Addiction Treatment During COVID-19
The BRC Healthcare Family of Programs will remain open for treatment in the days ahead. Despite concerns surrounding coronavirus, the disease of addiction continues to claim more than 67,000 lives each year; treatment remains essential in these uncertain times. We have devoted our efforts to creating a safe, clean environment for our clients to receive the highest quality of care, even in the midst of a pandemic.
Our leadership team continues to develop policies in response to updates from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We have worked tirelessly to sanitize common areas and screen incoming clients before admission, ensuring that everyone involved in the BRC Family of Programs is healthy and safe. We are taking every possible precaution to ensure that COVID-19 does not interrupt treatment for our clients.
How Does COVID-19 Affect BRC Programs?
Effective immediately, our inpatient programs have suspended visitation from family members and the general public. In light of these changes, we have created additional accommodations for virtual or phone visits. We ask that those in our family therapy programs seek more information from our clinical team, who will continue to provide support and education through these new, remote platforms.
Off-campus programming and appointments, including Austin-area recreational activities and 12-Step meetings, have also been temporarily suspended unless medically necessary. Instead, we have made accommodations for our clients to attend meetings via HIPAA-compliant video calling software.
Screenings and Precautions
As outlined above, BRC leadership has taken many proactive steps in response to escalating concerns about COVID-19. First, we have educated both clients and staff about this pandemic and the necessary preventative measures that should be taken to prevent its spread. All members of our staff are screened at the beginning of each shift, and those who are feeling unwell in any capacity have been asked to remain at home. All new clients are also screened and receive medical supervision during their stay with us. In compliance with infectious disease protocols, any clients testing positive for COVID-19 will be appropriately quarantined and treated by our medical team.
In addition to carefully screening each staff member and client, we have placed emphasis on exceeding – not just meeting – CDC and WHO recommendations for sanitization and cleanliness in all of our facilities, including sober living homes. High traffic areas and frequently touched surfaces are disinfected by our team members on a regular basis, and everyone within our programs has access to handwashing facilities at all times. Clients and staff are required to wash their hands regularly according to the most up-to-date guidelines. Our team will remain in contact with local health officials and the CDC to inform next steps.
Addiction Treatment During COVID-19
As the situation surrounding coronavirus develops, know that the safety of our clients, their families, and our employees is our top priority. The BRC Healthcare Family of Programs will continue to update our approach to treatment to best reflect the needs of our clients in the time of COVID-19. Please contact our team with any questions you may have.