Staff report
Several changes have been implemented at the Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disability Center, in Hays County coordinated through the Scheib Center in San Marcos, in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Administration of the centers say they are constantly monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Those changes include:
- Temporarily closing day services for person with intellectual development disabilities to limit the potential for community spread.
- Limited services in mental health clinics to medication injections and a reduced number of other essential services. Counseling, group services, assessments and case management services will not be available.
• Walk-in intake assessments will not be accepted but it’s expected that video evaluations may be soon accepting new referrals.
- The mental health Crisis Stabilization Unit will remain 24/7 but visitors will be restricted. Essential staff will only be allowed in after being prescreened.
- The focus of staff will shirt to delivering support and services via video and audio technology. Essential crisis response services will be maintained with video and audio technology whenever possible.
- Wellness telephone calls to consumers to check on their health and safety will continue.
- All persons coming to clinics will be screened for symptoms of illness.
- Advance telephone screenings of persons will be conducted prior to visiting them in their home or the community.
- Arrangements are being made to provide medications to people without their having to come to or into a clinic. (mail, delivery to the parking lot, delivery to the home)
- Any staff member who demonstrates symptoms such as fever,
respiratory distress, dry coughing, etc. to are immediately required to self-quarantine and not report to their worksite - Any staff member who has just returned from travel to a foreign
country to self-quarantine. - All non-essential staff are required to work remotely, when possible.
- Protocols will be adjusted as often as need to comply with the latest recommendations from the CDC.
For the latest, visit hillcountry.org.
