The health and safety of our clients and team members are always our top priority. We at The Psychology Group Fort Lauderdale are committed to the rigorous application of CDC recommended practices and common-sense habits to help our team members and clients stay safe and healthy. Our psychology practice is open for business and can offer either in-person or Telehealth services. If there are any changes to our business practices or hours of operation, updates will be posted here.

Precautions we’re taking

While we already take many measures to ensure that our office suite is clean and safe for all, we are taking extra precautionary steps during the pandemic. Here are some best practices which we are following to help keep our clients and team members healthy.

Social Distancing

Our boutique practice has small amounts of traffic and our waiting room is usually uncrowded. With that, our team members are taking care to keep as much distance as possible from clients and each other. Seating in the lobby has been adjusted to allow for maximum distance. Support persons who wish to accompany someone to an appointment are asked to wait in the car instead of the waiting room. Our therapy rooms are spacious and allow for sessions to take place with 6+ feet of distance between you and your therapist. Also:

• Instead of a handshake, we’ll offer you a friendly nod
• Rather than a hug, we will share a smile
• If you accept a beverage, we will wash our hands before preparing it and place it on a clean surface instead of passing it to you directly

Disinfecting of Surfaces

Regularly, a designated team member will use a disinfectant wipe that meets or exceeds CDC guidelines to cleanse surfaces such as doorknobs, the doorbell, tables, refrigerator door handles, and our cell phones. Building maintenance is providing regular cleaning in common areas and frequent touch areas such as elevator buttons.

Hand Sanitation

Our team members are following the recommended hand washing practices of washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and ask you to do the same. We will wash our hands often. Prior to beginning an in-office therapy session we will use hand sanitizer at the beginning and end of each session and invite you to join us. There is a hand sanitizing station located in the lobby, we ask that you utilize this upon entry.

Temperature Checks

A team member will take your temperature with a contactless thermometer before entering our office suite. If it is elevated (100 Fahrenheit or more), or if you have other symptoms of the coronavirus or another respiratory type illness, we will move the appointment to a virtual platform.

More about in-person visits

To obtain services in person, you will be given a consent form to sign prior to the appointment. We ask that you agree to certain precautions that will help keep everyone safer from exposure, sickness, and possible death. We ask that you commit to the following:

• I will only keep an in-person appointment if I am symptom-free.
• I agree to have my temperature taken before coming to each appointment (we use a contactless thermometer). If it is elevated (100 Fahrenheit or more), or if I have other symptoms of the coronavirus or another respiratory type illness, I agree to cancel the appointment or proceed using telehealth.
• I will wait in my car or outside the office until no earlier than 5 minutes before our appointment time.
• I will wash my hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before I enter the office suite.
• I will adhere to the safe distancing precautions. For example, I won’t move chairs or sit where we have markings over the seating area.
• I will wear a face covering until I am inside the therapy room and have been given the all-clear.
• I will keep a distance of 6 feet and there will be no physical contact (e.g. no shaking hands) with the clinician or other team members/clients.
• I will try not to touch my face or eyes with my hands. If I do, I will immediately wash or sanitize your hands.
• If my child is the client, I will make sure that my child follows all of these sanitation and distancing protocols.
• I will take steps between appointments to minimize my exposure to COVID-19.
• If I have a job that exposes me to other people who are infected, I will immediately let you know.
• If my commute or other responsibilities or activities put me in close contact with others (beyond your family), I will let you know.
• If a resident of my home tests positive for the infection, I will immediately let you know and we will then begin/resume treatment via telehealth.
• If I travel by airplane or cruise ship, I will quarantine for 14 days or get tested for COVID-19 before attending an in person visit.
• If I test positive for COVID-19, I will let you know and I will have my appointments virtually until I receive a negative test.

Please note that we may change the above precautions if additional local, state or federal orders or guidelines are published.

Our Sick Policy: If You’re Not Feeling Well

We have required that all team members are to remain home if they have any signs of cold or flu symptoms. We are asking that our clients do the same. If you have any cold or flu symptoms, please get tested for COVID-19. Even if you test negative for coronavirus, please do not come to the office while ill and for at least seven days after your symptoms subside. If you test positive for COVID-19, we ask that you test negative before resuming in-person visits. We will, of course, waive any cancellation fees due to illness.

We don’t want you to miss your therapy sessions! So please let us know if you’re not feeling well, if you’ve been exposed, or if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19 so that we can offer phone sessions or secure video chat options. Instead of coming for your in-person appointment:

• Call us or reach out via email us to discuss other arrangements
• If you suspect you might have contracted COVID-19, call the COVID-19 Call Center available 24/7 +1 (866) 779-6121 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov. Broward residents can call 954-412-7300
• If you or someone else are in crisis please call 911

• CDC Coronavirus Disease Website
• FL Dept of Health COVID-19 Website

Telehealth and phone sessions

To participate in Telehealth, you will need a private space at home, along with a good Internet connection, and a computer or tablet. You will also need to complete some additional paperwork before we exercise the Telehealth option. Ask your therapist to describe your options and provide you with all the necessary consent forms.

Conclusion

We want to assure you that we are closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) updates, and will respond based on the advice of governments (local & federal), public health authorities, and medical professionals. We are doing our part to help maintain The Psychology Group Fort Lauderdale as a safe and healthy environment and respite for all of our clients and team members. And we are fully equipped to meet your needs via the use of Telehealth services.

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Read also: How to Cope with Catastrophic Thinking During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Staying Connected While Social Distancing
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