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While we hear daily reports on business closures and the importance of social distancing, many treatment programs are still open and accepting patients. If your child is currently out of school or work, or is in unexpected withdrawal (especially due to alcohol or benzodiazepines which can be life-threatening), it may be an ideal time to encourage them to attend a program.
If they agree, we’ve prepared some important questions you may want to ask of potential treatment providers:
How are you pre-screening potential patients? Does your process include questions about recent travel, having flu-like symptoms or contact with others who have the virus?
Many places do a phone intake. If there is a waiting room, be sure social distancing policies are in place.
How are you preventing the spread of COVID-19? What procedures are in place for sanitizing facilities?
Hopefully, staff has been trained and there is frequent cleaning of surfaces such as doorknobs, desks, kitchen tables, stairwell handles, elevator buttons, etc. Everyone should wash hands with soap and water often, and facilities need to make hand sanitizer widely available. (Note: Hand sanitizers contain alcohol so many facilities haven’t allowed it in the past. Under these circumstances, it should be made available).
What measures are being taken to remind staff and patients about ways to prevent the spread of germs, including avoiding holding hands and hugging during 12-step meetings or other fellowship?
Training, signage and reminders of these safety precautions should be in place. Use of telehealth (long-distance patient and clinician care) for one-on-one and group counseling and online meetings may be used instead of in-person meetings. Some places are reducing the number of people in group counseling, or moving to more individual counseling, so that social distancing can happen.
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