We are committed to continuing to serve and protect our Community during these uncertain times.
In the midst of this COVID-19 crisis, I believe more than ever that the power of the community, thoughtful preventive measures, and continued education about the coronavirus will be what gets us through this moment. We still need community, albeit at a distance. We have been practicing physical and social distancing since March 12th and have been paying close attention to national, state, and local health department guidelines and directives. At CooperRiis we continue to provide treatment and recovery services to our residents. At the core, we are a Healing Community and this means we will continue to offer a safe, supported and structured environment while upholding a routine which grounds us all.
CooperRiis currently has a pause on the admission of new residents to our programs; however, on April 20th, 2020 we will revisit this decision. While we hope to begin working with new residents at that time, in this quickly changing climate we will have to stay flexible in order to keep our current community as safe as we possibly can. The CooperRiis Admissions Team will continue to work with referral sources and interested families regarding treatment for their clients and loved ones, with future admission dates in mind.
The grit and resilience of our community has gotten us through tough times in the past and will allow us to prevail through this crisis. The commitment of our staff to provide the outstanding and compassionate care we are known for is shining through. Amidst the challenges of keeping a social distance, refraining from our usual outings, and a restriction of visitors, our staff is rising to the occasion and finding creative ways to continue the good work we do.
Our residential teams, always the backbone of CooperRiis, continue to support our residents, collaborate with recovery teams, and provide the ongoing support, assistance, and guidance our residents count on every day. The team has creatively ramped up activities on each campus in order to engage our residents and brighten their spirits, all while continuing to support each resident’s individual recovery plan.
Our IT team successfully transitioned our staff of almost 200 to our HIPPA compliant platform in order to offer telehealth video sessions for individual and group therapy sessions, and remote conferencing to ensure meetings are being held to small groups.
Our clinicians are rotating in shifts, staying on campus a week at a time to ensure our residents can be assisted 24/7 during these anxious times.
Our nursing staff has now become the heartbeat of our organization as we look to them for the latest advisement. They have also established a Care Team and trained them on how to care for any resident who may be quarantined due to the COVID-19 virus. We currently have zero cases to report. This team even went through a mock trial of caring for someone as if they were in quarantine to ensure their safety as well as the safety of the community. This care team is comprised of a group of volunteer staff members, so a huge amount of gratitude goes out to them.
Our culinary teams have been preparing meals to be frozen and prepared easily by other staff in the unfortunate event they are unable to work. Additionally, they have been preparing and freezing soups to offer any residents who may become ill.
Our facilities staff continue to disinfect areas three times a day and keep hand sanitizing stations filled.
Our senior teams and executive team, along with our founders hold daily meetings to stay on top of the latest reports from the federal government as well as state and local health departments.
Our own President and CEO Eric A. Levine offered “therapeutic kayak and slalom” sessions on our Farm’s pond this past weekend much to the delight of residents and staff.
I continue to stay engaged with our referral communities via video chats, email, and phone calls. Please schedule a time to connect with me here if you like. We are also co-sponsoring a series of self care video sessions to professionals that include yoga, breath-work, creative art expression, mindful cooking with other programs dedicated to offering the best care they can to their clients.
In these difficult times staff, residents, professionals, colleagues, friends, and families need to come together as a community. With community, care and compassion we will get through this.
Sending Elbow Bumps and Sunflowers, 🌻💪
Kimberly Nelson
CooperRiis
National Outreach Coordinator
