Homebound Services

Site Handbook

2014-2015 School Year

Provided by: Exceptional Children’s Program

August 2014

1

Homebound Services HandbookTable of Contents

What are Homebound Services?------1

Who can receive Homebound Services?

Homebound Services as IEP Placements:

House Bill #14

IEP Team

Team Procedures

Student Enrollment:

Transfer Students

Homebound Services:

Area of Instruction

EC Related Services

Hours of Service

Homebound Visits

Coordinating EOCs and EOGs

Attendance Concerns

Excessive Absences

Role of the Site Homebound Coordinator:

Role of the School Administrator:------8

Course Instructor:

Homebound Teacher:

Teacher Selection

Homebound Contracts

Homebound Teacher Responsibilities

Timesheets

Home Visit Logs (HB5)

Role of the EC Department:

EC Homebound Services Coordinator

EC Office Assistant

The Forms:

HB1 – Parent Request for Services

HB1 – Group Home Agreement

HB1b – Parent Consent to Exchange Information

HB2 - HB2P & HB2M – Health Care Professional Statements

HB3 – TIPS, 504 or IEP Team Review

HB4 – Assignment Record for Homebound Student

HB5 – Home Visit Logs

HB6 – Student Contact and Course Information

HB7 – Homebound Notification

HB8 – Homebound Monthly Review Form

August 2014

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Homebound services for both regular education and EC students fall under the supervision of the Exceptional Children’s Program, Homebound Services Coordinator. This handbook will serve as a guide to help facilitate open communication between all involved in meeting the educational needs of these students.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Nancy JonesAnne Ryan

Homebound Services CoordinatorEC Office Support

EC DepartmentHomebound Teacher Timesheets

704-262-6106704-262-6127

EC Fax – 704-262-6226

The EC Department is located at the Cabarrus County Schools Education Center on Old Airport Road in Concord.

Note: Throughout this manual, HBC will refer to the Homebound Coordinator (Counselor) or the EC Lead Teacher.

What are homebound services?

Homebound services are provided to students who are: Physically/medically unable to participate in a regular school day over an extended period of time (e.g. 20 school days or more). High school students usually make up the exception due to block scheduling and the 20 day rule. TIPS, 504 or IEP Teams request homebound services based onall data received.

Homebound services for all students are considered short-term placements. TIPS, 504 and IEP Teams mustperiodically review the homebound service and work with the student and parent to return the student to school as soon as possible.

Note: To clear up the misconception that homebound services are not provided to a student until they have missed 20 or more school days: Homebound services ARE to be initiated at the time it is determined that a student is going to miss 20 or more days of school --- NOT after the student has already missed 20 or more school days.

Homebound placement only covers a specific span of time during one school year. If services are to continue between school years, then the IEP Team must meet prior to the start of the new school year to review student needs and to complete new HB forms. Once again, homebound is considered a short-term placement. Our goal is to return students to the school setting as soon as possible.

Students are either on homebound or they are not. A student cannot be on homebound for one class and attend school for another. Students who are on homebound are not to come on campus without permission from the site administrator. There are certain exceptions to this rule. For instance, when a student is terminally ill or has a long term health problem and may require some peer socialization prior to re-entering the school environment. In these cases, students can only participate in special class activities with permission from the site administrator. The student cannot participate in activities of direct instruction. Social activities are limited to an occasional lunch-time socialization or special class outing/activity.

Another instance where a homebound student is allowed on campus is for EOC/ EOG testing which is arranged through the site testing coordinator and HBC.

While a student is being served in the Homebound Program, participation in school athletics or extra curricular activities is not allowed.

Who can receive Homebound Services?

  • Only students who are enrolled in Cabarrus County Schools are eligible for homebound services.
  • A regular education or EC student who is medically or physically unable to participate in a regular school day (requires a completed HB2 from the prescribing physician).
  • A student who is disabled to the degree that it is impossible or medically inadvisable to attend school.
  • An EC Student may be placed on homebound by his/her IEP Team based on the student’s individual needs without a minimum number of days as part of their IEP requirements. Homebound services are periodically reviewed by the IEP Team for continued need or extension and to ensure that the student is making appropriate progress.
  • An EC Student who has been long term suspended and the Opportunity School is not an appropriate setting.
  • Pregnancy cases which are problematic. Keep in mind that pregnancy in and of itself does not warrant homebound services.
  • Homebound services provided to students who are having a problematic pregnancy must have a HB2 – Physicians Statement. The HB2 must include clarification as to why the pregnancy is problematic.
  • Homebound services are not provided because of issues related to the child (i.e. lack of childcare, sickness of a child or because the child is nursing).
  • A student who is emotionally unstable and is under the care of a Physician and Mental Health Professional may require Homebound Services for a limited period of time. Homebound under this circumstance requires a completed HB2P and HB2M from both the Physician/Psychiatrist and licensed Mental Health Professional.

Homebound Services as IEP Placements:

House Bill #1682which was enacted May 13, 2010, focuses on discipline and Homebound Instruction. It designates that:

"If a change in placement occurs under the discipline regulations of IDEA, a local educational agency shall not assign a student to homebound instruction without a determination by the student's IEP team that the homebound instruction is the least restrictive alternative environment for that student. If it is determined that the homebound instruction is the least restrictive alternative environment for the student, the student's IEP team shall meet to determine the nature of the homebound educational services to be provided to the student. In addition, the continued appropriateness of the homebound instruction shall be evaluated monthly by the designee or designees of the student's IEP team."

IEP Team – is composed of the required members and includesthe parent, Reg. Ed. Teachers (course instructors), EC Teacher(s) & LEA Rep. It would also be a best practice to include the homebound teacher in the HB review(s). This will facilitate the discussion related to the student’s current homebound performance.

IEP Team Procedures:

  • The IEP Team will meet and discuss the student’s homebound performance related to academic and behavior issues on a monthly basis.
  • Opportunities to return the student to school or a less restrictive environment should always be considered.
  • Use of the Homebound Monthly Review Form:
  • Document the discussion and decision the team reaches regarding the continued plan for serving the student.
  • If appropriate, make any necessary changes to the student’s IEP.
  • The IEP Team will sign the Homebound Monthly Review Form, an IEP“signature page” (DEC 4) and the Prior Written Notice (DEC 5).
  • If the student is not returning to school, the IEP Team will need to complete an Invitation to Conference to arrange the next monthly review meeting.
  • Homebound Monthly Review Form (HB8)
  • Place in student’s EC File and incorporate in IEP.
  • Fax to the EC dept.(attn. Nancy Jones) at 704-262-6226.

Student Enrollment:

In the School Attendance and Student Accounting Manual, Chapter 2, Section 4, Attendance (C): If a student is confined at home or in a hospital, is unable to attend school, and is receiving homebound instruction from his/her home school/LEA, he/she is to be considered Hospital/Homebound. Once school/LEA personnel have made contact (a face-to-face meeting) with the student to provide instruction, the student should be counted present. The student should continue to be counted present for the span of time during which regularly scheduled hospital/homebound instructional services are delivered (supporting documentation should be maintained at the school).When a student is homebound or hospitalized and IS NOT receiving hospital/homebound services, he/she is to be considered lawfully absent and coded 1 (this results in a change in coding).

To avoid a student being dropped from school membership, the Data Manager at the child’s school must be notified that the student is being considered for homebound services and should not be dropped from school for non attendance. He/She also needs to know when services have been terminated so he/she can properly code the student's absence.

When the HBC is aware that a student may be placed on homebound, a courtesy notification to the Site Data Manager is encouraged. The Site Data Manager should hold this information until receipt of official notification from the EC Department that a student has been placed on homebound for a particular length of time.

Transfer Students

  • When a student has transferred into the District, and has been placed on homebound by his/her previous school, the student must first be enrolled at their CCS home school. Homebound services can then continue through the student’s home school. The TIPS/504/IEP Teamshould review the need to continue services.

Homebound Services:

Area of Instruction

The TIPS, 504 or IEP Team will determine the areas of education to be completed while the student is on homebound.

  • Elementary students should receive direct instruction in Reading, Writing and Mathematics.
  • Middle School students should receive instruction in all four core content areas- Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science.
  • It is the policy of Cabarrus County Schools to limit instruction to two (2) coursesper semester for high school students who are on homebound. Requests for additional courses are considered on an individual basis.

EC Related Services

If an EC Student receives AT, OT, PT, or ST as a related service during the school day, then these areas need to be discussed during the IEP meeting for homebound placement. The Case Manager is reminded to invite the provider of these services to the meeting.

If it is appropriate to continue to provide related services with homebound, then the IEP team must add the service and frequency to the HB3.

If adjustments have been made to the frequency of service or if service is suspended for the period of homebound, the IEP must be amended to reflect this change.

Hours of Service

The TIPS, 504 or IEP Team will determine the number of weekly service hours to be provided to the student.

  • Homebound services are limited to a maximum of 5 hours per week.
  • Teams typically schedule 3 to 5 hours of service, depending upon the course load and needs of the student.
  • The weekly service hours are to be a set amount of time. The HB3 should not reflect a range of time, but be an exact number of hours per week.

Homebound Visits

  • HB Visits should begin within the first week following the initial placement meeting. (Use the date on the HB3 as a guide).
  • HB Teachers can only enter the student’s home to provide educational services if a parent / guardian or an adult who is 21 years or older is present in the home. HB Teachers must meet in a common area of the home.
  • Homebound services can be arranged in a public place, such as the public library or recreation center.
  • The HB Teacher and student must meet in a common area of any facility (out in the open).
  • The HB Teacher will inform the facility staff that he/she is meeting with a student in a particular location of the facility.

Locations / Hours
Library / Location / Days / Times / Phone
Concord
Main / 27 Union St. North
Concord, NC
28025 / Monday & Tuesday
Wednesday & Thursday
Saturday / 9:00AM-8:00PM
9:00AM-7:00PM
9:00AM–5:00PM / (704) 920-2050
Harrisburg Branch / 201 Sims Parkway
Harrisburg, NC
28075 / Monday-Thursday
Saturday / 9:00AM-7:00PM
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM / (704) 920-2080
Kannapolis
Branch / 850 Mountain St.
Kannapolis, NC
28081 / Monday-Thursday
Saturday / 9:00AM-7:00PM
9:00AM-5:00PM / (704) 920-1180
Mt. Pleasant Branch / 8556 Cook St.
Mt. Pleasant, NC
28124 / Monday – Thursday
Saturday / 9:00AM – 7:00PM
9:00AM – 1:00PM / (704) 436-2202
  • Hartsell Recreation Center is located at 60 Hartsell School Road, Concord NCand may be contacted at: 704-920-5602. Hours of operation: M-F 8am-8pm.
  • Logan Multi-Purpose Center is located at 184 Booker St. in Concord and may be contacted at: 704-920-5603. Hours of operation: M-F 8am-8pm.
  • Other sites are available as needed
  • Homebound visits can only take place on a school day when students are in session. Visits can only occur outside of the HB Teacher’s work day.
  • No sessions held on weekends.
  • No sessions held on holidays
  • No sessions held on teacher work days.
  • Only HB Teachers who are RETIRED may provide education services during the school hours.
  • HB Teachers cannot provide service to more than one student on the same day during the same session. They can, however, serve two students on the same day at different times.
  • “No-Show” Visits – If a HB Teacher arrives at a scheduled appointment and the student does not show for his/her service, the HB Teacher is to mark the HB5 – “No Show”. The HB Teacher is compensated for his/her time when an effort has been made to see the homebound student. Compensation is paid for 30 minutes and should be reflected on the HB Teacher’s time sheet.HB Teachers will not be compensated for more than three (3) no-show visits
  • Homebound teachers should contact the parent right away to find out why the student missed a scheduled appointment. Document the contact and parent response. If the HB Teacher leaves a message, document as appropriate..
  • If the student is not present after the third scheduled homebound visit, the HB Teacher is required to notify the HBC of the child’s school. The HBC is responsible for contacting the parents to resolve the issue. The HB Teacher should keep a log of all contact and responses with the individuals involved. This documentation should be provided to both the HBC (site) and the EC Coordinator for Homebound Services (ECDept.).
  • Students who do not keep/meet their responsibilities as outlined in their Request for Services Contract should not be granted an extension.

Coordinating EOCs and EOGs

The HBC and the Site Testing Coordinator should work together to ensure that proper scheduling of all state mandated testing takes place. This is not the responsibility of the Homebound Teacher.

Attendance Concerns

As outlined in the student enrollment section above,a student is considered present while in the Homebound/Hospital Setting.

When a student is a “no show” at a scheduled appointment – the Homebound Teacher will document the missed session on the Home Visit Log (HB5). The EC Office will provide monthly notification to the Site Data Manager of reported no shows and cancelled sessions for attendance purposes.

Compulsory attendance laws also apply to Homebound Services. Schools must follow up when a student’s attendance becomes an area of concern. The student’s Case Manager or School Social Worker is expected to contact the family to resolve attendance issues.

In addition, when a student has been court ordered to attend school / homebound service, notification must be given to the EC Department’s Social Worker –Amy Jewell(704-262-6109). Please provide the name of the student’s Court Counselor and contact information. This notification is to ensure that the ECSW is aware and can provide family assistance as necessary.

Excessive Absences

When a homebound teacher’s home visit log reflects excessive absences for a student, the EC Department will send a certified letter to the parent of the student. It will be necessary for the HBC and Principal or Administrative designeeto become involved in cases when a student is reported to have excessive absences and cancellations. A parent meeting is to be set up to discuss the excessive absences and to determine the reasons why attendance has become an issue. The school social worker may also need to become involved, if warranted. Suspension of homebound services may result. In these cases a letter of notification is sent to the parent. A meeting with the parent, the site administrator and HBC will be necessary to develop a resolution before homebound services can be restored. Use of a student contract is encouraged.

If the homebound setting/services are not successful, the TIPS or IEP Team will need to consider other options for meeting the student’s needs. The HBC, SNA & Parent meeting should be held with involvement of a Social Worker

Please keep in mind that Compulsory Attendance rules apply for students under the age of 16.

Role of the Site Homebound Coordinator

The Homebound Coordinator (HBC) is generally a site guidance counselor for regular education students or the EC Lead Teacher/Case Manager for EC students.

  • Receives the request for homebound services from the parent.
  • Immediately schedules a TIPS, 504 or IEP Team meeting to discuss the need for a student to receive homebound services.
  • Serves as the liaison between the School Site, the EC Department, Course Instructor, HB Teacher and Parent.
  • Locates a Homebound Teacher for a student who is placed on homebound. If after 2 days (from signing the HB3), a homebound teacher can not be secured from the school site, the HBC should contact the EC Department for assistance.
  • Coordinates an initial meeting with the HB Teacher and the Course Instructor to work out the details for effective communication and to determine the method to transfer all course work and to establish the course objectives.
  • This is especially important when the HB Teacher is not housed at the same school site as the student/Course Instructor.
  • Provides follow-up and monitors homebound services to ensure that adequate progress has taken place and that the student is receiving services.
  • Provides intervention if necessary to resolve situations that are problematic. (i.e., habitual “no shows”; problematic students; issues that concern either the Course Instructor or the HB Teacher.)
  • It is the HBC’s responsibility to contact the parent to resolve problems for the HB Teacher (i.e., “no-shows”).
  • In the event of problematic situations HBC will keep an active log which documents all contact and responses with all parties concerned. Documentation will be provided to the EC Department and kept on file with the student’s HB3.
  • HBC should contact the EC Homebound Services Coordinator as soon as problematic issues arise.
  • Notifies EC Homebound Coordinator when a student has returned to the school setting or when services have been terminated early. Provides an effective date of return or HB termination to the EC Dept.
  • Works with the site testing coordinator to ensure that the student is scheduled for his/her EOC or EOG as mandated under state guidelines.
  • Notifies both the Course Instructor and Homebound teacher when an extension of homebound service has been granted.

Note: A student should never be placed on homebound without appropriate follow-up. School personnel must maintain appropriate contact with the student and his/her parent to ensure that the student is maintaining academic goals and achievement. For all EC Student’s who are homebound due to an IEP Placement – Teams must remember House Bill #1682 requirements.