COVID-19 Updates
Find the latest updates and news in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. If you have any questions, please give us a call at any time.
A message from our CEO, Greg Doss,
As the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change daily, we want to keep you up to date about what we’re doing at Ocean Hills Recovery to keep our clients and staff members safe.
Ocean Hills Recovery was able to safely remain operational through this global pandemic as a behavioral health institution.
We implemented strict infection and disease control practices from the beginning of the pandemic as we followed CDC and local health guidelines. This has allowed us to continue providing the top-notch care that our clients deserve while keeping everyone’s health a priority.
Although the pandemic is far from over, restrictions around the country are being lifted as more Americans begin to get vaccinated. As this happens, the pandemic’s fallout starts to emerge with an increased need for addiction treatment.
Reports1 indicate that as of June 2020, 13% of Americans reported that they started using a substance or increasing their use to cope with stress and emotions related to the pandemic. Mental health issues also come into play for many battling a substance abuse disorder. In April of 2020, a federal emergency hotline for people feeling emotionally distressed saw a 1,000 percent increase from the same time last year.2
It’s statistics like these that stress the importance of recovery services during the pandemic. We cannot stop providing the treatments that so many need to overcome their substance abuse disorder and live a sober life. This is why we continue to follow a wide range of safety protocols so that our clients feel secure in coming to us for their treatments.
We hope our patients feel safe and comfortable battling their substance abuse disorder with us during these difficult times. The safety of our patients and staff is our highest priority. If you would like more information on what we are doing to safely continue our programs, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Greg Doss, CEO
Ocean Hills Recovery, Inc.
Enhanced Health and Safety Protocols at Ocean Hills Recovery
Here is a look at the safety protocols we currently have in place at Ocean Hills Recovery:
Pre-screening: During the intake process, all patients must answer an in-depth set of COVID-19 screening questions. This helps us to identify any risk factors right from the beginning.
Naso- and oropharyngeal swab testing: All clients upon admission receive Molecular Testing performed via Thermo Fisher Quant Studio PCR utilizing PheonixDX SARS-CoV-2 test assay, using real-time (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology for the qualitative detection of nucleic acids from the SARS-CoV-2 virus and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Tests are resulted within 4-24 hours.
Deep cleaning: Our facilities are deep-cleaned to maintain a high level of safety for everyone who enters our building.
Health screenings and symptom monitoring for patients and staff: We know that coronavirus symptoms can develop suddenly. This is why we constantly check for fevers and other symptoms that may indicate an infection. We continue to provide strong screening and surveillance programs to identify potential COVID-19 cases in patients and staff.
Face masks: We continue to follow recommendations that all people in our facility wear a face mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Smaller group sizes: The government has recommended smaller group sizes to reduce the spread of coronavirus. We make sure that our groups do not exceed ten people.
Social distancing: We respect the 6-foot social distance rule and apply that in all of our group settings. This includes common areas and dining areas.
Online / virtual treatment options: Online and virtual treatment options are available for those who do not feel comfortable with in-person treatments. We do not want our patients to miss out on critical treatments for their substance abuse disorder during the pandemic. This is why we have also expanded our virtual treatment options to accommodate all of our patients.
Ongoing Patient Screening: Fever screenings are also done regularly. Our staff has been educated about infectious disease transmission and treatment. They are also screened for fever at the beginning of their shifts and asked to monitor their temperature when away from work and throughout their workday.
Staff and Patient Hand Hygiene: The importance of hand hygiene is one we take seriously. We have numerous anti-bacterial stations placed around our facility for easy disinfecting.
Restriction of Visitors/Family: While this is not ideal for family involvement in the recovery process, we can utilize telehealth options that enable our patients to stay in contact with their families. Our telehealth options allow our patients to stay connected with their families and participate in family therapy sessions while keeping everyone’s health a priority.
Outpatient Programs: Outpatient addiction treatment programs fall under the essential business category. We are applying all the same health and safety measures in our outpatient program offerings as our inpatient programs. Remote/Telehealth options are also available.
Prevention: All non-essential personnel are working remotely.
Alumni meetings moved online: If you are an Ocean Hills Recovery alumnus who want to stay connected, you can find our private Facebook group here. We also host Zoom meetings on a weekly basis on Thursdays at 7:00 pm PST. It is imperative to us that our alumnus have adequate support after they leave our programs, and that they have a way to connect with others in recovery.
Sources:
[1] https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/03/substance-use-pandemic
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-coronavirus/