Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Health and Safety
If I get injured on the job, what do I do and who do I contact?
If you are not in need of immediate or emergency treatment, please contact your cluster office and administrator(student programs), or your supervisor or office assistant (non-student programs) in order to document and complete a Worker’s Compensation claim; this will include a signature from your administrator.
Please send the information to the designated contacts on the forms provided. You will need to go to one of the doctor's offices designated on the form, however, you may go see your primary physician IF you pre-designated the physician prior to your injury.
For access to the blank forms as well as the “Workers Compensation Fact Sheet”, please visit the SCCOE Intranet.
Go to Forms / Templates
Click the Business section
Scroll down to Risk Management
If you are in need of immediate medical assistance, please call (or have a co-worker call) Emergency Medical Services. Please ensure that your administrator is notified as well.
What happens if I get injured (either at work or outside of work) and do not feel I can work. What should I do?
At Work:
Upon completion of your doctor’s visit, your doctor should have provided you with a note of any potential restrictions that may be put in place due to the injury. Please ensure that the note is submitted to the Risk Management department.
Human Resources will contact you to set up an Interactive Process meeting to determine any potential accommodations you may require in order to fulfill your job responsibilities. This may involve the SCCOE not being able to accommodate. A Human Resources representative will contact you separately in the event that the SCCOE cannot accommodate your restrictions. Please see the Risk Management Fact Sheet related to specific questions regarding this process.
Outside of Work:
If you go to your doctors and receive a note with potential workplace restrictions, please notify Human Resources before returning to work. An Interactive Process meeting will be held to determine what potential accommodations you may need.
What should I do if there are multiple staff absences in my classroom without subs?
The teacher should assess the current staffing needs of the classroom compared to student and staff attendance and immediately notify the cluster office if additional staff is needed. The cluster principal will be in contact with the teacher to determine appropriate next steps if needed.
What should I do if there are extra staff in my classroom due to student absences?
If your classroom has extra staff due to student absences on any given day, notify the cluster office by 9:00 am each day so that staff may be reassigned where needed.
What should I do if there is not enough permanent staff in the classroom?
The teacher should contact the cluster principal, and potentially, short term support can be provided until the needs of the classrooms are appropriately assessed.
Should I take a student alone to the restroom?
When possible and / or needed, please have two adults attend to a student’s personal care needs.
If there is an issue related to this matter, please contact your teacher, teacher-in-charge and / or your administrator for assistance.
Examples of when two adults are required:
Lifting / transferring of students
Utilizing a Hoyer Lift
Training
What training for working with students with behaviors does the SCCOE offer?
For staff that work with students, including those who may exhibit moderate to severe behaviors, we do require them to attend Pro-ACT training which provides a certification that lasts for 2 years before requiring to take a refresher course. You will be contacted directly when your expiration date is approaching to be scheduled for the refresher.
For further questions or information regarding Pro-ACT, please contact Carolina Lluria (clluria@sccoe.org)
What is Pro-ACT?
Pro-ACT is the SCCOE adopted behavior de-escalation standard of practice. It focuses on critical thinking, and problem solving when working with students that are in crisis.
“Pro-ACT is based upon a set of Principles that focus on maintaining client dignity while keeping clients and staff safe”.
The primary focus of Pro-ACT is to work on de-escalating student behavior while avoiding physical restraints. The core set of principles from Pro-ACT are as followed:
Respect client (student) rights
Build a non-coercive treatment environment
Minimize the risk associated with emergency response to assaultive behavior
Emphasize the role of supervision of employee behavior
Support continuous upgrading of skills and knowledge
Be free of gender bias
Emphasize team skills
Provide experience in problem solving
What if I need additional support for a student exhibiting moderate to severe maladaptive behaviors?
The SCCOE has and will continue to offer professional development training opportunities for all staff. The SCCOE has offered after school training with the our Behavior team to review proactive strategies for working with students. In addition, there have been online training opportunities to support working with students exhibiting moderate to severe behaviors.
Please look for additional opportunities moving forward to support our staff with continued support in this area.
In addition to the after school training opportunities, the SCCOE supports staff through the Teacher’s on Special Assignment (TOSA) for continued growth with our adoption of the STAR and LINKS curriculum.
For our classified staff, the SCCOE has begun to employ our Paraeducator Trainers to support staff that are newly hired with the SCCOE. For staff that may need additional support in working with their students, there is self-referral form to be provided on site support for yourself.
As always, any staff can contact their administrator for support and guidance as well.
What if there is a student in my class that I feel may pose a potential risk?
Please ensure that SCCOE administration is informed of the student as they can provide direct feedback and guidance through the IEP process.
If the case manager still feels that the students' behaviors are unsafe, then the case manager can complete the Behavior Assistance Form. Please contact your cluster principal or go to the Tiny URL for access to the form.
What training does the SCCOE provide for students with medical and health needs?
The SCCOE ensures that all staff are CPR certified. Training is offered throughout the school year to ensure that all staff working students are provided an opportunity to complete their refresher coursework.
For students with individual health needs within your classroom, the school nurse assigned to your class will provide individual training to staff based upon their unique needs. If medical needs are such that a higher level of support is required, then a LVN may be assigned to work with the student.
Leaves
Is there still a COVID sick leave that does not affect my personal sick leave bank?
No- As of 12/31/2022, there is no more COVID sick leave. If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please contact your immediate supervisor. once you have confirmed that you are positive and contact your supervisor, your supervisor will contact the Human Resources designee. You will receive an email outlining next steps from Human Resources and forms to complete. The COVID sick leave entitlement expires on December 31, 2022.
What is FMLA?
“The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave a year, and requires group health benefits to be maintained during the leave as if employees continued to work instead of taking leave.”(dol.gov). FMLA is an enactment of the federal government. It is unpaid leave, but employees may use accrued paid leaves to continue to get a paycheck while off on FMLA in many instances. Please see your HR Employment Services specialist for assistance with your specific situation.
What is CFRA?
“The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for their own serious health condition or a family member with a serious health condition, or to bond with a new child.” (dfeh.ca.gov). This is California’s version of FMLA described above, and it is very similar to FMLA. However, CFRA provides some extra protections and/or entitlements to California workers. Please see your HR Employment Services specialist for assistance with your specific situation.
Does the County Office provide any other leave assistance for an employee with a major life event but no more sick time or vacation time?
Yes, the employee may qualify for the Catastrophic Leave program if the major life event is a catastrophic illness or injury which incapacitates them or a family member for an extended period and the employee has exhausted all paid leaves of absence.
In other situations, the employee may also request an unpaid leave of absence to address this life event.
What should I do if a recent and sudden change in my life has caused me to need additional support at work which may include a change in my work environment?
All SCCOE employees can submit a request for reasonable accommodation with the Human Resources department when a disability may restrict their ability to work. A reasonable accommodation is any potentially necessary change to how your job is completed or a change in your work environment that allows a qualified person with a disability to perform the essential functions of their job. These accommodations are considered reasonable if they do not create an undue hardship or a direct threat to the organization.
What type of accommodations are generally considered reasonable?
Change in job tasks or assignment
Improve accessibility in the work area
Change in work area or location
A change in the training materials or presentation
Provide or adjust a product, equipment or software
Could I request an accommodation if the sudden life event I’m experiencing is not my own medical disability?
Yes. SCCOE strives to support employees faced with unexpected life events or other extenuating circumstances that may impact their job. In such situations, contact Human Resources and also notify your supervisor, if possible. Human Resources will review your request with a process similar to the ADA process described above, and Human Resources will explore possible options available to you.
How do I begin this process if I need reasonable accommodations?
Each request for a reasonable accommodation needs to be considered on an individual and case by case basis. Once you disclose the information / request to the Human Resources department, an interactive process meeting will be scheduled with Human Resources to determine any reasonable accommodations that you may need in order to complete your job’s essential functions. It will be beneficial to have any outside documentation related to your request ready to provide to Human Resources for the interactive process.
What are some possible outcomes of the Interactive Process?
Employee may state that no accommodation is needed
Employee identifies new restrictions
Employee declines proffered accommodations
Employee requests accommodations
Employer offers temporary accommodations on a trial basis
Employer determines that the accommodations cannot be accommodated
Parties determine that more information is needed
What other emergency plans should I be aware of at the SCCOE?
There is typically an emergency plan of action for the following;
Earthquake
Fire
Medical emergency
Workplace Violence
Please contact your supervisor if you are unaware of your plan for either your office or school setting.
Where can I find SCCOE’s plans regarding Injury/Illness Prevention and Workplace Violence?
The SCCOE’s plan is embedded within the Employee Compliance Handbook on page 18.
What are some other things that I should be aware of in order to prevent injury or illness while at work?
There are several “hidden: hazards throughout the workplace that we should all be aware of.
Stress:
Common workplace factors that cause stress;
Social dynamics that create conflict, such as lack of social support from colleagues, bullying, unclear job expectations,
lack of control over job duties and schedule
Organizational issues like inadequate staffing, low pay,
and low job security
Heavy workload and long hours
Lack of sleep
Take a step back to evaluate whether work is causing you stress. Identify stressors that you can reasonably reduce. You also may want to seek the advice of a medical or mental health professional.
It is also important to remember, that as SCCOE employees, we do have access to our Employee Health and Wellness programs.
Slips, Trips and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls come in many forms, making them the second most common cause of injury in the workplace.
Hazards that cause workers to slip, trip, and fall include:
Naturally slippery surfaces, like polished stone.
Wet surfaces caused by unchecked spills
Uneven walking surfaces, like loose flooring
Poorly marked and/or poorly lit walkways
Cluttered working areas, like open drawers or stray cords
Pathways obscured by objects or boxes
Icy, muddy or wet surfaces from bad weather
It is easy to get lost in your daily tasks, but be mindful of these hazards, be aware of your surroundings, and routinely inspect walkways. If you discover any area that may be potentially hazardous, please contact your supervisor for assistance.
What should I do if I get injured?
Please refer to the question “What happens if I get injured (either at work or outside of work) and do not feel I can work. What should I do?” and “If I get injured on the job, what do I do and who do I contact?”.
Where is their information where I can learn more about the wellness benefits the SCCOE offers?
The SCCOE does provide access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as well as Care Solace which provides additional resources for immediate mental health support(s).
In addition, the SCCOE also now provides with access to Modern Health which provides the following:
Modern Health is a mental wellness platform that makes it simple for you to access personalized mental health care in the way that works best for you — whether that’s 1:1 sessions with care professionals, group support, or guided meditations & digital courses, all within a single app. Watch this brief video to learn more!
Answer a few questions about your well-being, and Modern Health will thoughtfully guide you to resources that align with your needs and preferences, in areas like:
· Stress & anxiety
· Burnout & career development
· Relationships & family
· Healthy habits
· Financial well-being
You’ll have access to:
· 10 1:1 sessions with certified mental health, professional, or financial well-being coaches
· 8 1:1 sessions with licensed clinical therapists
· Unlimited group support sessions (called Circles)
· A library of guided meditations & self-paced digital courses
· Ongoing well-being assessments to check-in on your well-being over time