Lehigh Valley Health Network Distributes Sensory Bags to EMS Partners

Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), part of Jefferson Health, held a sensory bag pick-up “party” for EMS and first responder partners Aug. 22 at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Muhlenberg. The sensory bags include a few key items things such as noise-reducing earmuffs, a weighted blanket and nonverbal cue cards – to help calm and support people with sensory and behavioral health issues during a crisis.

Keith Micucci, CRNP, Chief Operating Officer of LVH–Muhlenberg and Administrator of Emergency Medical Services, says the sensory bags help deescalate situations and can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.

“Originally created for EMS teams to help children on the autism spectrum, the sensory bag items can really help any child in a stressful situation who is dealing with anxiety, depression or trauma,” Micucci said.

The idea for sensory bags came about in 2019 when a detective in Michigan noted a need for police, fire and EMS vehicles to have tools to help them when they arrive at a scene with a special needs child. The detective’s son has autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Kyle Albrecht, Senior EMS/Interfacility Liaison, received philanthropic support to purchase 175 of the bags to distribute to LVHN’s EMS partners. Albrecht’s wife is a clinician with LVHN ExpressCARE. She saw the sensory bag in action with a patient they were considering sedating. Instead, using the sensory bag allowed EMS to calm the patient and get the situation under control.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing if all of our EMS partners had access to these?” Albrecht said. “We’re pleased to be able to increase awareness and understanding around these important issues, and we greatly appreciate our EMS partners for their participation.”

A similar project introduced last year was LVHN’s Blue Envelope Program, an initiative that assists drivers with ASD in their interactions with police. Drivers carry a blue envelope which they give to police during a traffic stop. The envelope explains the program, indicates if the driver is verbal or nonverbal and offers tips for a smooth interaction.

The regions of Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties (and all LVHN EMS units) were chosen for the sensory bags as they are aligned with the ongoing Blue Envelope Program.

“Education and training around these initiatives leads to so much understanding,” Micucci said. “The sensory bags provide us with simple yet powerful tools that can dramatically change the outcome of a situation and the lasting effects it may have on a child.”

Approximately 21 different EMS stations attended and picked up sensory bags. For EMS who were unable to attend, LVHN will be distributing additional bags.