Information from Positive
Sobriety Institute about COVID – 19
With the increased information and questions circulating about
COVID-19 (previously referred to as the Novel Coronavirus), we want to provide
updated information and recommendations that we received from state and federal health agencies, as well as recommendations
from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO),
to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information to guide our policies
and procedures.
It is important to know we do not have any reports of confirmed
exposures within our PSI community.
Should there be an impact to our patients or families, PSI will send out
communications to patients, families and employees as soon as possible.
This is what PSI is doing:
- Our Medical Director and Associate Medical Director
will monitor the health of our patients and staff. Patients and staff have been instructed to
remain at home if they have a fever, have symptoms of a respiratory infection,
have been exposed to a person with COVID-19, the flu, or any communicable disease,
or if they have recently traveled to a high risk area as identified by the
CDC. Also, staff have been trained on
transmission, recognition, and treatment of this virus.
- Information regarding flu protocol has been
provided to all staff and patients as COVID-19 is believed to spread primarily
the same way the flu spreads – through respiratory droplets that are produced
when someone coughs or sneezes. We are working to ensure our facility is
properly stocked with necessary supplies.
Patients and staff have received instruction on proper handwashing
technique and respiratory etiquette.
- At our facility, staff have been directed to pay
extra attention to cleaning “high touch” areas, such as doorknobs and handles.
- We are monitoring reported absence rates of
staff and patients due to colds and flu and will take action if we see a
pattern of high absence rates or illness at the facility.
- Our intake staff will be screening potential
admissions and including questions regarding recent illness, exposure risks and
travel outside the US.
- Our leadership team has been and will continue
to make preparations if the disease were to become widespread throughout our
county and/or district. Leadership
topics include making sure staff and patients continue preventative measures
(washing hands, staying home if not feeling well, etc.), preparing for extreme
deep cleaning of the facility, and planning ongoing communication to patients
and families.
- We have cancelled family programming for the
month of April 2020 and will revisit a reopening for the month of May 2020. PSI staff will be meeting with patients and
their families individually to continue family focused continuity of care.
- There has been a restriction on employee
business travel, as well as attending business community events to reduce
exposure and comply with social distancing.
Staff have been discouraged from personal travel and may be required to
self-quarantine before they can return to work if they do travel.
Our
leadership team and staff continue to
work together to ensure safety measures are in place and are well
prepared to respond to any needs. We
assure you that patient and staff safety is our number one priority. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dominic
Angres, LCPC, CADC
Executive
Director
Positive
Sobriety Institute