Overview
Home and Hospital Instruction provides instructional continuity to public school students, K-12, who are unable to participate in their regular school of enrollment due to a physical illness/injury, emotional crisis (including substance abuse), pregnancy, or chronic health impairment(s). The program, which is by design temporary, is a short-term service not intended to replace school services. Home and hospital teaching does not replicate the classroom experience and is not intended to help students make up past work.
Home and Hospital Instruction allows students the opportunity to continue their academic education as they prepare for their eventual return to the school building. In order to be eligible for services, the student must be expected to be absent from school for a projected period of more than three (3) consecutive weeks as a result of a physical or emotional condition.
Pregnant students are expected to attend school during their pregnancy. The doctor must provide an estimated date of delivery on the application. Instructional services are provided for six (6) weeks postpartum.
Instructional services may be provided in the home school, home, hospital, or community setting. State regulations require local school systems begin providing instructional services within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the application. The length of instruction for students in a full-day program is six (6) hours per week and three (3) hours of instruction to students enrolled in the partial-day program. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines the number of instructional hours for students receiving special education services. State regulations require that an individual possessing a minimum of a bachelor’s degree deliver instructional services. These individuals are assigned by the Home and Hospital Office.
The student completes all required assignments just as required in the regular school setting. Due to the limited number of hours of actual instruction, students complete a great deal of the work independently. An adult (21 or older) must be at home during the time the home instructor is present and providing instruction. At the end of each session, the adult is required to sign the home instructor’s log verifying his/her visit.
For further information, please contact:
Brooke Kohlhorst, Coordinator of Special Programs
301-934-7391
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Beverly Goodell, Home and Hospital Program Facilitator
301-934-7457
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- Parent/guardian obtains the application from the school or Home and Hospital Office located at Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building. The parent/guardian discusses the student’s health and educational plans with the medical professional.
- If the application is for an emotional condition, a licensed psychologist, school psychologist, or psychiatrist must sign the paperwork. The treating professional must also complete a treatment plan.
- If the application is for a medical condition, a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant must sign the paperwork.
- If the application is for an emotional condition, a licensed psychologist, school psychologist, or psychiatrist must sign the paperwork. The treating professional must also complete a treatment plan.
- Parent/guardian submits the application to the school. A treatment plan must be provided if the student is requiring home and hospital services for an emotional condition.
- Upon receipt of the application, the school completes the student information page of the application. All signatures are required on the application before submitting it to the Home and Hospital Office.
- All applications must be approved by the Home and Hospital Office before any services will be initiated. A parent signature is required for the application to be approved.
- The Home and Hospital Office has a right to deny an application due to insufficient information, medical diagnosis, or the lack of the appropriate medical professional’s signature.
- If the parent/guardian does not provide consent for the school system to contact the medical professional, the application will be denied and the student will not receive services through the home and hospital program.
- The Home and Hospital Office will communicate to the school regarding the status of the application.
- A confirmation email will be sent to the school confirming the approval of the application.
- If additional information or clarification is needed, a school-based designee (home and hospital representative, school psychologist, or school nurse) will contact the doctor’s office. The parent/guardian signature on the application provides a release of information.
- A confirmation email will be sent to the school confirming the approval of the application.
- The Home and Hospital Office has a right to deny an application due to insufficient information, medical diagnosis, or the lack of the appropriate medical professional’s signature.
- The school-based home and hospital representative will contact the parent/guardian regarding the status of the application.
- Once the application is approved, the school-based home and hospital representative is responsible for contacting the appropriate team members if the student has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504, or Student Support Team (SST) Plan.
- A letter will be sent to the parent/guardian from the Home and Hospital Office confirming application approval along with a copy of the Home and Hospital Instruction Guidelines and Procedures Manual.
- The initial home and hospital application provides services for up to sixty (60) calendar days; any continuation beyond sixty (60) calendar days requires a re-verification of service.
- An IEP meeting will need to be held for any students receiving special education services.
- According to COMAR, home and hospital is a temporary support service, and not an alternative placement. From the beginning of the process, emphasis is placed on returning the student to school. The parent/guardian and student will meet with the school-based team (school counselor, administration, and other personnel) to plan for the student’s return to school.
- Once the school team and/or private therapist or physician feels that the student may be ready to return to school, methods of enhancing a transition back to school should be developed by the team.
- The parent/guardian should notify the home school and home instructor of the return and send a release statement from the medical professional if the date is earlier than the return date provided on the application.
- Home and hospital applications must be re-verified every sixty (60) calendar days.
- A new treatment plan must be submitted with each re-verification for students requiring services for an emotional condition.
- A new treatment plan must be submitted with each re-verification for students requiring services for an emotional condition.
- The application must be submitted prior to the end of the current period of home and hospital instruction. If a new application is not received, services will be terminated.
- If an application is received after termination, new services may not be provided retroactively.
- An IEP meeting needs to be held for any student receiving special education services that requires continuation beyond sixty (60) calendar days.
- Students with disabilities receiving home and hospital services due to an emotional condition should not exceed sixty (60) consecutive school days, and would be a highly unusual circumstance.
- If the student was on home and hospital for an emotional condition, the school must implement a re-entry plan within sixty (60) school days before services can be continued, even if a sixty (60) day re-verification has been received from the medical professional.
- Students with disabilities receiving home and hospital services due to an emotional condition should not exceed sixty (60) consecutive school days, and would be a highly unusual circumstance.
