Safety & Nondiscrimination

Responding to COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccination Update

The Seattle School no longer requires proof of Covid-19 vaccination, but still strongly recommends both staff and students maintain up-to-date vaccinations.

As a learning community that trains people to serve God and neighbor in vocations in healthcare, church, and non-profit settings, each year a large number of our students work or intern serving vulnerable populations and many of our employees also serve in these settings.

To support the wellbeing of our entire community and those that we serve, The Seattle School strongly encourages everyone to stay up to date with all vaccinations as recommended by public health agencies.

COVID-19 Planning Team

The Seattle School’s COVID-19 Planning Team  (Kartha Heinz, Gene Kim, Misty Anne Winzenried, Daniel Tidwell-Davis, and Daniel Walkup) ended regular meetings in March 2023; however, the school still monitors relevant developments in the pandemic.

WA Vaccine-Finder

Need help finding a vaccine? Check out Washington State’s vaccine locator.

Free Tests

One of the data points we are tracking is the availability of testing, which also seems to be improving. The following site allows you to order at-home testing kits for free: Say Yes (Washington State)

Prevention

Public Health Agencies have published necessary steps that all persons should take to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and warm water. Use hand sanitizer if washing is not an option.
  • Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with tissues or your clothing.
  • Keep surfaces clean and germ-free. Properly dispose of used tissues, napkins, cutlery, etc. Wash hands after using shared keyboards, copiers, etc.
  • Stay home if you are sick and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently used objects and surfaces.

The Washington State Department of Health has established a hotline if you have specific questions about COVID-19: 1-800-525-0127.

Therapists for First Responders

Alumni and partners of The Seattle School are proud to provide therapist resources to the first responder and EMS community, available here. This list is comprised of information provided by alumni and partners who elected to be included in this resource list. Therefore, inclusion in the list does not signify an endorsement from The Seattle School, nor does The Seattle School attest to the accuracy of the information provided.

Other Resources

Washington State Department of Health
Center for Disease Control
King County Public Health

Student Resources

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology signed and returned a Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students to the Department of Education on May 13, 2020. The purpose of our application was to support our students with COVID-19-related expenses correlating with the sudden onset of online education. We intend to distribute all funds to eligible students within the time period allowed, up to June 30, 2021.

CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is a recipient of the CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant.

Our institution received $29,389 under the CARES Act – HEERF Student portion and $29,389 under the CARES Act – Institutional portion.

As of July 30, 2020, $7,050.25 has been distributed to 13 students with eligible expenses. To date, we have 218 students enrolled for Fall 2020 with the potential to receive funding for eligible expenses as allowed under the CARES Act- HEERF requirements.

As of September 30, 2020, $12,822 has been spent toward the Institutional portion, as documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report(s). $7,050.25 of those funds have been reimbursed by the Department of Education, in accordance with requirements of the grant agreement.

As of December 31, 2020, $15,163 has been spent toward the Institutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. In addition, the school has spent $334,883 of the $441,223 awarded under the FIPSE portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. These expenditures are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report(s).

As of March 2021, The Seattle School is pleased to announce that we have received an additional $29,389 in funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) to be able to provide emergency grants to students. Please click here for more information and to apply.

As of March 31, 2021, $15,977 has been spent toward the Institutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. In addition, the school has spent $386,125 of the $441,223 awarded under the FIPSE portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended March 31 are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report(s).

As of May 20, 2021, a supplemental grant for students was awarded in the amount of $74,149. $12,516 has been distributed as of July 15, 2021. The application will remain open and responses will be reviewed on a monthly basis by the committee.

As of May 31, 2021, $29,389 has been spent toward the Institutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. In addition, the school has spent $389,560 of the $441,223 awarded under the FIPSE portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended May 31 are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report(s).

As of September 30, 2021, $20,934 has been spent toward the CRSSA portion of the CARES – HEERF III grant. In addition, the school has spent $391,653.66 of the $441,223 awarded under the FIPSE portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended September 30, 2021, are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report.

As of December 31, 2021, $32,870.13 has been spent toward the CRSSA portion of the CARES – HEERF III grant. As of December 31, 2021, $30,787 has been spent toward the Institutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended December 31, 2021, are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report.

As of March 31, 2022, $15,184.67 has been spent toward the CRSSA portion of the CARES – HEERF III grant. As of March 31, 2022, $49,691 has been spent toward the Institutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended March 31, 2022, are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report.

As of June 30, 2022, an additional $12,613 of CRSSA funding of the CARES – HEERF III grant has been disbursed. Expenditures for the quarter that ended June 30, 2022, are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Report.

For the quarter that ended September 30, 2022, $11,165 has been expended toward the CRSSA portion of the CARES – HEERF III grant. For the quarter that ended September 30, 2022, $576 has been expended toward the Institutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended September 30, 2022, are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Report.

For the quarter that ended December 31, 2022, $697 has been expended toward the CRSSA portion of the CARES – HEERF III grant. The quarter ended December 31, 2022 represents our final expenditures under the CRSSA portion of the CARES – HEERF III grant and theInstitutional portion of the CARES – HEERF grant. Expenditures for the quarter that ended December 21, 2022, are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Report.

The Seattle School CARES Act review committee has awarded a grand total of 115 student COVID emergency relief grant requests, distributing federal relief funding provided by the CARES Act and subsequent rounds of funding. In October 2022 we made the final disbursements to applications received in September and we have closed the application form.

Support for Community Members

In some cities there has been a xenophobic reaction to COVID-19, blaming the virus on community members who are perceived to come from Asia. We are here to support all community members, from all races and ethnicities. Xenophobia has no place in our community. As always, any community member who experiences discrimination in any form is encouraged to contact Human Resources or our Title IX coordinators.