Checking In On Coronavirus
Updated April 27th, 2020
We would like to update our community on our plans are in returning to our offices. There is much talk in the news of opening businesses (mainly in other states), and I want to make sure we all have a good idea of Vista’s future plans.
We do not expect to return to the offices any time soon. When we do, foremost in our planning is the safety and health of our colleagues, as well as clients. Further, we want to make sure we are not contributing to a second spike of COVID cases.
One key point is that no one will be asked to return to our offices until they are comfortable with their return.
We expect some clients to not be comfortable with returning to the office for some time, and will continue to use telehealth services. We expect telehealth at some level to be part of our practice for the long-term, and may have at least some telehealth clients on a weekly basis. Some clients have already expressed favoring this method regardless of COVID. We will have this option of telehealth permanently.
I am so grateful to all of our therapists and admin team, who approached this challenge in a creative and optimistic way. We will continue to see telehealth clients from regions across the state in an effort to help address the need for additional support and resources during this challenging time, and to also assist in traditionally underserved areas. As part of this effort, we have developed a new website wwww.videotherapyoregon.com so we can continue to be leaders in this area.
I wish you all safety and health,
Ryan Scott, PhD
Director
Vista Counseling
Updated March 15, 2020
We wanted to let you know as quickly as possible that we have decided to move Vista to Telehealth only as we face this Coronavirus challenge together. Our therapists will be keeping their full schedules throughout the days ahead, and connecting with you in a new way. Also, our amazing Admin team has been working through the weekend, and will continue to work seven days a week as long as it is needed.
We are finding great success in using online therapy (AKA Telehealth) to continue working with our clients in this challenging time, including with our children (see below for more details on child therapy). Telehealth is a real-time live video interaction with your therapist. Telehealth can also be a great option if you need to stay home due to being with a sick child, inclement weather, etc.
More information about telehealth is available at www.vistapsych.com/telehealth
To book a telehealth session:
- Visit this link to schedule an appointment with our Intake Specialists: calendly.com/vista-admin
- Complete a new informed consent at this link
- Download the software for your appointment if needed. We use “Google Meet,” and you will receive an invite link. If you will be using a mobile device, please download the app. On a computer, we recommend using Google Chrome. **Make sure to test the invite link one hour before your appointment to make sure you have the right software installed.**
As always, we wish you health and well being. Any updates will be posted at the following link:
https://vistapsych.com/checking-in-on-coronavirus/
Does Insurance cover Telehealth?
Most insurance companies are covering these services, including every major insurance company we work with (we have checked in the last week). If there is an issue, we will work with you to resolve this in a way that is very fair to all our clients in this difficult time. Our top priority is to continue to serve our community at this time of heightened anxiety.
How does Telehealth work with children?
We understand that, depending on the age, telehealth may be more challenging. One strategy that is helpful is to have a check in with the child, plus having a parent portion of the session for support for our parents. We know parents can use all the support they can get at this stressful time, and we know that our kids have lots of questions and worry about the coronavirus. We can help!
Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.