to Expand Health Care Resources to Confront COVID-19
Overview of how states are using flexibility permitted by federal waivers and maximizing their resources as they work collaboratively with municipalities, health plans, hospitals, and marketplaces to address the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic within their borders.