Responding to COVID-19
Reported Cases of COVID-19
| Last updated 6/01/2021 | Number of Cases | Location | On-campus or off-campus? |
| Current week | 0 | King County | Off-campus |
| Past weeks | 4 | N/A | Off-campus |
| Cumulative | 4 |
To help us understand the impact of COVID-19 on our community, we encourage any student or employee who has tested positive to notify Kartha Heinz.
Campus Access
Starting Wednesday, June 7th, graduating students are welcomed back to campus by reservation at this time. Two different time slots are available on Mondays and Wednesdays: mornings (10:30am-12:30pm) and afternoons (2:00pm-4:00pm). On Monday, June 21, reservations will be open to all students. The following rules apply:
- Student group gatherings are limited to 10 and also by room/space. Please refer to posted signage for capacity guidelines.
- Students will be required to sign a COVID-symptom-free attestation upon entry and must comply with posted room capacity, masking, and social distancing guidelines.
No guests, minors, or food during student visits are allowed at this time. Kitchens are closed, water fountains are turned off, and we have no coffee service.
The building is still open for drop-off and pick-up services on the following schedule:
- Monday 10:00am-4:30pm
- Wednesday 10:00am-4:30pm
- Thursday 10:00am-4:30pm
Students no longer have to wait at the door; however, total time in the building is limited to five minutes without a reservation.
Questions? Please contact Daniel Walkup.
Requests for school-sponsored gatherings (in Phase 3, maximum of 10 people) should be made to Kartha Heinz three weeks before the planned event.
Been vaccinated? Let us know!
As we lean into the warmer, longer days of springtime ahead, the COVID-19 Planning Team has added the number of vaccinations in our community to our reporting dashboard. We’ve created an anonymous and voluntary way for you to let us know when you’ve been vaccinated to help with our reporting.
The COVID-19 Planning Team has been actively working to discern next steps for our learning community in response to COVID-19. From the beginning our care for this community — our students, faculty, staff, and those we serve — has been of the utmost importance to us. The Seattle School is taking additional measures and made the following very difficult decisions to care for this community and our neighbors:
- Presently, the building has limited access on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
- Coursework for the 2020-2021 academic year is currently facilitated online. We will be supporting students remotely. See our Students and Online Learning Support page for details.
- Employee business travel is evaluated on a case-by-case scenario.
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.
Resources
Washington State Department of Health
Center for Disease Control
King County Public Health
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued an emergency order to Washington state health insurers requiring them to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing for coronavirus (COVID-19). Insurers also must:
- Allow a one-time early refill for prescription drugs.
- Suspend any prior authorization requirement for treatment or testing of COVID-19.
In addition, if an insurer does not have enough medical providers in its network to provide testing and treatment for COVID-19, it must allow enrollees to be treated by another provider within a reasonable distance at no additional cost. The order is effective immediately and applies to all state-regulated health insurance plans and short-term limited duration medical plans until May 4, 2020.
WA Vaccine-Finder
Need help finding a vaccine? Check out Washington State’s vaccine locator.
Free COVID-19 testing in Seattle
If you live, work, or regularly visit Seattle, and you are experiencing a symptom(s) of COVID-19 and/or you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 within the past 14 days, you can be tested for free, even if you don’t have insurance. For more information, please visit the city’s website.
Therapists available 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 ended March 31 are documented in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure report(s).
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.
COVID-19 Planning Team
The Seattle School’s COVID-19 Planning Team membership has been updated as of May 19, 2021. Members now include Kartha Heinz, Mike Anderson, Daniel Walkup, Misty Anne Winzenried, and Daniel Tidwell-Davis. President Derek McNeil will be brought into discussions as major decisions need to be made. The team meets weekly on Wednesday to assess updates from the King County Health Department and CDC and respond accordingly. We ask for everyone’s help to keep our community healthy and safe.