03/16/2020
Dear Clients and Guests,
Great Life Counseling Center (GLCC) is committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our clients, team members, and guests. With consideration of reports from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis, we would like to share with you steps we are taking to ensure our services remain readily available in a safe way. We’d also like to offer a few suggestions for you & your family during this time of uncertainty.
At GLCC, we always strive to make sure our clients and guests feel safe and genuinely cared for at our office. With the anxiety surrounding the recent public health crisis, we realize many of our clients and members of the community will desire safe but reasonably accessible mental health services. One of the many ways in which we plan to put our clients and guests at ease is by implementing enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures for each office and high-traffic areas such as door handles, desk surfaces, computer keyboards, all seating furniture, table tops, playroom toys, and more. GLCC team members will also be washing their hands and wiping or spraying their office room furniture and surfaces between appointments and avoiding physical contact. Furthermore, we will be encouraging GLCC guests to use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before and after their office visits.
GLCC team members are also giving extra attention to our team standards for modeling self-care and professional consideration. For the sake of other GLCC team members and all the clients who visit us, it is our policy that GLCC team members do not come into the office whenever they have not been fever free without anti-inflammatory medication for at least 24 hours. Team members are also encouraged to reschedule appointments whenever an illness is significantly impairing their functioning and professional presentation. GLCC clinicians do not charge late cancellation fees for clients when they have to reschedule due to illness and they are expected to reschedule clients when they appear with or report significant flu or cold symptoms. These precautions will be taken to avoid contaminating the office and putting others at risk.
Given the threat of COVID-19, it is imperative that we all implement the following time-trusted tips to prevent the contraction and spread of viruses:
>Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a viable option, if soap and water is not available.
>Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
>Avoid close contact with people who are sick (i.e., be mindful of social distancing)
>Drink water frequently
>Exercise regularly
>Stay home when you are sick
>Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or by turning your head into your elbow or inside your shirt.
Despite our best efforts to take every precaution, the GLCC team acknowledges some of our clients or guests still may not feel comfortable visiting our office for their appointments at this time. We particularly want to validate some of our guests who are at higher risk or more susceptible to COVID-19 because of age, pre-existing health conditions, or exposure from recent international travel or locations listed as CDC Level 2 or 3. Others may simply find it too anxiety provoking to meet face-to-face and prefer to stay home as much as possible. While we do not view telehealth as the optimal setting or mode for conducting psychotherapy, we do view it as a great supplement to avoid a disruption in the continuity of care during this time. GLCC clinicians will be contacting each of their active clients this week to explore telehealth options for the next 6-8 weeks to reduce office traffic & risk for those who need to or prefer to office visits.
In closing, the GLCC team would like to offer some tips for managing anxiety and talking to your children about the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce anxiety symptoms while trying to stay informed, we recommend limiting screen time related to COVID-19 and other anxiety-provoking stories. We also recommend taking advantage of the unexpected down time to do something more productive or fulfilling like addressing household projects, spending time with family, exercising, and enjoying hobbies. Of course, GLCC clinicians are always happy to help you process your reactions and concerns. For your children, talk to them honestly about COVID-19 at an age-appropriate level, teach them what to do to stay safe, provide a lot of assurance, avoid messages containing blame which may lead to stigma, limit the amount of screen time or things overheard on the radio that are focused on COVID-19, be prepared to validate and help children cope with their feelings of anxiety, and provide a good model of self-care for them to follow.
As always, we wish you well and encourage you to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
Sincerely,
The Great Life Counseling Center Team
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