Human Services During the COVID Pandemic: Using Behavioral Safety Programs to Protect Human Services Workers and Students

OBJECTIVES: Behavioral safety programs have been effective in decreasing injuries across a number of industries. The COVID-19 pandemic is placing stress on the human services field—an industry already noted for its high injury rate. As most organizations resume full operation in the midst of the pandemic, procedures to mitigate the risk of virus transmission are vital. The current manuscript describes the use of a behavioral safety program and its effects on COVID-19 transmission in a school serving setting. METHODS: This case study consisted of implementing an organization-wide behavioral safety program in a private school that served students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. During the course of the study, 124 to 128 direct care staff were employed by the school and served 168 students during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: During the behavioral safety program, there were a variable but continuous number of safety observations. The percent of safe behavior in the classrooms began near 90% and approached 100% at the conclusion of data collection. During the study there were no documented COVID-19 infections traced to the school. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral safety programs could be effective in promoting behavior associated with minimizing virus transmission; therefore, these programs may also have utility in preventing communicable diseases in human service settings.