Our Commitment to Minimize Exposure and Keep Our Community Safe
The Institute for Girls’ Development is committed to helping our clients and community stay safe and well, while providing the best mental health services we can for each individual client and family. We’re taking steps to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus within the office. Please let your therapist know if you have any additional questions about these efforts.
Online Therapy with Some In-Person Availability
Telehealth offers convenience and risk-free interaction. It continues to be used by the majority of our clients. Learn how online therapy works.
In some cases when clinically warranted, we can offer in-person therapy – following CDC and local health department guidelines. If you’re considering in-person services, you and your family’s therapist will discuss the specific clinical considerations and make a decision together.
How is the Institute protecting in-person clients and slowing the spread of Covid-19?
Minimizing Exposure to Others
- All clinicians, staff and clients maintain physical distancing and wear masks. Seating in therapy rooms is safely distanced.
- Waiting rooms are now back in use, and seating has been arranged for appropriate physical distancing. We schedule appointments at specific intervals to minimize the number of people in the waiting rooms.
- Physical contact, such as hugging or shaking hands, is not permitted.
Keeping Hands Clean
- Restroom soap dispensers are maintained and everyone is encouraged to wash their hands.
- Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is located throughout the building – in the waiting rooms and in each clinician’s office.
Disinfecting
- Clinicians allow at least 15 minutes between sessions to sanitize the rooms and any communal space that was used.
- Pens and other items that are commonly touched are thoroughly sanitized after each use.
- Tissues and trash bins are easily accessed. Trash is disposed of on a frequent basis.
- Common areas are thoroughly disinfected at the end of each day.
Air Filtering
- HEPA filters are located in each clinician’s office and in each waiting room and are required to be used at all times.
Team Preparedness
- The majority of our team is fully vaccinated.
- Our team has been through detailed training on safety and sanitizing procedures.
- Before entering the building, team members are required to complete a daily symptom tracker using our health app.
What other logistics should I keep in mind?
Your therapist will discuss with you the following paperwork, which offers details about what we will ask you to do to maintain safety and minimize the spread of Covid-19:
- Informed Consent for In-person Services during the Covid-19 Public Health Crisis