SPA COVID-19 Member Meeting Policy

Overview

Establishing procedures for attendance at our educational meetings following the dire impact of COVID-19 and the current COVID variants is complex.  We are relying upon ongoing information from the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), legal sources, local health authorities, our good judgment, and good suggestions and cooperation from the SPA employees.  That said, the situation remains dynamic. Information about the variants of the COVID-19 virus continues to emerge, concerning their risk and the need for underlying vaccination.

The objectives of these procedures and this policy are clear – to position SPA so that we can fulfill our nonprofit educational mission while reducing the risk to our members and reducing the risk to our members’ clients. 

Relevance of the SPA Mission and Services

SPA has the unique and important mission of meeting and educating its professional members to provide services to their clients, some of whom may have faced traumatic or challenging situations and events, and require the rebuilding of resilience and personal mental health.

Significantly, some of our members may work with groups and organizations that have heightened health concerns about COVID-19.  Accordingly, these groups expect SPA employees, leaders, and meeting registrants to have taken full measures to not pose health threats to the populations being served.

Underscoring the importance of any such expectations, the effect of transmitting an infection to any participant or colleague could be detrimental to the restoration of health, resilience, and trust needed by our members and their client organizations and individuals. 

SPA Event Attendance Policy

Given the nature, significance, and process of fulfilling our SPA mission and services, and within the guidance provided by the CDC and OSHA, SPA has adopted the following policy: By registering to attend and by attending the 2023 SPA Convention as an in-person attendee, you are doing so voluntarily and agree to assume all risk associated with attending this event, including potential exposure to or be infected by COVID-19, as permitted by applicable law. I acknowledge that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death; and I hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless SPA, its employees, agents, and representatives, of and from any injury to me resulting from being exposed to or infected by COVID-19 in connection with my attendance at the SPA Convention (including claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of SPA, its employees, agents, and representatives). You also agree to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, orders and guidance, as well as SPA’s and the venue’s rules and regulations, pertaining to COVID-19 health and safety. 

Additionally, you are acknowledging the following: 

1. SPA employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 
2. Individuals registering to attend SPA meetings are required to be vaccinated.
3. Any concerns based on applicable religious or disability laws should be raised with the SPA Executive Director.  Anyone presenting a valid basis for exemption who remains unvaccinated is required to provide negative COVID-19 testing results every two weeks, including two days prior to any in-person events.
4. Everyone attending any SPA meeting or event is required to comply with any on-site wellness checks such as temperature readings.
5. Any SPA worker or meeting attendee exhibiting symptoms is expected to not attend meetings, and if symptoms persist for longer than a day, to provide a negative COVID-19 test result before attending.
6. SPA will explore the seating distance and examine capacity limits in meeting rooms, and confer with meeting venues their efforts to maximize the efficiency of their ventilation systems.
7. Attendees will be required to comply with all state, local and venue health and safety policies in effect at the time of the meeting, including any social distancing and face mask requirements.