COVID-19: Keeping calm for the common good

Attuned Psychology response to COVID-19

[Updated, November 2, 2022]

As we all do our best to stop the spread of Covid-19, our team at Attuned Psychology is not only continuing to keep measures in place to keep you safe and cared for during this time of uncertainty and increased anxiety, but we’re constantly monitoring the situation and adapting our procedures as new information comes to hand. This is especially important because there is often increased anxiety whenever new freedoms are found.

We’ve crafted this page to help alleviate any extra worry you might be experiencing with all the changes going on around us. There is more detail lower down this page but the two key points are:

1. How we protect clients accessing  safe, face-to-face therapy sessions

We are continuing to follow strict infection control guidelines to keep you (and us) safe from COVID-19 infection.

There are strict protocols in place for these sessions to protect everyone and so we welcome anyone for face to face therapy provided they don’t have symptoms of illness and have completed this online declaration form to state that via this link on the day of the appointment or on arrival with the help of our staff: Attuned Psychology Online Declaration Form – Face To Face Therapy Session

2. We are also expanding our offering of online sessions, called Telehealth.

Telehealth is a good option for clients who would prefer to have their sessions remotely, have mild symptoms of illness, or enjoy the convenience or anonymity that telehealth allows.

The government has expanded its range of options to make online sessions accessible. In the meantime, after some important recent changes we are pleased to report that there is universal access to Telehealth under Medicare if referred under a Mental Health care plan and for many people with private health cover,  Telehealth will also apply provided certain conditions are met.

We have a special page on this topic which will be kept up-to-date with the latest information: Telehealth: Online Therapy Sessions

On that page, you’ll also see a video interview I did about the process of holding therapy sessions online. We have adapted to this new medium and the video will hopefully answer some of your questions while showing you what online conversations can be like.

Of course, please chat with us about your situation and concerns. Having a therapy session online might feel strange at first but research shows they can be as effective as face-to-face with the added benefit of giving you access while you are isolating.

PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED AS SITUATIONS CHANGE.

Infection control guidelines

You might be aware that Attuned Psychology has had infection control protocols in place as part of our normal procedures, although most of this work took place “behind the scenes”.

During this period of extra alertness due to COVID-19, we have put extra measures into place to protect you and our team.

There are three main aspects to our practical infection control measures.

Social distancing. While our practice rooms have always been large enough to enable us to be at least 1.5m apart during our sessions, we have now rearranged our waiting rooms to ensure you can keep that recommended distance from other clients and office team and have chairs down the hallway to allow clients to sit on their own and ensure significant space to prevent transmission.

Hygiene. A particular aspect of this virus is that is has a fatty outer layer which makes it very vulnerable to soap. This is good news because washing hands with conventional soap and water is a powerful way to halt this virus in its tracks. To this end, all staff are washing hands between sessions and all clients are being encouraged to wash hands on arrival as the gold standard of infection control or if they prefer sanitise with one of our wall mounted sanitising stations. This is a simple but effective measure to keep everybody safe.

Other related measures include cleansing of surfaces between sessions and daily and cleaning of toys and other tools in between sessions. We remain alert to make sure everybody at our Glenelg and North Adelaide practices are doing what they can to protect each other and clients. 

Masks

Although masks are no longer mandated for the community or allied health professionals in private practice you will find that our practitioners will be maintaining masks in all common areas as a minimum. In your sessions in the consulting room, one of you or both you and the practitioner may choose to wear a mask or not wear a mask as you see fit.

If a practitioner would like to not wear a mask you have the right to request them to wear one and they will do so immediately to ensure you feel comfortable and safe. Equally if a practitioner is concerned about their own risk factors  we ask you to respect their right to wear a mask in session. As the situation evolves we will continue to consider the protection of each other and our general community in making decisions and may adapt our policies as things change. We will keep this page updated as the situation changes at any time to ensure you are informed. 

Payments

In reception, we are encouraging you to pay by card but if cash is used our team will be using gloves as part of their standard routine. Once again, these simple actions are vital in reducing the risk of spreading this virus.

Telehealth sessions. Some time ago when permanent funding via Medicare was made available for psychological therapy we reviewed our service delivery. We now provide a hybrid service model that means that if at any time you are unwell or your practitioner is unwell we will automatically and seemlessly change your appointment to telehealth to ensure your support may continue. As a client of Attuned you are agreeing to the provision of face to face services or telehealth when needed unless it is deemed inappropriate for the client’s needs for some ethical reason.

This service is a great option for those isolating with COVID or simply as it is convenient, comfortable or private and we are pleased to offer these options to anyone who is interested. If this is of interest to you, talk to our team to explore the options.

In most cases Telehealth clients will qualify for a rebate and these online sessions may be managed as normal,  therapy sessions with the only difference being that you and your therapist are not in the same physical place.

We are pleased that telehealth is a permanent regular feature of our work and will keep you informed  with any further updates via this page: Telehealth: Online Therapy

Attuned Psychology maintaining therapy sessions in our response to COVID-19

There are many other procedural changes happening behind the scenes to keep Attuned Psychology operating safely so that you can still benefit from our services during this time of uncertainty.

As always, we are here to help and to accommodate your needs as we navigate challenges and work toward better mental health for all. 

Alexandra Frost

Director/Clinical Psychologist

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