What type of equipment loans are available?

There are two types of equipment loan; (1) annual and (2) trial. Annual loans are most common, allowing for an item to be checked out for up to one full school year after which it must either be returned or renewed via online inventory (note: all AT and AAC items must be returned in June - we can hold them for re-check out in the fall). Trials are available for certain high cost AAC devices and items being test piloted or on loan from a vendor. 

Which items must be returned at the end of the school year, and which items can we hold on to?

All Assistive Technology items (switches, toys, mounts, etc.) and Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) devices must be returned at the end of the school year. Upon request, we will hold items at CRP to be checked out for the same student again in the fall.

Motor items such as gait trainers, standers, and chairs are bulky, costly to move, and easily damaged in transit. For these reasons, motor items may remain on site as long as the student continues to need the item. However, the person who checked the motor items out must inventory them during our annual equipment inventory process. In other words, if you are going to hold onto equipment for multiple years then you must account for the item at least once a year during inventory. Please note that motor items must be returned if the student leaves the district, ages out of services, transitions to kindergarten, etc.

Can we hold onto items over the summer for ESY?

There is an online form linked on the CRIS website for requesting summer use of equipment for ESY and other legitimate educational activities.

Why do I have to return equipment when my students will continue to need the items in the following year?

Remember that motor items can stay in place as long as the student still needs the items and you inventory them annually. We ask for all AT and AAC items come back at the end of the school year because we need to check the items for safety and complete maintenance. In addition, we find that lots of equipment is being held onto even though the items are no longer in use. End of year returns allow us to recover those unused or damaged items and make them available for other children who need them. And remember, upon your request we will set aside returned equipment so that you can pick it back up in the fall

I checked out equipment for a student I no longer serve. Why are the items still on my list? Am I responsible for them?

Yes, you are responsible for either (a) returning the items or (b) finding out who will be taking over the student and working with that person and CRIS to get the items transferred of your list to the new provider’s.

This is a common area of misunderstanding. People think when they no longer serve a student that they are no longer responsible for the items that they checked out for that student. But this is not correct. The challenge we face is that there is no automatic process in place to transfer responsibility of those items to the new provider.  We are reliant upon those who checkout equipment to communicate and work with us to get items returned or transferred when they find out that they will no longer be serving a student.

Can CRP equipment be sent home with the student?

Generally, no - our motor, AT, and AAC equipment is provided for educational access purposes within the context of school and school-based services. However there are limited circumstances in which CRIS equipment may be used in the home. Examples include (but are not limited to) EI/ECSE children receiving IFSP services in the home, children who are medically fragile and receive services from school-based professionals in the home. Each circumstance is unique, so if you have questions please contact an OI/AT consultant.

When equipment does go home, it is very important to remind parents and caregivers that the items are on loan from CRIS and do constitute a gift or grant - the responsible party remains responsible for the condition and return of all items placed in the home (equipment cannot be checked out directly to parents).

• A student must be enrolled at Columbia Regional Program to access equipment; motor equipment may only be checked out for and used by students with a current Orthopedic Impairment (OI) eligibility. Only PTs are permitted to check out gait trainers and standers.
   
• Equipment is provided for educational access purposes where IEP/IFSP services are delivered (i.e. placement per the IEP or IFSP).
   
• All equipment is checked out for a designated loan period and must be returned in clean, working order at the end of the loan period 
   
• All AT and AAC items must be returned to CRP at the end of the school-year unless otherwise specified. Motor items must be returned if the student is transitioning to a new school or district, is aging out of services, or is no longer using the item
   
• If you have equipment checked out and know that you are leaving a district/program, changing caseloads, or changing jobs, it is critically important to return everything you have checked out to CRP. You can also work with OI/AT staff to transfer items to a new responsible party and/or students. Please do not abandon equipment checked out in your name
   
• Only designated licensed staff may check out equipment as the responsible party: Occupational and Physical Therapists, and Speech/Language Pathologists, Special Education Teachers, and Assistive Technology/Augmentative Communication Specialists. 
   
• Loan and trial timelines must be adhered to, returning equipment as specified when checked out. Many items have waitlists. 
   
• Responsible parties who do not return equipment and/or do not complete the inventory process as requested by CRP will not be permitted to check out additional items until specified equipment has been returned or accounted for (inventoried).
   
• Repeated damage and/or loss of equipment may result in an account hold preventing additional equipment checkout pending administrative review.