Click image to view video
Dear BCDSS Team:
Yesterday was a very special day as we welcomed back 123 essential Family Investment staff from administrative leave. Each employee received a new laptop and telework training for using their devices safely from home. I am deeply grateful for Ann Macedo’s OTHS team for all their support in quickly deploying new equipment when they receive it. Special thanks also to Chief of Staff Antonio Hayes and the senior leadership team members who pitched in to help. My deepest thanks goes to the FIA staff, several of whom expressed their sincere happiness to get back to work serving those in need. Your “yes we can!” spirit is inspiring to us all!
Click the above image to play a video of staff receiving new laptops.
Our focus as a senior leadership team since mid-March has been to equip and prepare 100% of our agency workforce for teleworking. Already we’ve deployed some 275 additional laptops, 500 mobile phones with Internet hotspots and other equipment to ensure our most mission critical operations could continue uninterrupted. We are also collaborating with DHS and the state Department of Information Technology (DOIT) to expedite the installation of the new VOIP telephone system so our Family Investment Call Center and the Child Welfare and APS screening units can work remotely.
Another, larger DHS shipment of some 340 laptops was delayed in shipment but is due to arrive at BCDSS any day. Once these laptops are distributed across the department, we’ll be in a much better position to meet the growing needs of our neighbors.
And those needs are growing fast.
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 50,000 lives in our country alone. Across our state and nationwide, the economic damage caused by this global pandemic grows exponentially each day. Our nation is facing a $3.7 trillion budget deficit for the current fiscal year. The US unemployment rate - last month it was 3.5% - could reach 12% by the end of September.
Many individuals and families here in Baltimore have been greatly affected as a result of the pandemic. Increasingly, they are turning to us for help, some for the first time. We need to be ready to serve them.
 Each of you are vitally important to BCDSS fulfilling our mission to care for children and families in Baltimore City. All of us are essential. This includes those we are asking to remain on administrative leave a little longer while we seek the necessary resources for teleworking.
As we seek to take care of our clients and customers and fulfill our mission critical role in the community, please remember that staff on administrative leave can be reactivated at any time. While on administrative leave, you must be available by telephone during your scheduled work shift. We also require that you check your work email at least daily for reactivation notifications, for important BCDSS news and updates, and to check in with your supervisor at least every other day. We look forward to having everyone back as soon as possible.
 During these challenging times, many members of our BCDSS team have gone above and beyond their roles to advance the well-being of our staff and the communities we serve. Below is an example of how our staff have gone the extra mile to assist their fellow colleagues and vulnerable residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finance
The Finance Department would like to recognize Karen Chandler, operations support manager for Child Welfare, for going above and beyond the call of duty. Since their department has had to resort to electronic submission of any and everything payment related, there has been a huge undertaking to get certain types of payments approved in CHESSIE. Karen has been instrumental in providing all the information that is required for the budget team to facilitate their part in this process. Finance would like to publicly thank Karen for all she has done and continues to do during this time!
Submitted by Khrystine Thomas. Thanks Khrystine!
We are extremely grateful for the compassion and kindness shown by our entire workforce as we work together to overcome the COVID-19 health emergency. To recognize a fellow colleague for going above and beyond during this time, please send an email to bcdss.communications@maryland.gov.
Parenting During COVID-19
Dr. Shannon Barnett is the Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, with a focus on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Development and Behavioral Health, and also serves as the Psychiatric Consultant for BCDSS. Recently, Dr. Barnett was featured on the podcast "Rediscovering Play," where she discussed some techniques to help parents manage and maintain positive mental health for themselves and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of checking in with their families about their anxieties and mental health throughout this process. She also gave great tips and things to look out for for when the shelter-in-place guidelines are eventually relaxed. Click here to listen to her interview.
Supporting Kids During COVID-19
School closures for kids and remote working for adults leaves parents with the challenge of keeping their children healthy and occupied. Child Mind Institute’s clinicians has recommended the following tips to help parents calm their fears, manage stress and keep the peace while staying at home with their children during COVID-19.
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Keep routines in place: Consistency and structure are calming during times of stress. Kids, especially younger ones or those who are anxious, benefit from knowing what’s going to happen and when. Their daily routine should mimic a school or day camp schedule, changing activities at predictable intervals, and alternating periods of study and play.
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Be creative about new activities, and exercise: Incorporate new activities into your routine, like doing a puzzle or having family game time in the evening. Build in activities that help everyone get some exercise, such as taking a daily family walk or bike ride or doing yoga — great ways to let kids burn off energy and make sure everyone is staying active.
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Manage anxiety: It’s completely understandable to be anxious right now (how could we not be?) but how we manage that anxiety has a big impact on our kids. Keeping your worries in check will help your whole family navigate this uncertain situation as easily as possible.
Click here to learn more tips on how to support kids at home during COVID-19.
Boys and Girls Club Virtual Programming
The Boys and Girls Club is now offering several virtual programs and activities for children that can be useful for foster parents to keep foster youth active while everyone is home. Click here to view an example of virtual programming available for children on the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore website. Foster parents who are interested in locating programs closer to their home can visit https://www.bgca.org/get-involved/find-a-club.
The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA) is committed to providing multilingual resources to Baltimore residents during COVID-19. Please feel free to share any of the following health and human services resources with our customers in need.
Esperanza Center Coronavirus Health Hotline
If you do not have a doctor and you are experiencing symptoms related to coronavirus/COVID-19, you can call Esperanza Center’s team of medical professionals in English and Spanish at 667-600-2314.
Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Site at Pimlico
Residents will need to bring a referral from a doctor for a test. If you do not have a doctor or health insurance, call 211 to be referred to a clinic. If you do not drive, a doctor can send you to another site to be tested. Testing for coronavirus is not considered in public charge decisions.
Resources for Victims of Abuse and Assault
Things are more stressful than usual. If you’re experiencing abuse or assault, there are organizations ready to help.
211 Call Center
211 is now accepting calls in over 150 languages using telephonic interpretation to recommend next-steps if you think you have or have been exposed to coronavirus, including connecting you with a clinic if you do not have health insurance of a primary care provider.
COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
Greater Baltimore Area foundations have created a streamlined opportunity for nonprofit organizations to apply for funding to sustain, deepen, or pivot their operations to address critical needs in local communities resulting from the pandemic. Apply at greaterbaltimorecovidresponse.org.
Baltimore CIty Schools will be closed until May 15th.
See MIMA’s Coronavirus website for more information on schools and child care.
See MIMA’s Coronavirus website for more information on food distribution.
COVID-19 Updates from Baltimore City Leadership
For your information, I’ve attached the most recent update from Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young on city government’s response to COVID-19.
Warm regards,
Randi Walters, PhD
Director
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