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Professional Education and Respite Service is unique in many ways. The service provides in-home services to address educational, behavioral, and respite needs. However, it stands alone in its mission to provide weekend and vacation respite services to families across the United States. So that families have a better understanding of the credentials, philosophies, and strategies of its personnel, the following Frequently Asked Questions have been compiled and shared with you. Please do not hesitate to contact us through our Contact page if you have additional questions.
Why are you interested in providing respite care and in-home services?
How does your service define Respite Service?
How do you define Home Based Supports?
What types of educational services do you provide?
Has your service had experience working with people who have a disability similar to my child’s?
Will your service work with clients with medical impairments?
If my child cries when I leave, how would you handle it?
If my child had to be taken to the hospital for an emergency, what steps would you take?
What would you do if you asked my child to do something and he/she refused?
What should we do if we disagree about something?
What hours are you available to work? What about during holiday weekends?
What are your thoughts about discipline? What types of discipline have you used in the past?
What would you do if you found my child with an open bottle that you suspect is poison?
What safety procedures do you have in place? Do you believe in hands-on methodologies when safety is involved?
Are you comfortable with taking my child out in the community?
How can you provide personnel in all the States?
Are you willing to have a criminal background check?
In your program, what training and experience have your care providers had?
How are care providers supervised? Who supervises them?
Will your program keep up with current information about my child’s medical and other needs? Is there a written plan?
May I meet the person who will be caring for my child before receiving respite?
How far ahead do I need to call to arrange for services?
Please explain the Anniversary Club.
Am I limited to a certain number of hours of respite care?
Do you provide transportation?
Will care be given to my other children also?
What is the cost of respite care? How is payment arranged? Is funding available?
Are Deposits Refundable?
Why are you interested in providing respite care and in-home services?
Respite Service is one of many services offered. In all cases it is our belief and mission
to provide in-home support and helpful suggestions. It becomes clearer each and every day,
that substantial and lasting changes in a child’s life can not occur unless the educational
and family systems join and work together to ensure we are all following the same plan to reach
the same desired goal of happy, healthy, and productive citizenship for all children and adults
requiring additional assistance.
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How does your service define Respite Service?
Respite by definition is a break for the caregiver. However, we all know there are some babysitters who may be
able to provide just some aspects of the service. We believe that the major differences between baby sitting
and our respite service are that the staff are trained and experienced professionals having worked with a wide
range of needs and abilities, and are familiar with associated behaviors, and techniques and strategies that are
most effective. Secondarily, but more important, your respite care provider will engage and provide educational
experiences for your family member both in the community and at home. We will emphasize those skills you believe
most important to your child. If you want someone to just sit and watch television with your child, then by
all means, stick with the babysitter.
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How do you define Home Based Supports?
A variety of services can be considered under this category of services. Parental support, consultation, and
training, as well as life and daily living skills are included. Community based education, transitioning, and
community supports are additional services that can be provided as well. Professional Education and Respite
Service LLC will provide a variety of supports and training in any environment assistance is required.
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What types of educational services do you provide?
Academic tutoring, vocational training, on the job training/coaching, community transitioning, communication,
life and daily living skills are all educational services Professional Education and Respite Service LLC delivers.
Additional services may be provided by specific staff members with specific skills such as in hearing, speech, and
vision services.
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Has your service had experience working with people who have a disability similar to my child’s?
Although, it would be unfair to answer yes to every disability, those that are employed have a wide range of
experiences with a wide range of children and adults with varying needs and abilities. All personnel have
experience with children with significant cognitive delays and behavioral challenges. Mr. Jesse A. Kushner, President
of Professional Education and Respite Service LLC has 30 years of experience working with children and adults within
the field of Special Education. His career and expertise is with working with children with the most challenging of
behaviors.
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Will your service work with clients with medical impairments?
Professional Education and Respite Service is an educationally/behaviorally based service. It
will however, consider working with clients with medical conditions provided the family and staff both feel comfortable with the training the family can provide.
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If my child cries when I leave, how would you handle it?
Prior to any scheduled respite, families complete a wide variety of surveys that include
behavioral, medical, interest, and respite care directions. Any potential behavior that is likely
to be observed should be addressed on these forms. Parental suggestions as to how to handle specific
behaviors are reviewed, discussed, and taken into consideration. Our professionals will first assess
the cause or antecedents of the behavior, implement parental suggestions as appropriate, and apply
other strategies that would likely reduce or eliminate the behavior and bring comfort to the child.
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If my child had to be taken to the hospital for an emergency, what steps would you take?
All family applications must include a Medication and Emergency Medical Treatment Consent form. In combination with a Respite Directions form, Professional Education and Respite service will have a sound understanding of the procedures the family has set in place in case of any emergency. Family members are informed immediately as to the nature of the emergency through the contacts and phone numbers they provide.
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What would you do if you asked my child to do something and he/she refused?
Redirection and time usually works wonders in these cases. When the respites are brief, there usually isn’t any need for power struggles. We believe in all parties getting what they need and want and an experienced educator understands how to help ensure that this becomes reality.
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What should we do if we disagree about something?
It would be very frustrating if a family member disapproved of how things were handled and nothing was said. We believe all involved parties want a lasting relationship. Effective communication is essential.
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What hours are you available to work? What about during holiday weekends?
Personnel of Professional Education and Respite Service are current Special Education teachers and
paraprofessionals. Typically they are available in the evenings, weekends, holidays, and summer months.
Extended hour and vacation respites typically occur on weekends and therefore this works out well for
all concerned. Professional Education and Respite Service LLC also provides services for preschool children
and out of school adults.
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What are your thoughts about discipline? What types of discipline have you used in the past?
We believe that all individuals must take responsibility for their actions. We view children and adults with disabilities
as individuals first. We believe that all individuals are special and even though we make allowances for disabilities
and processing deficits, we do not allow these disabilities to cloud our judgment and interfere with what is the best
and safest plan for the child. Through a variety of educational techniques we believe in assisting the client do what
is asked of them to receive the things they desire. In all cases, we discuss discipline with the family and seek their
input as to what they perceive are the most effective procedures to use with their child. We also keep in mind that
respites are relatively brief and we do not need to engage in power struggles. Both client and provider need to
enjoy themselves as the separation from family can be very stressful. With safety always in mind first, we want this
to be a happy time, and therefore do not believe in doing more than what is necessary to correct the problem and
move on.
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What would you do if you found my child with an open bottle that you suspect is poison?
Poison control numbers should always be included in the Respite Care Directions and/or Medical Release information. The client will receive immediate care and family members will receive a phone call as soon as feasible.
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What safety procedures do you have in place? Do you believe in hands-on
methodologies when safety is involved?
Pre-service discussions and respite care directions are an important part of understanding the child
and how to keep him/her safe. Family members need to be thorough in addressing the critical areas of
safety in the home and in the community. All personnel receive training and certification in CPR/First
Aid, and crisis interventions. Structuring an environment for success and safety is always a part of
our plan, however, if a child becomes out of control and aggressive, we believe in separating the child
and adult first. Once the child/individual has regained self-control the original request or activity is
readdressed. In regard to crisis interventions, Professional Education and Respite Service LLC has
adopted a “no hands on” policy. Through a process of redirection, deflection, and guidance, we
will assist the individual to regain control. A safety hold will only be utilized in such extreme
cases when the child is extremely out of control and aggressive and both parties can not be safely
separated and the adult can not guide the individual to a safe area. If necessary, assistance will
be requested through the local police authority. In all cases, written documentation of all events
are reviewed with the family prior to the end of the respite.
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Are you comfortable with taking my child out in the community?
We believe that the respite is most successful when the client engages in his typical activities and routines. However, getting to know the child first becomes essential. Discussion and Respite Directions are an essential part of the process so that we can ensure that the child remains safe. We will not take unnecessary risks when we are unsure of the outcome. As we become more familiar with the client, then excursions become easier.
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How can you provide personnel in all the States?
Professional Education and Respite Service LLC is based out of Stephens City, Virginia.. Its staff travels to different States typically providing 24 to 48 hour behavioral, educational, or respite services.
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Are you willing to have a criminal background check?
All personnel receive criminal background checks as part of procedure. Families can feel free and are
encouraged to initiate their own background checks. Our personnel are experienced Special Educators
and/or Mental Health Professionals and have already been screened by their employing school divisions
as well.
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In your program, what training and experience have your care providers had?
Prior to employment, all applicants are personally interviewed by the President, Mr. Kushner. References are
reviewed and screened in accordance with the law. Educators and paraprofessionals with extensive experiences
working with children with a wide variety of disabilities, significant cognitive impairments, and behavioral
challenges are selected.
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How are care providers supervised? Who supervises them?
All providers are supervised by Professional Education and Respite Service’s president. It is the policy of Professional
Education and Respite Service to seek family input at the end of each service/week so as to be fully aware of the perceptions
of the family and their feelings as to how things are progressing.
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Will your program keep up with current information about my child’s medical and other needs? Is there a written plan?
We recommend that clients provide a written IEP, behavioral intervention plans, and current medical information. All family provided information as well as additional surveys and directions are maintained in a binder that is brought with the provider to all services. At the beginning of the service, all information is reviewed to accommodate any changes. All notes during respites are maintained in these binders.
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May I meet the person who will be caring for my child before receiving respite?
Although, in person visits prior to a respite may be cost prohibitive for those living out of the Virginia area, families will speak to the provider via phone calls and a significant part of the day or entire first day will be spent with the family as a unit so all can become comfortable. If after meeting the provider, the family does not feel comfortable with the match, the family will only be responsible for the deposit, accrued hourly cost, and any applicable travel costs. There will be no further obligation to pay the remaining balance.
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How far ahead do I need to call to arrange for services?
Although this varies according to location, it is suggested that arrangements should be made at a minimum of two months prior to the service. This gives time for all arrangements to be made, and ample time for questions and “get to know us time”. Joining the Anniversary Club for specific dates is an effective way to help ensure that we can accommodate you.
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Please explain the Anniversary Club.
Professional Education and Respite Service now offers an Anniversary Club. The club serves as a giant tickler file indicating when a family is celebrating a major event such as an anniversary, birthday, wedding, annual vacation, special event etc. It enables the service to contact the family months in advance to inquire if respite care services are needed for the up and coming event. Anniversary Club members are eligible for special discounts after their first service and/or grant funding when available. Contact us and we will add you to our database.
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Am I limited to a certain number of hours of respite care?
No. Hours are dependent on availability of providers.
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Do you provide transportation?
Yes, however, this is dependent on location. Providers will not have transportation if they fly out to a different State.
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Will care be given to my other children also?
Yes, however, additional charges may apply.
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What is the cost of respite care? How is payment arranged? Is funding available?
The cost of the service is dependent on a number of factors: medical needs, behavioral needs, number of children, and the
services required. Where feasible, a consultation meeting is established to discuss all these issues. When it is not
feasible, written applications and survey information are received, reviewed, and discussed over the phone and a fee and
payment schedule to include a deposit is arranged.
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Are Deposits Refundable?
A full refund is provided if the service is canceled 30 days in advance of the first day of service. One/half of the deposit
will be refunded if the service is canceled 14 days in advance of the first day of service. Airline reservations are
non-refundable. Professional Education and Respite Service LLC backs its service with a 100% guarantee. We are confident that
you will be satisfied with our service. We will refund all monies if you believe we haven’t done our very best to provide a
safe, caring, and loving environment and the very best to satisfy any family concerns.
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