What is Home and Hospital Instruction (HHI)?

Home Hospital Instruction Purpose

 The purpose of Home-Hospital Instruction (HHI) program is to help students maintain continuity of instruction during a temporary, short-term disability in the student’s home or hospital or other residential health facility, excluding state hospital.  Any student with a temporary, short-term disability that makes attendance in regular school or an alternative education program impossible or inadvisable must receive individual instruction provided by the student’s school district (Education Code 48206.3[b][2]).

Qualifying Disability

A temporary disability is a temporary physical, mental or emotional disability incurred while a pupil is enrolled in regular day classes or an alternative education program.  The student will be expected to return to regular day classes or an alternative education program without special intervention pursuant to Education Code 56026 (Education Code 48206.3).                                             

Examples of temporary, short-term disabilities include, but are not limited to: broken limbs, hand injuries, or short term impairments following surgery or medical treatments.

Eligibility for Home Hospital Instruction

Student must be a Manhattan Beach resident or Inter-district permitted student and enrolled in grade K-12. This includes alternative education programs and special education students. For permitted students, instruction must occur in Manhattan Beach.

• Student has an anticipated absence of two weeks (10 school days) or more from regular school due to a temporary, short-term disability.
• The licensed physician verifies in writing the student’s diagnosis and need for HHI services.
• The referring physician must be responsible for continuing treatment and service while the student is out of regular school.

Hospital/Residential Facility

Within district boundaries – Manhattan Beach Unified School district (MBUSD) will provide home/hospital instruction.

Outside of district boundaries

The address of the hospital/residential treatment facility establishes residency. The school district in which the facility is located will provide home/hospital instruction and it the the parent responsibility to notify that district to initiate instruction.

How to Request Home/Hospital Instruction

Parents must request Home/Hospital Instruction (HHI) using a Referral Form available at the school site.  The referral form must be completely filled out by the parent AND doctor in order to be considered, and must include the diagnosis, the length of time the student is anticipated to be confined, and the expected date of return. 

Many students with temporary health problems may still be able to attend regular school with modifications.  The modifications are determined through planning sessions with the family, student’s physician, school nurse, and other school officials.  In some cases, a temporary modification of the school schedule is sufficient to accommodate the student’s needs, and home instruction is not necessary. 

Continuation of HHI services is always subject to review and requires re-verification every 25 days with a new HHI Referral Form filled out and authorized by the student’s physician.

Instruction Options

An eligible student for HHI may receive 300 minutes of instruction per week by a credentialed teacher, one hour per day per week.  It is the responsibility of the parent to be present in the home while the HHI teacher is present or other family adult 21 years old and over.  It is also the parent responsibility to provide a quiet, appropriate learning environment for HHI instruction in the home.  When the physician determines the student may return to regular school, the physician authorization must indicate the level of activity in addition to the limitations or instructions regarding the student’s care at regular school.

HHI can also be provided to a student in a hospital or other residential health facility, or under other circumstances prescribed by the California State Board of Education.

What a parent should know about Home-Hospital Instruction (HHI):

 What it is…

• HHI allows students to receive temporary, short-term instruction who are severely restricted and unable to attend school due to a temporary disability.  A temporary disability is a temporary physical, mental or emotional disability incurred while a pupil is enrolled in regular day classes or an alternative education program.  The student will be expected to return to regular day classes or an alternative education program without special intervention pursuant to Education Code 56026 (Education Code 48206.3(b)(2)).
• The student will receive an hour of teacher instruction for each day school is in session, for a maximum of five hours per week.  The schedule of visits is arranged between the parent and the student and the HHI teacher.
• The HHI teacher will work to continue, as much as possible, the regular teacher class assignments.

 What it is NOT…

• HHI is not an alternative education program for your student.  The purpose of HHI is to minimize the loss of instruction while a student is recovering from a temporary disability.  The severity of disability is determined through a physician diagnosis and educational alternatives are considered before HHI is authorized.  The student will return to regular school or an alternative education program as soon as the student is healthy enough to do so as determined by a physician.
• Within HHI, instruction is not the same as instruction at the regular school.  The HHI teacher may not have the academic background to teach all subjects.  Therefore a student could be behind schedule with completing assignments and tests when the student returns to regular school.
• A physician does not authorize HHI.  Only the MBUSD Student Services office can authorize HHI.  In completing the Referral Form, a physician must provide medical information so a valid and proper student placement can be considered.
• HHI does not apply to students identified as individuals with exceptional needs pursuant to Education Code 56026 (Education Code 48206.3).

Who can be placed on HHI...

• Any regularly enrolled MBUSD student who will miss school for a minimum of two weeks (10 school days) due to a temporary disability may be eligible for HHI.
• Student placement is considered through careful review of the Referral Form.