Restoring Purpose,
Hope and Self-Respect

Dear Clients and Family Members,

All of us at PCH, including our staff, clients and families, are understandably concerned about the coronavirus. First and foremost, we consider all of our staff and clients to be part of our PCH family, and we are here to provide full support and as much safety as possible. Although panic is not helpful, realistic preparation is, and we must all face the reality of this situation together and support one another. We will all have significant disruptions in our lives – social, psychological, medical, financial and otherwise. We need to plan for the realities of this pandemic and cope with it as best as we can. Our first priority at PCH is and has always been the health and safety of our clients, staff and community. We are closely monitoring updates on the coronavirus and are following guidelines provided by the CDC, especially recommendations around preventing transmission of the virus.

Toward this end, we are continuing to maintain our treatment milieu and see clients on the office premises at PCH – as long as we can do so in a safe and secure manner. We understand that more than ever, people with psychological issues are undergoing severe strain, and we continue to remain open to offer support and containment.

From a technical standpoint, we utilize the services of Status Building Solutions to disinfect our offices. They have highly specialized sanitizing equipment and protocols and they are consistently sanitizing all hard surfaces in our clinic and houses. Of course, we have increased the frequency and intensity of cleanings. Our offices and houses have hand sanitizer stations and signs to remind people to use and wash hands frequently. We are closely following social distancing protocols, and accordingly, we have discontinued all large group meetings where clients or staff would be in close contact. We are carefully screening any new admissions for symptoms and travel history. We are not allowing anyone to enter the premises with any physical symptoms of illness and we have eliminated visitors to our houses. All staff that are able to work from home have been transitioned. We are also fully operational with tele-health conferencing to remotely provide individual therapy and groups as needed.

To our clients and families, we ask that you take precautions against the spread of coronavirus. Please pay close attention to whether you or those around you are exhibiting signs of any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, body aches, or shortness of breath. Early symptoms may be mild, especially in younger age groups. If you experience any of these symptoms or have any question about whether you may be getting sick, we ask that you let your program director know immediately. They will determine if accommodations need to be made to continue care, such as quarantine with remote sessions. We will do everything we can to ensure that your work with us remains as stable and as productive as possible.

We have also adjusted all client activities to avoid outings to public gathering places. We have added strict precautions around food handling to avoid sharing of utensils and to maintain a safe and sanitary environment at all times. We will also provide full support to clients and their families should any disruption in treatment occur to facilitate a return to treatment as soon as possible.

PCH is watching how this virus unfolds throughout the country, and we are vigilant in monitoring how it might spread within our community. Please understand that we will communicate additional information as it becomes available. As practitioners of mental health, we thoroughly understand the worries and stress that every person is experiencing right now. Accordingly, we encourage anyone to seek help if they find themselves suffering. We are here to help clients AND their families through this frightening situation. Feel free to reach out to any of us if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Sincerely,

Jeff Ball, Ph.D., Terry Krekorian, M.D., Adriana Westby-Trent, Ph.D. and the PCH Team.