Most of us are painfully aware of the significant changes that COVID19 has imposed on our daily lives. We’ve grown accustomed to hearing phrases like, “positivity rates”, “N-95 masks”, and “Public Health Orders”. Personally, I never imagined I could be excited about mask fabric options, and I definitely never thought I’d have a stash of disposable masks in my glove box. Yet, here we are. The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) has issued guidelines around how licensed professionals in the State of Colorado are to safely conduct business operations. Every electrician, real estate broker, and dental hygienist (to name a few), has received state-issued mandates about how to continue offering services.
For mental health professionals providing in-person services, the safety measures include: health screenings of all individuals entering the practice, required mouth and nose coverings, a minimum 6 feet of separation between individuals, and reducing appointment offerings by half in order to accommodate time for cleaning and sanitation between clients. If the safety measures are not met, the provider could have their license revoked. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies has advised mental health professionals to maximize Telehealth Services to continue providing services to clients.
A few days ago, I found myself in a situation that really opened my eyes to the importance of doing therapy without a face covering. I was at the airport, masked, and suddenly overcome with emotion as I said goodbye to a dear friend. I was safe, and there was good reason for my sadness, but the extent of my emotion caught me off guard. I recognized the signs of my nose flaring, my throat tightening up, and the stinging moisture at the corners of my eyes. Quickly realizing I was running out of time, I started scanning the area for a spot I could step into, and away from the curious eyes around me. All the while, my mouth started contorting and twisting as I tried to stifle, or even just slow down the feelings. In the moment before the tears fell, I was actually grateful to be wearing a mask, and felt relief that no one could see what was happening underneath the fabric.
As soon as the tears started to fall and my nose started to leak, I knew there was trouble. I was still in public, and needed to keep my mask on, but if you’ve ever cried while wearing a mask (or even if you haven’t, can you imagine?), you know you’ve got a situation on your hands. In that moment, I thought about our clients. I thought about the people doing the hard work to confront and lean into difficult areas of their lives. Sometimes, people cry when they do this work. Certainly, the process is different for everybody, and responses can be varied; not everyone cries. But in the event that you DO find yourself emotional in a therapy session, having a face covering does not help the sensory experience.
PIVOT
The migration to the online Telehealth platform has made it necessary for practitioners to implement countless policy and procedural changes to the daily functions of operation. From securing HIPAA-compliant document-managing systems and video conferencing, contact-less billing and payment options, to updating WIFI connections and hard-wired Internet, we are seeing the technological capabilities in this field. Online, you don’t have to wear a mask, you don’t have to divulge your body temperature, and we can continue our appointment schedules without limitation.
All things considered, the transition to fully-online services has alleviated some clients’ barriers to treatment. Finding childcare, taking time off work for drive-time, inclement weather, and transportation concerns are all alleviated with Telehealth. Additionally, by offering strictly online services, our practitioners don’t face the confidentiality issue of reporting outbreaks to the Colorado Department of Health for contact tracing. Important considerations for a successful session online are simple: strong Internet connection and privacy. You parents with little ones at home, I see you. Some clients are able to address this issue by sitting in their parked vehicle while the children are being supervised, using earbuds, or utilizing white noise in the background (such as a fan).
Telehealth: 1, Virus: 0
The recent announcements of vaccination successes are giving many of us hope that the end could be within sight. When all of this is a distant memory, I think we will have learned many things about our resiliency, our creativity in staying connected with our loved ones, and our ability to pivot, and then pivot again, and again, and again. Telehealth, while challenging us with a steep learning curve, has proved its value and effectiveness, and will outlast the life of this virus. We can do so many things with our phones now, and that includes getting the help we need.
References:
COVID-19 Updates for Licensees & Consumers. (2020). Retrieved November 24, 2020, from https://dora.colorado.gov/covid-19-updates-for-licensees-consumers