In midst of pandemic, county still offers help to children with special needs
— Still frame from August 6, 2020 Albany County press briefing
“We’ve seen in increase in the number of referrals for such services as food pantries, clothing opportunities, infant supplies, and virtual parenting classes,” said Gail Darrigo, clinical director of the Children with Special Needs and Mental Health Divisions of the county’s Department for Children, Youth and Families.
ALBANY COUNTY — Everyone’s routines were disrupted by coronavirus restrictions but it was particularly hard on children with special needs who often depend on a regular routine, said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy at his press briefing on Thursday.
Many “got left out” during the pandemic, he said, adding, “We owe it to them to give them the best foundation we can.”
On July 13, the county’s preschool center-based programs reopened, providing speech therapy and physical therapy to 75 children between the ages of 3 and 5.
The county’s early-intervention program and its evaluation team worked throughout the shutdown, doing their work remotely, McCoy said. “We didn’t stop … We cannot shut our doors and walk away,” he said of county workers.
One of those employees, Gail Darrigo, a licensed clinical social worker who serves as the clinical director of the Children with Special Needs and Mental Health Divisions of the county’s Department for Children, Youth and Families, said that 397 children — from infants to 3-year-olds — are currently being served by the county.
They are getting speech, occupational, and physical therapies as well as social-work and special-education services. Most are receiving these services through video-conferencing while a small percentage meet with therapists in person.
So far this year, Darrigo said, 143 evaluations have been conducted for early intervention and for preschool children. Over 49 of those evaluations occurred since May, she said.
Darrigo encouraged residents who may need services to call 518-447-7777, which is a “single point of entry,” she said. Darrigo described it as “a centralized referral system to streamline access for women, children, and families.”
Operators direct callers to services relating to health insurance, pregnancy support, domestic violence, addiction support, social services, and more. “It provides a wide variety of information for folks,” said Darrigo, calling it “a great place to start asking questions.”
From early to mid-spring, the single-point-of-entry line averaged about 76 calls per month, said Darrigo. Since June, there’s been an uptick. “We’re getting about 150 calls per month at this point,” said Darrigo.
She went on, “We’ve seen an increase in the number of referrals for such services as food pantries, clothing opportunities, infant supplies, and virtual parenting classes.”
Darrigo concluded, “We’re there to help and provide information.”
