120 Terence Matthews Crescent, Unit A-1
Kanata, Ontario K2M 0J1
Phone: (613) 435-9330 Fax: (613) 435-9335
Kanata South Professional Services
March 23, 2020
KSPS Covid-19 Response - Update
As we enter into our second week under a provincial State of Emergency,[1] I wanted to provide you with an update as to the measures we are taking to keep our clients, staff, and colleagues safe from the effects Covid-19:
· Our office continues to remain open, albeit, with reduced hours for our receptionist (now Mon to Fri from 1pm to 4pm). The hours for Dr. Helmkay and Ms. Bougie may also be altered in the days and weeks ahead. Please feel free to call or email us to confirm. Please note that Ms. Bougie will only be offering telepsychology/teleconferencing services as of March 24, 2020.
· Only essential psychological services (psychotherapy and consultation) are being provided at the present time. Psycho-educational and psycho-diagnostic assessments have been suspended as the safe physical distance of 2 meters cannot be maintained. Clients booked for these assessments will be contacted so that new dates/times can be arranged. Clients will maintain their priority for testing based on the dates they were booked.
· Clients will be contacted to confirm their individual appointments and to make slight time adjustments in the time he/she/they come to the office. This time alteration serves to reduce the possibility of clients coming into contact with one another while in the office. Further, we are attempting to minimize the number of people in the office at any one time – in most cases only three people being in the office (Dr. Helmkay, Jill (our receptionist), and the client). We are also strongly adhering to physical distancing: keeping the recommended 2 meters apart between people while in the office.
· Increased cleaning has continued (i.e., frequent wiping of door handles and touched surfaces in the waiting area and in the washroom). Everyone entering the office is asked to sanitize their hands as they enter and before leaving the office at the hand sanitation station located in the reception area.
· Anyone not feeling well (showing signs of Covid-19 or showing signs/symptoms of a cold or flu) are asked NOT to enter the office and instead re-book their appointment to a later date.
· We ask everyone to check and follow public health guidelines designed to reduce the spread of Covid-19 (e.g., wash your hands, avoid touching your face, cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow), and avoid booking appointments in the 14 days following international travel.
· Alternative methods of service delivery are being offered (by phone and via videoconference). If you are interested in these options, please let us know.
For additional information, please refer to:
https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=article&ID=62192
https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-psychological-impacts-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19/
https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-working-from-home-during-covid-with-and-without-children/
https://cpa.ca/the-u-s-center-for-disease-control-cdc-news-release-mental-health-and-coping-during-covid-19/
https://www.apa.org/practice/programs/dmhi/research-information/pandemics
https://ottawa.ca/en
https://www.publichealthontario.ca/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
We will provide additional information as the situation continues to evolve.
[1] that recreation centres, private schools, public libraries, bars, restaurants, movie theatres, concert venues and places of worship will close until March 30, at least. Malls and office buildings, for now, remain open.
March 16, 2020
Kanata South Professional Services Covid-19 Response
Given the global impact of Covid-19, and in attempt to continue to provide mental health services to our clients, please know that our office currently remains open and that we are working to keep our clients, staff, and colleagues safe by providing appropriate and recommended practices: frequent hand cleaning, having access to tissues, removing frequently touched materials from the waiting area, increasing our cleaning efforts, and practicing social distancing (maintaining 1 to 2 meters distance between people).
If you prefer to cancel or to reschedule your appointment(s) to a later date, please call our office and Jill will assist you.
We ask everyone to check and follow public health guidelines designed to reduce the spread of Covid-19 (e.g., wash your hands, avoid touching your face, cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow), avoid booking appointments in the 14 days following international travel, and, reschedule or cancel appointments if you or anyone in your home is showing signs of symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, and shortness of breath). Please ensure that our office has a valid email or phone number to reach you in case we need to reschedule. Please contact your practitioner directly if you have any questions or concerns, and please be patient with our response times as the situation develops.
For additional information, please refer to:
https://ottawa.ca/en
https://www.publichealthontario.ca/
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
We will provide additional information as the situation continues to evolve.