COVID-19 UPDATES
3/17/20 Update
To my dearest patients,
I sincerely hope as you read this email, you are in good health and your heart and mind is clear of worry and fear. Each of you and your family members are in my thoughts and although your therapeutic path my look different today than our last session, I still walk along side of you.
It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today notifying of my decision to temporarily suspend direct face to face sessions at Cambre Counseling and Wellness office locations. As your therapist, I am truly, always so grateful that you trust me as your provider. It is because you trust me, I feel the weight of responsibility in making this type of decision. Although our session is one on one and I personally disinfected before and after patients, more than 10 people come in contact with our facility and they may or may not be immune compromised as well. It's important to me that I remain ethical and in balance with good citizenship.
If you’ve been my patient for one month or over a year, I think each of you would agree that I’m honest, direct, and above all, solution focused. As it appears now, COVID-19 provides more questions than solutions. It seems each day provides a new “normal” to embrace and this ever-evolving time demands our full attention. Upon days of reflection and consultation, I have decided to clear the clinic schedule this week, see only highly critical clients in need, and begin fresh Monday, March 23, 2020. Instead of working out of fear that this pause would encourage patients to no longer seek services, I hope it is met with respect that like you, I am human too. It is important to me that I walk through these next days of the unknown as a mother to my three boys. I wish to answer their questions, comfort their worries, establish a new normal each day, and make happy memories in this strange time of life. It is important to me that I can spend every moment with my husband; on any day he reports to work, there is a likeliness that he won’t return for a long stretch of time. These are the things, precious time with the ones you love, that I pray for you to have that I hope you wish for me as well. I am not doing my job as your therapist if I also can’t demonstrate to you that I can “practice what I preach”.
With that being said, I am moving the practice to an online “telehealth” platform for the foreseeable future. Each of you will be sent or resent your log in for Therapy Portal to sign the Technology Assisted Counseling Consent form. I know it will initially feel odd to talk via phone or laptop but I promise that we will get through it together. It is my hope that by taking a break this week, my office will get more accurate answers on insurance coverage so that no one begins telehealth with a false sense of coverage. My understanding of telehealth insurance coverage at 3 PM today was not the same as 8 PM tonight. Believe me, I WILL understand it soon enough! Challenge accepted! Whenever I choose to resume office hours, I will be in contact with you prior to accepting any new clients.
I wish you could see how the community of therapy providers has rallied around each other. Hundreds of colleagues, educators, and universities are providing webinars, uploading content and best practices free of charge. Collectively, we are figuring out telehealth and insurances together!!! Our community is composed of givers and I feel honored to witness it. With this time away from the office this week, I am learning new techniques that are needed in the times ahead. I will begin to share and create guides and personal videos to pay it forward to this world with my knowledge and gifts I have been bestowed. I will upload everything to the practice’s Facebook page and try my best to email it to you as well.
Please note, do not delay reaching out to the office if you are in need. If you are in crisis and need immediate assistance, same protocol applies as before. Dial 911 or go straight to the nearest emergency room. I will be checking emails daily after 5 PM; please expect a 24 hour turn around on responses.
In closing, I am at peace with sending this email to you because I choose to hold in my heart (and my head) that these moments are TEMPORARY. What we are experiencing today will not be what we are experiencing in 365 days but what we do with these days can shape us for the rest of time. Remember all that you have learned from your time in our office and know, I will see you soon!
3/13/20
As the news surrounding COVID-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus) evolves, the main priorities of Cambre Counseling and Wellness, LLC remains the same — to walk alongside our clients in optimizing their wellbeing. Please read this entire email; especially all clients who have been in the office in the last 2-3 weeks.
How Cambre Counseling is adapting
Due to recent events and increasing concerns about COVID-19, please remember, telehealth sessions are a healthy alternative to an office visit. At this time, Lindsay Cambre is in the pre-approval stage with the LPC Board to offer this service to you. As soon as she has been granted approval, we will let you know. We expect approval to come next week. Please factor in your understanding of your unique health needs and the needs of your loved ones when deciding whether to pursue office versus telehealth visits.
At this time, it appears all insurance plans are moving to covering telehealth without any barriers, even if not initially a plan benefit. Please call your insurance provider and/or reach out to Alicia and Jolie for any plan specific concerns @ 225-306-3177.
Additional precautionary measures Cambre Counseling and Wellness is taking for the office:
· After each session, your clinician is spraying the office with disinfecting spray for soft surfaces
· After each session, your clinician is wiping hard surfaces with disinfecting wipes (including the office door handle)
· Disinfecting wipes, disinfecting spray, and hand sanitizer is available to each client to use in office
· Restrooms have disinfecting hand soap and paper towels available for use
o All staff is following the 20 second guideline for hand washing
What Cambre Counseling and Wellness is asking of clients
· As of today, I am requesting if you are experiencing a cough, any respiratory issues, a cold, or a fever to PLEASE do not come to the office. In return, I also will not come into the office I am experiencing these symptoms.
· If you are doing any domestic or international travel or have done any domestic or international travel in the last 2 weeks—inform your clinician
Based on the safety level of your destination, you may be asked to not come to your appointments in person and transition to online sessions for two weeks.
· If anyone in your close circle of friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors have traveled domestically or internationally—inform your clinician
Based on the safety level of the destination, you may be asked to not come to your appointments in person and transition to online sessions for two weeks.
· If, at any point, there is a quarantine impacting your clinician, the office of Cambre Counseling, and/or your neighborhood, all visits will occur online.
· Cambre Counseling will be as sensitive as possible during this time; however, we do ask that you continue to abide by our cancellation policy and let the office know 24 hours in advance if you plan on cancelling your appointment. Additionally, we may be contacting you to double check your intention of coming to your scheduled session.
How to manage the stress of COVID-19
· Step back from social media and news outlets
· Use the opportunity in session to speak to your clinician about the balance between productive versus unproductive worry
· Speak to your medical provider about ways to manage your personal risk
· Typically, fewer individuals ride the first or last car on public transit which may help minimize risk
· Balance the use of hand sanitizer with the use of lotion, disinfecting wipes, and disinfecting spray to minimize pain and dryness in hands
· A really helpful infographic about the realities of coronavirus can be found here:
Confidentiality
Please note, if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 or are under quarantine following a visit here, I need to be informed so I can let my other patients know they may be at risk. I may also be required to break confidentiality and release a list of my patients (and potentially contact information) to the CDC should myself or another patient be diagnosed or put under quarantine.
There is a lot of information about there about COVID-19 and/or the coronavirus. Cambre Counseling does not take the position of providing medical advice; therefore, to educate yourself, please visit the following links:
· Louisiana Department of Public Health
· Center for Disease Control (CDC)
· World Health Organization (WHO)
Telehealth & Insurance company policies
In closing
There is no right or wrong way to feel about COVID-19. If you have a low level of concern, you are not under-reacting; and, if you are concerned and taking precautions and/or cancelling travel, you are not overreacting. If at any point between sessions you notice a level of fear or anxiety that is concerning to you or difficult to manage, please reach out through the client portal or by phone.
