By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
With COVID-19 stubbornly lingering, state and local government agencies are doing all that they can to help those afflicted with the deadly virus.
Washington State’s Department of Health’s Care Connect Washington is a program for people who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed and need support to isolate or quarantine at home.
Working with local health jurisdictions and their partners, DOH has introduced Care Connect Washington, which connects community-based partners with eligible people to provide with vital services so they can stay home in isolation or quarantine.
The state Department of Health began the program by providing care coordination services in Yakima County last July 1, and extended service to Benton and Franklin counties at the end of September.
At present, 32 of the 39 counties are providing Care Connect Washington services to people who agree to isolate or quarantine at home, but need help doing so.
In King County, with the support of DOD, the public health department has launched the Household Assistance Request Program (HAR). This program provides financial assistance to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and need to isolate or quarantine themselves at home. The program will cover things like rent, utilities or other needs a family may have. The program also covers delivery of food products and PPE equipment, if needed.
“We are excited to work with Public Health Seattle King County on this important program,” said Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Care Coordination Project Director Pama Joyner. “We know that people who receive help meeting essential social and health needs are more likely to complete home isolation and quarantine successfully; reducing the spread of COVID-19 while helping families by making sure they have what they need during what is often a difficult time.”
Currently, the program has raised one million dollars for this year’s budget, and each family or individual can apply for up to $1,500.00 to go towards their specific needs.
“We are really trying to make this a dynamic program because we want people diagnosed with COVID to be able to stay at home and isolate and quarantine, but we know there are so many barriers,” says Daphne Pie, a public health administrator with Public Health Seattle – King County.
According to Pie, contract tracers with the health department are able to identify those who have contracted the virus and those whom they may have come into contact and offer assistance while they are in quarantine.
King County’s contact tracers identify those that have contracted the virus and contact them to find out who they may have come in contact within the last 10-14 days, so all parties can quarantine. In addition, contact tracers will also inquire if there is anything that prevents the client from staying home and if they may need help with utilities or rent. The tracers then pass on referrals to a community health worker who works with the clients to provide them with the services that they need.
“We are really trying to help folks to be able to have what they need to stay at home,” says Pie. “So, with this new program that is rolling out we are really trying to make it as seamless as possible, if anything is seamless, but we are trying to get rid of some of the bureaucratic elements.”
Through contact tracing the health officials are hoping people diagnosed with COVID, as well as those they have come in contact with, will heed the advice of medical experts by staying home. They are also advising people to stay connected with their contact tracer because they are able to connect them with the necessary resources to help them overcome difficult circumstances.
“If someone does have to isolate and quarantine because of COVID there are resources to help them,” says Pie. “What we don’t want is to miss out on anyone, we really want to help folks.”
