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COVID-19 Resources
WICHE is closely monitoring the outbreak of “SARS-CoV-2,” and the disease it causes, which has been named “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”). To inform and facilitate your response to a rapidly changing situation, WICHE has compiled the following set of resources, which will be updated as new information becomes available.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
- Higher Education Emergency Relief — Student Aid ($6.3B)
- Letter from Secretary Betsy DeVos
- Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants
- Guide for How to Apply for Funding in GRANTS.gov
- Methodology for Calculating Allocations
- CARES HEERF Certification and Agreement
- Allocations for Section 18004(a)(1) of CARES Act
- FAQ about the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under Section 18004 of the CARES Act
- Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund ($3B)
- Cover Letter to Governors
- State Allocations for the GEER Fund
- Application, Including Instructions to Apply
(application in bottom right corner, under Resources)
U.S. Department of Education
- Federal Student Aid (Coronavirus and Forbearance Info for Students, Borrowers, and Parents)
- U.S. Department of Education Guidance Information for Accrediting Agencies Regarding Temporary Flexibilities Provided to Coronavirus Impacted Institutions or Accrediting Agencies
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Health Departments in the WICHE States and Territories
State Department of Health
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Regional Higher Education Compacts
Institutional Resources
- On Campus
- AACRAO’s Voluntary COVID-19 Guidance (The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers)
- American Council on Education
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources for Postsecondary Institutions
- Global Center for Health Security Industry Playbooks (includes Higher Education Pandemic Response & Mitigation Guide)
- Managing COVID-19 Disruption: Title IV Processing (CooleyED)
- Managing COVID-19 Disruption (CooleyED)
- National Association of College and University Business Officers
- NACAC College Admission Status Update
- SOLVE by Every Learner Everywhere
- U.S. Department of Education Provides COVID-19 Guidance for Colleges and Universities (Hogan Lovells)
- WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies)
- WCET Policy Briefs and Federal/State Regulations
- Athletics
- American College Health Association
- Open Educational Resources
Telehealth
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- A quick guide designed to support physicians and practices in expediting the implementation of telemedicine. This website includes information on; Practice implementation; Policy coding & payment; Other helpful resources.
- Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC)
- Information on Telepsychology and Telehealth services, and trainings.
- Resources for adjusting to virtual Telehealth using the proper guidelines.
- Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
- Partnerships with Telehealth providers to pre-screen, establish resource connections, and reduce healthcare worker exposure while social distancing.
- Some states are requiring insurance companies and health plans to cover out of network providers, copays, deductibles, and Telehealth.
- NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals
- Contains resources for Telehealth expansion and Telemedicine while providing MAT.
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- Resources for social workers transitioning to their practices to Telehealth during COVID-19.
- Facetime and Skype Teletherapy sessions are offered for clinical social workers.
- Telehealth workers can provide Teletherapy to new and existing Medicare beneficiary and get reimbursed.
Counseling Students Across State Lines – Guidance & Resources
- The American Telehealth Association (ATA)
- Track state-by-state waivers/flexibility.
- ASPPB
- Interstate reciprocity between 11 states for doctoral clinical and counseling psychology
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) guidance
- American Psychological Association (APA) guidance
Licensure & Regulation
- American Counseling Association (ACA)
- Listing of Telebehavioral health information for counselors in health care. Topics addressed include; Licensure and Liability Insurance; Ethical Standards; Insurance Billing Practices & Policies; Effective Remote Counseling.
- Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)
- Licensure related matters and COVID-19 from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.
- ASTHO
- New take-home protocols and loosened restrictions are being enforced by the Drug Enforcement Agency for Telehealth MAT services.
- National Register of Health Service Psychologists
- Telepsychology resources for practicing psychologists and a listing of general resources.
Mental Health
- Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)
- COVID-19 Mental Health Resources
- MHTTC Region 8 has compiled these resources to assist individuals, providers, communities, and states across HHS Region 8 to address mental health issues during COVID-19.
- Resources from Active Minds
- Active Minds, a nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults ages 14-25, offers these resources for different audiences.
Reimbursement
- NAADAC
- Contains Medicare Expansion/Insurance information.
- State of Alaska
- Temporary expansion of Medicaid Telehealth coverage.
Helpful Apps – COVID-19 information / Mental Health strategies
- COVID-19 Screening Tool (iPhone only)
- The latest information from trusted sources about the coronavirus disease. It contains screening tools and gives access to resources.
- betterhelp
- A convenient way to get professional help from licensed therapists and counselors online. Counselors cover a wide range of areas from depression and anxiety to family and couples’ therapy.
- Connections
- Allows people to track their sobriety, access e-therapy to learn new recovery skills, connect with trained counselors and peers through messaging, clinical support available 7 days/wk. 9am-10pm EST, and more.
- Moodpath
- A personalized mental health companion. Offers a place to reflect and get information, encouragement, and guidance.
- World Health Organization (WHO) Info
- The official WHO info app. Keep up to date with the latest global COVID 19 information.
- Youper
- Created by a team of doctors, scientists, and engineers to personalize various emotional health techniques for coping.
Webinars
Considerations for an Uncertain Fall: Ensuring Readiness for Faculty and Students (June 16th, 2020)
With spring semesters wrapped, and summer semesters largely being held in remote environments, institutions across the nation are planning for what comes next.
Slides from the webinar | YouTube recording of the webinar
Accessibility in the New Normal of Online/Remote Course Delivery (June 11th, 2020)
With the swift conversion of face to face courses to online and remote format to complete the Spring 2020 terms, some support services to students were missed or incomplete to deliver course content. As institutions prepare alternatives for Fall term, the bar will be raised to deliver accessible courses. The Department of Education provided guidance that the expectation is that the institution will meet legal requirements to ensure that there is no discrimination against those with disabilities.
Promising Strategies for Virtual Commencements (April 23, 2020)
With COVID-19 disrupting many postsecondary operations, many institutions are rapidly deciding if a virtual commencement ceremony is right for their students, and if so, how best to execute one. WICHE, along with content experts from Western Governors University and University of Hawaii at Manoa, shared tips and tricks, offered advice, and outlined challenges to be expected when organizing and conducting virtual commencement ceremonies.
Changing the Conversation about Mental Health to Support Students in the West During a Pandemic (April 21, 2020)
Dennis Mohatt, vice president, Behavioral Health Program, and Patrick Lane, vice president, Policy Analysis and Research, were joined by Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of Active Minds, in this conversation. For an audio recording of this webinar, please contact Genevieve Berry at gberry@wiche.edu.
Slides from the webinar | Transcript from the webinar
Psychosocial Impacts of Disasters: Assisting Community Leaders (March 2, 2020)
The Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), a partnership between WICHE and the University of North Dakota aimed at disseminating and implementing evidence-based practices for mental disorders into the field, hosted a free webinar about the psychosocial impacts of disaster. Dr. Andrew J. McLean spoke to the best practices for responding to the psychosocial impacts of disasters. See a summary and slides from the webinar.
MHTTC Telehealth Learning & Consultation (TLC) Tuesdays
Telehealth Learning and Consultation (TLC) Tuesdays was a weekly online series for providers who are unfamiliar with telehealth. Our Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Network specialists devoted the first segment of each hour-long session to a specific topic, then addressed questions submitted by TTC Tuesday registrants. See recordings of the presentations, download the slides, and access more resources.
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Past topics:
- March 31: Telehealth Basics
- April 7: Telehealth Billing
- April 14: Telehealth Tools
- April 21: Telehealth with Children and Adolescents
- April 28: Telehealth Troubleshooting
From Our Partners
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA): COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: What We Know Follow-Up (April 2, 2020)
During the webinar, “COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: What We Know Follow-Up” NASFAA President Justin Draeger and staff from the AskRegs and Policy teams reviewed recently passed COVID-19 legislation and guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. They also answered questions related to Title IV and COVID-19. Learn more here. If you missed NASFAA’s first webinar, “COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: What We Know,” which took place on March 17, you can access the on-demand recording here. A transcript of the Q&A portion of the March 17 webinar is available here.
General Guidance
- World Health Organization (WHO)
For more information, please contact:
Dennis Mohatt
Vice President, Behavioral Health & Co-Director, Mental Health Technology Transfer Center
