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The Veal Group, LLC is committed to providing our clients with a safe environment for counseling. The best practice guidelines still encourage tele-mental health as our first option. Many of you have already signed a tele-mental health informed consent document to allow us to counsel you on-line via Doxy, a free, video-conferencing program that is HIPPAA compliant. We are offering tele-mental health zoom sessions whenever you feel it is necessary, or you are sick. Clients who are medically fragile, immune compromised, or elderly may want to stay on-line for the foreseeable future. Our office staff and counselors will be happy to walk you through this process via phone, or in person. We will also stagger appointment times to eliminate client overlap in the waiting area. The goal of this stagger method is to maintain social distancing. We are already following the CDC guidelines for sanitation. To ensure your safety, office staff and counselors will be using Clorox Spray to disinfect our offices, bathroom, and EMDR apparatus between sessions.
CDC Guidelines recommends to: "Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in household common areas (e.g. tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, remotes, handles, desks, toilets, sinks). Although Clorox Spray is on the EPA's list of disinfectants, it is recommended that the surface stay wet for the recommended amount of time (3-5 minutes) to kill germs. When using wipes, it is suggested to only wipe in one direction, as studies have suggested that doing so can reduce the risk of re-contamination."
Our new in-office procedures for COVID-19 are outlined below. All clients will be asked to sign a new informed consent for in-office services post COVID-19. Clients will be asked to adhere to the following guidelines listed below. To help keep everyone (you, me, and our families, [my other staff] and other patients) safer from exposure, sickness and possible death, we encourage you to adhere to the following:
· Only keep your in-person appointment if you are symptom free, you agree to cancel the appointment or proceed using telehealth. If you wish to cancel for this reason, I won’t charge you our normal cancellation fee.
· Only use the front door to enter and exit the office.
· Wash your hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you enter the office.
· Adhere to the safe distancing precautions we have set up in the waiting room.
· Wear a mask in all areas of the office, if possible. A mask is mandatory in the waiting area unless there are medical, trauma reaction, or other viable reasons for not wearing one.
· Keep a distance of 6 feet and there will be no physical contact (e.g. no shaking hands) with me [or staff].
· Try not to touch your face or eyes with your hands. If you do, you will immediately wash or sanitize your hands.
· If you are bringing your child, you will make sure that your child follows all of these sanitation and distancing protocols.
· If you have a job that exposes you to other people who are infected, you will immediately let me [and my staff] know.
· If a resident of your home tests positive for the infection, you will immediately let me [and my staff] know and we will then [begin] resume treatment via telehealth.
We have taken steps to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus within the office and we have posted our efforts in the office. Please let us know if you have questions about these efforts. We look forward to continuing to serve you for all of your wellness and healing needs throughout these difficult times.
Sincerely,
The Veal Group, LLC