covid-19 information page
Current Information Regarding COVID-19 and CCRC:
All CCRC therapists are offering telehealth sessions:
Most insurance companies are covering telehealth at full rates, including many waiving the copay and deductible fees until further notice. Please contact your insurance company for more specific information on what they are offering as coverage for telehealth at this time.
CCRC therapists are able to offer in-person sessions at this point in time, given certain necessary safety precautions such as full vaccination AND masks for both client and therapist:
Clients are required to sign a separate informed consent form for in-person services at this time (see below).
Clients and therapists are required to be fully vaccinated.
Clients are required to bring their own masks to in-person sessions.
Most of our therapists have not yet opted to move to in-person sessions, but availability thereof will be at the discretion of each individual therapist. Your therapist may or may not be available for in-person sessions, so please check with them directly if you are interested in this option.
Office Safety Precautions in Effect During the Pandemic:
Our office is taking the following precautions to protect our patients and help slow the spread of the coronavirus:
Office seating in the waiting room and in therapy/testing rooms has been arranged for appropriate physical distancing.
All staff wear masks appropriately following CDC guidelines.
All staff maintain safe distancing.
Restroom soap dispensers are maintained and everyone is encouraged to wash their hands.
We schedule appointments at specific intervals to minimize the number of people in the waiting room.
We ask all clients to wait in their cars or outside until no earlier than 5 minutes before their appointment times.
Credit card pads, pens and other areas that are commonly touched are thoroughly sanitized after each use.
Physical contact is not permitted.
Tissues and trash bins are easily accessed. Trash is disposed of on a frequent basis.
Exposure to COVID-19 Procedures:
If we learn that a person on the premises, or recently on the premises at CCRC tests positive for COVID-19, we will inform any individuals who were in “close contact” with said person so that those individuals may be tested as well, though the identity and any other information regarding that person will not be shared.
Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of an individual with COVID for at least 15 minutes.
In accordance with CDC guidelines, any staff member or trainee who has tested positive will be required to quarantine for 10 days after their positive COVID test.
For those with weakened immune systems, medical providers should be consulted before returning to work as the contagious phase can last longer
Clients who test positive for COVID, but are asymptomatic will be required to attend teletherapy sessions for at least 10 days after their positive test results. In kind, clients with weakened immune systems should consult providers before ending quarantine due to the elongated nature of the contagious phase of COVID.
For any other specific COVID-19 related questions, please speak directly to your therapist, or you can reach out to the practice president, Josh Hetherington, directly at jhetherington.lmft@gmail.com.
Informed Consent for In-Person Services During COVID-19 Public Health Crisis:
Archives of COVID-19 Updates, March - May 2020:
5/15/20
Hello Clients,
I hope that this message finds you well. We’ve recently become aware that many insurance companies are paying the full amount, copay and all, for Telehealth sessions. Your plan may have this benefit. We want to encourage you to check with your insurance plan and see if you are eligible for complete coverage for Telehealth sessions. If this is the case, we will retroactively submit your claims in an attempt to recover the money for you.
Some plans have allowed us to submit claims as in-session claims. Not all plans have been paying for telehealth sessions. The lack of consistency has been difficult for us to manage as a business.
We want to make sure that we help clients get their full benefits from their specific plans if they are available.
Please contact your insurance plan to find out the specific policy on Telehealth reimbursement and we will work with you to get your coverage. There is typically a phone number on the back of your card, or you may have an email with a website logon that can connect you with the details of your specific plan.
Let me know if you have any questions about how to figure out if you have this benefit by emailing me at this link.
Be Well,
Josh Hetherington, President
4/5/20
Hello Clients,
We’re moving into the second month of impact from COVID-19 here at CCRC. As the situation evolves, we are all trying to adjust.
Currently, we’re doing telehealth sessions almost exclusively. This allows us all to be as safe as possible.
The latest change in health management is the recommendation to use face masks. Following the guidelines of the CDC and Chicago Public Health department, we are asking anyone who is coming into an office for sessions to use a personal mask. These masks can be homemade. They are primarily for limiting the spread of the disease rather than protecting wearer from the disease. The masks contain more of the respiratory droplets that may add to the spread of the virus by people who are carriers and have no symptoms.
Please make use of facemasks if you are coming in for sessions. Please consider not coming in to the office and instead, using telehealth if you are able to.
As always, our therapists are free to decide to only be available for telehealth for any reason. They are in no way required to come into the office for face-to-face sessions. Your therapist may not be available for in office sessions.
If you have any questions about this update, or any of our previous updates please use this link to send an email to Josh Hetherington.
Hopefully, you are safe. We are all hoping for a quick decline in the virus.
Be Well,
Josh Hetherington, President
3/21/2020
Hello clients,
We have received the Governor’s “Stay at Home” order and are adjusting to it.
As mental health providers, we are considered “essential” workers. This means that we can go to work and see clients as long as we follow CDC guidelines for social distancing, cleaning, and hand washing.
We are requiring all of our clients and therapists to avoid face-to-face contact if either has ANY symptoms of cold or flu, if either has been exposed to COVID-19 directly, or if either has a family member, or person in their household who has been exposed to COVID-19.
We are allowing our therapists to decide whether or not they want to use telehealth on an individual basis. This means, if any of our therapists decide that they do not want to do face-to-face therapy, they have full permission to only use telehealth therapy.
We encourage clients to feel full permission to use telehealth for any reason. Do not feel compelled to come in for face-to-face sessions unless you are completely comfortable with it and you fit all of the criteria for what we require.
It is my sincere hope that this will help us strike a balance between what is most helpful for you, our client, and what is in the best interest of public health and slowing the spread of this virus. I will continue to provide updates as the situation changes.
Please forward any questions to me at this link.
Warmly,
Josh Hetherington, President
3/20/20
Hello clients,
Hopefully, you are doing well. Recommendations are coming out for “shelter-in-place” . I wanted to offer a quick update from CCRC with ideas about telehealth.
All of our therapists have been making use of telehealth technology this week. For some, this is a new experience. It’s a bit of an adjustment, but it seems like an extremely good alternative to stopping treatment. Our therapist, Emily Gabelman, has recorded a helpful video for anyone who is new to it. We’ve had new clients start therapy this week, and have their first session online or over the phone.
We’re following all the updates, like you probably are. Here is my favorite link for Chicago updates:
If you are at all undecided about starting therapy up again, or worried about the quality of sessions online, I encourage you to give it a try. As the crisis moves into it’s second week it looks like there will be more time spent away from the office. CCRC will be taking in more new clients through telehealth. Therapists will get full. We don’t want to leave any of our active clients without services because we’ve added new clients. We also need to meet with new clients who seek us out during this crisis. Reach out to your therapist to see if space is open now in order to assure your spot as new clients come in for services.
As always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns by clicking this link and sending me an email.
Thanks,
Be well,
Josh Hetherington, President
3/15/20
Dear Clients,
In an effort to decrease the overall impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, CCRC will be moving to exclusively remote telehealth services starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. We will review this plan on 3/30/20. I am updating you today so that you can be prepared for your therapist to reach out and develop a plan for how to continue your treatment with as little disruption as possible.
I recommend HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms like Zoom or Doxy.Me. Most insurance plans are paying for telehealth sessions at the same rate as in-office sessions, but you should check with your insurance provider for specific details. We will provide a new consent form for this technology.
I recognize that for some of you this may be a difficult transition. For children, this will require support from parents. For couples, this will mean figuring out a space that will accommodate the sessions. For therapists, it may mean adjusting to using new technology. Despite the initial awkwardness, telehealth has been shown to be effective for delivering psychotherapy and reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.
It is our sincere hope that our efforts to reduce direct contact with clients will slow the progress of the virus and we may save lives, and we’ll all be back to in-office therapy a lot sooner.
Please continue to follow all of the CDC guidelines for your own health and safety. I am available on this link for any feedback, comments, or questions about our latest plan.
Warmly,
Josh Hetherington, President
3/14/20
Hello Clients,
This continues to be an alarming time, and I want to keep you posted on our response to the COVID-19 situation. Like so many other practices in Chicago, we’re trying to balance the complex needs of many different people including our clients and therapists. In an effort to try to meet as many people’s needs as possible, and focus on the health of the general public, we’re using a flexible approach to ongoing therapeutic care:
1) Staying open until further notice: This decision allows us to provide space for clients who may otherwise be isolated and feeling more stress based on reactions to the situation. Sometimes fear can make people avoid situations and possible support. We want to be able to maintain a direct connection with anyone who is not sick during this stressful time. We ask that everyone who does want to come into the office for sessions to please cancel if any flu or cold symptoms are experienced. Our therapists will also cancel in-office sessions if they experience any cold or flu symptoms. These requirements are recommended by the CDC.
2) Providing Telehealth sessions, which are approved by BCBS, Aetna and UHC: Telehealth is a word used to describe the use of technology like websites, phones, and monitors for therapy sessions. We will be using telehealth access for anyone who wants to do a session from their own home for any reason. We will also be using telehealth for any of our therapists who feel the need to do sessions from their own spaces for any reason. We will use any platform that is HIPAA compliant, like Zoom. Please check with your insurance carrier for details about your specific coverage for these services. Many plans are covering sessions in the same way that they would cover sessions occurring in the office, but plans vary.
3) Encouraging our therapists to make their own choices for their specific needs: All of our therapists have been directed to take their own needs very seriously. If they feel that they need to use telehealth services based on their status, the status of someone close to them, or for any reason, they have been encouraged to make use of telehealth services. This falls in line with the businesses across the country who are encouraging employees to work remotely. This is another CDC recommendation. With CPS and other schools closing, there may be therapists impacted who need to use telehealth services to provide childcare.
4) Continuing to follow CDC guidelines for cleaning, safe social space, and going to work: Our therapists have been using the CDC guidelines over the past week and they will continue to follow these recommendations about cleaning their spaces, maintain a safe social distance, and calling in sick if they have any symptoms.
Attempting to understand and meet the needs of a variety of individuals is always a challenge. We are dedicated to making thorough and thoughtful decisions about how to proceed. We will continue to maintain a connection with the CDC and the Chicago Health Department and follow their guidelines about staying open and using Telehealth options. I will continue to provide updates as we make changes in our plans.
If you have any questions or concerns about this update, please contact Josh Hetherington by clicking this link and sending an email.
Warmly,
Josh Hetherington, President
3/9/20
Hello Clients,
I wanted to update you on our response to the COVID-19 developments in our community. And to encourage you to use phone sessions or telehealth sessions to not disrupt your treatment.
We are impacted by this at one of our locations, 5100 Ravenswood. Our impacted associate therapist has chosen to self-quarantine in order to do the utmost to protect the public’s health. They are not symptomatic. They’re doing their best to maintain a positive attitude during this difficult period.
This morning, our office at 5100 Ravenswood was professionally disinfected by specialists hired by our landlord. All common areas and the office where our associate meets with clients have been thoroughly disinfected.
Here is a statement from our landlord expressing his very strong efforts to manage this: (The email he references is posted below, in the update from 3/7)
This is an update to my original email below.
I have had a number of questions about whether the woman is staying home. The woman who is the employee does not technically need to be quarantined as far as I understand it and the hospital has said they would not test her because she is not symptomatic. The school in the email below is not even asking the family members of students or staff to stay at home. Nevertheless, I have asked the tenant to have the employee stay away from the building for two weeks. The tenant said that the employee has agreed to do that.
There is another tenant (also from the second floor) who replied to my email that said that they have a client who attends Vaughn that was in the building last Monday, 3/1/20. That tenant agreed that the client will not be coming back until it is clear that they test negative for the virus.
Related to both of these cases, I contacted the Chicago Department of Public Health – Health Alert Network. I described the situations and they said that these would be contacts of a contact and nothing more would need to be done to an office building. I also spoke to the Cook County Dept of Health and they also confirmed that there is nothing special that would need to be done to an office building.
Notwithstanding #3 above, out of an abundance of caution, I have contracted with a company to come in and disinfect the common bathrooms, kitchenettes, waiting area, stair rails and entry doors. They are specialized in this and will be using a special hydrogen peroxide based cleaner meant for this situation. They will be there tomorrow, Monday morning around 7:30/8am. They could be there most of the morning. The bathrooms will be out of commission for a portion of this time while they do the work. Please plan accordingly.
Also, please see the latest message below from CPS and the Chicago Public Health department, especially the paragraph with the bullet points, which says that even people who were not at Vaughn do not have restrictions even if they have been in contact with someone at Vaughn.
As I’m sure you know, even after the cleaning, we can’t guarantee that the building is completely germ free, just as no one outside the building can guarantee that they are germ free as well. You will have to use your best judgement on how to proceed.
We’re all interested in protecting public health. We are also interested in continuing to work with our clients on their pressing therapeutic matters. All our therapists (including our therapist in self-quarantine) are available for phone or telehealth sessions to maintain continuity of care. Please discuss the best personal options with your therapist and continue your therapeutic work in a safe and secure way.
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns by clicking this link and emailing me, Josh Hetherington.
Take care,
Josh Hetherington, President of CCRC
3/7/20
Dear Clients:
One of our therapists has had a partner exposed to COVID-19 through their work at Vaughn High School. The therapist is not symptomatic and her partner is not symptomatic. The therapist has been very helpful in sharing this information and letting us come up with an appropriate plan. She has contacted the CDC and Rush Hospital. She has shared the communications from CPS. We have worked together with our landlord at 5100 N Ravenswood to determine a responsible course of action that will be in line with the recommendations from the CDC, CPS, Rush Hospital, and the Chicago Public Health Department.
The therapist has cancelled her sessions, or rescheduled them as phone or telehealth sessions, to avoid face-to-face contact in our office. She discovered her partner was exposed Friday night at 8pm. The office that she works out of was disinfected Saturday morning before business hours.
Her partner is going to be tested for COVID-19 even though he is not symptomatic. This test is being coordinated by CPS. They are testing students first, then staff.
The Rush Hospital COVID-19 hotline (888-352-7874) let us both know that they are following the CDC guidelines for testing potentially infected people. These guidelines state that a test will be given to individuals who meet criteria 1 and at least one of the other two criteria:
1) The person must be symptomatic (flu-like symptoms, cold-like symptoms)
2) The person was in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (or)
3) The person had recently visited a level 2 or level 3 travel health notice country
People with symptoms who have not had contact with someone who tested positive, or have not visited a level 2 or level 3 country within the last 14 days are recommended to visit their primary care doctor and follow their recommendations.
CPS put out their official recommendations for Vaughn High School faculty and staff. Here is a copy of that email:
As you may have heard from Chicago Public Schools, a CPS staff member at Vaughn Occupational High School was diagnosed with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) earlier this evening. This staff member was exposed to the virus after being on a cruise ship in California and she is in the hospital and stable.
The school will undergo a thorough cleaning beginning tomorrow morning using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended cleaning protocols.
All students, staff, and other service providers who were at Vaughn Occupational High School between Tuesday, February 25 and Friday, March 6 should stay home through Wednesday, March 18 or until given other direction. Please note this is an updated date. There is no requirement at this time for other family or household members of students or staff (those who were not at Vaughn) to stay home.
Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) staff are working throughout the weekend to call all students, faculty and staff. You will receive a call directly. During this call, we will provide an overview of COVID-19, answer your questions, ask about any symptoms, and give more instructions. If you or your child were at Vaughn during this time period and need urgent medical attention before you hear from CDPH, you should seek care. Call your medical provider prior to seeking care, and let them know you may have been exposed to coronavirus at Vaughn.
Beginning this weekend, the Chicago Department of Public Health plans to offer free COVID-19 testing at Vaughn for students or staff who have symptoms. Please wait to hear from the Chicago Department of Public Health so we can talk about your or your child’s health in detail and give you a time for testing if that is indicated.
Thank you for your attention and patience as we directly reach out to all staff and families. In the meantime, please visit chicago.gov/coronavirus to read more about COVID-19.
Sincerely,
Allison Arwady, MD, MPH
Commissioner, CDPH
Based on this communication, our therapist does not need to be in quarantine, or staying home at this time.
However, based on the severity of this threat and the need to care for people in the building who may have compromised immune systems, the landlord at 5100 has asked our exposed therapist to stay out of the building for 14 days. This is the amount of time that the CDC is recommending for quarantines. He will review this decision if our therapist’s partner is found to not be positive for COVID-19 when he is tested next week.
Our therapist has contacted her clients directly to let them know that she has been threatened with exposure to COVID-19 and that she will not be conducting therapy face-to-face until she has determined concretely that she does not have COVID-19. She will be available for telehealth sessions until that time. She will also go into Rush Hospital for testing if she does become symptomatic.
The office that our therapist uses was disinfected this morning before we opened. The landlord has taken additional steps to disinfect the building common areas.
Going forward, CCRC staff will continue to follow protocols for prevention set out by the CDC.
If you are having any symptoms and have had contact with anyone who tested positively for COVID-19, or visited another country within the last 14 days, please reschedule your appointment and contact your primary care physician for a consultation. If you meet the criteria for a COVID-19 test, please go to the nearest emergency room for testing and treatment.
Please forward any questions, thoughts, reactions or concerns to Josh Hetherington.
Thank you,
Josh Hetherington, President of CCRC
