Deaf Counseling Advocacy & Referral Agency DCARA

1 day ago

Want to make a difference in the Bay Area and north coastal California community and interested in joining our #DCARA1962 team? We have job opportunities available for you!

Apply now: dcara.org/careers

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]

[Visual Description: Background is a light grey wall. Michelle wears a shaped V mid-sleeved grey shirt. She has long curly light brown hair. She wears a dark brown rims glasses.]

Hi! I am Michelle Camara, Manager for DCARA's Advocacy Services Department.

Are you someone that enjoys working and supporting our community members? Do you want to directly impact the lives of our clients? Then we have an amazing opportunity to share with you: We currently are actively hiring for the Advocate position in three of our locations: San Leandro Headquarters, Fairfield and Eureka.

If that sparks your interest, please grab the opportunity to submit your application and resume through DCARA’s website at www.dcara.org. I look forward to connecting with you! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you.

Keep safe and take care.

[END TRANSCRIPT] ... See MoreSee Less

Deaf Counseling Advocacy & Referral Agency DCARA

4 days ago

COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave

COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (SPSL) is still available until September 30th, 2021. You can use SPSL to get your COVID-19 vaccines and/or if you became sick. To request for SPSL, contact your employer (i.e. supervisor). The employers' paid sick leave and SPSL are two separated things.

For more details, visit the link: www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/COVID19Resources/FAQ-for-SPSL-2021.html

Stay safe. ... See MoreSee Less

Deaf Counseling Advocacy & Referral Agency DCARA

6 days ago

Dr. Alina Engelman has important information related to schools, COVID-19, vaccinations, and advice to share with the Bay Area community

[Start Transcript]

[Visual description: Ian sits in front of a paint texture background, Ian is wearing a grey shirt with DCARA logo]

Ian: Hi, welcome to COVID-19 Awareness & Prevention Education (CAPE). The topic for today will be on back to schools. We know that schools opened last August. Teachers, administrators, staff, and students are currently back in schools. Good news, it was announced last week that there have been no COVID-19 outbreaks in San Francisco schools since last month. Hope that continues. Most important, wearing masks, get vaccinated, and social distancing. I would like to emphasize that even though you've gotten your vaccinations you are still able to get contracted with COVID-19 or already have it. Most important, after you've gotten your vaccinations keep wearing your mask. The purpose of vaccinations are to reduce the severity of illness, and low chance of being hospitalized. If you already got your vaccinations and became sick then you are more likely being able to recover at home instead of being hospitalized. If you are unsure about getting vaccinated, consult your doctor if you have any further questions. I would like to introduce someone from California State University East Bay, who is an Associate Professor from the Department of Public Health. We discussed important information related to schools, COVID-19, vaccinations, and advice. Having found her answers to be quite helpful, I would like to share them with the communities. Let's introduce Dr. Alina Engelman. Thank you.

[Visual description: Alina sits in front of a white background, Alina has medium-length hair and is wearing a black shirt]

Alina: Today I want to give a briefing for the Bay Area deaf community related to COVID & this coming year. My name is Dr. Alina Engelman, I'm an Associate Professor of Public Health at California State University East Bay. There's a lot of uncertainty right now related with concerns about the upcoming school year due to COVID and Delta variant. The Delta variant makes COVID more transmissible. I'm a parent myself so I understand. Many overlapping considerations for K-12 education: balance, safety, mental health, socialization with classmates, or whether to resume school in person. But here is what we know. As of August 2021: Health officers all over the Bay Area announced a mask mandate, requiring every resident to wear a mask indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status. Plus California is the first state in the country to implement universal masking in K-12 settings and vaccine verification for state workers. This month, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a new public health order requiring all school staff to either show proof of or be tested at least once per week. Why? Because the American Academy of Pediatrics recent updated guidance for schools recommended that all students over 2 years old, along with staff, wear masks, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COIVD-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its own recommendations, calling for indoor mask-wearing for unvaccinated students ages 2 and up, as well as staff. Children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination, however the 5-11 group may be eligible for vaccination later in 2021-22. What does that mean for school this coming year? American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that "the benefits of in-person school outweigh the risks." Parents may need to be prepared. If there is a COVID exposure at school, you may be asked pull kids out for quarantine and testing. Or, the school may decide to switch to virtual learning depending on the situation. Sending your children to school is very much a personal choice. A couple things to consider/ask yourself:
Do you know how many people in your area have been vaccinated?
Can you find out if you child's teacher has already been vaccinated?
How many teachers/staff at your child's school have been vaccinated?
Is there good ventilation at your child's school?
Will the school have social distancing?
Will they notify families if there is a positive COVID case in the school? Please raise questions with your children's teachers and administrators.
We recognize that as deaf parents of parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, that safety precautions pose special challenges in terms of communication. One last thing. The large bulk of the deaths and serious illnesses from COVID are from the unvaccinated. So experts encourage you to get tested if you are symptomatic regardless of vaccination status. Get tested. If you are positive, assume you're infectious: stay home and follow guidelines for isolations. If you have friends or family who have not gotten vaccinated or who skipped their second dose, now is a good time to give them a nudge. This can ensure your kids' safety and also that of their teachers, classmates and their families. Continue to mask, social distance and limit indoor gatherings. Thank you.

[End Transcript] ... See MoreSee Less