Dear Thresholds Supporters,
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to lives around the world. Here at Thresholds, we’ve been working harder than ever to provide life-saving mental health and substance use treatment while protecting our clients and our staff.
A majority of Thresholds’ 10,000+ clients are in high-risk categories for COVID-19. Though Illinois is currently under a state-wide stay at home order, our work is essential healthcare and will continue, with modifications, to keep everyone as safe as possible.
What we’re doing
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- We are still serving our clients. Our staff are utilizing daily phone check-ins and telehealth visits, and still meeting in person with clients for essential needs. Staff are practicing social distancing and following all public health guidance to keep themselves and our clients safe. We are ceasing in-person visits if a client is experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 while helping them connect with their primary care provider for guidance. Clinical teams are meeting with each other virtually.
- Clinical staff are helping our clients understand the measures that they can take to keep themselves safe by utilizing CDC and local public health guidance. We are ensuring they have food, medical care, and other essentials that they need during this time.
- All groups, drop-in centers, and other client gatherings have been cancelled per public health guidance. We have cancelled our 2020 Gala, scheduled for May 7th.
- The members of our workforce who can work remotely are doing so. Many of our staff are in critical care positions that do not allow for remote work, but we are making modifications to encourage as much social distance as possible while they provide care.
- Our housing and facilities teams are utilizing enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocols, and are creating property-by-property contingency plans to be prepared in the event of a positive test on the premises.
- Thresholds has convened a task force consisting of representation from every department throughout our clinical and administrative workforces to ensure continuity of operations. This task force meets regularly and sends frequent communications to our entire staff.
- Thresholds staff are instructed to stay home if they are ill, and to follow the CDC and CDPH guidelines about self-quarantine and returning to work. Thresholds has enacted a temporary policy to allow employees who are affected by COVID-19 to borrow from their future sick time to allow them additional paid time off. We are committed to supporting and sustaining our workforce and finding creative solutions to get through this crisis.
- Thresholds is working with our FQHC and pharmacy partners to ensure that clients are able to access essential medical care, testing, and medications.
These are the nuts and bolts of our current approach. What you can’t see in a list is the heart, dedication, flexibility, and creativity that our staff have utilized in the past days to ensure our clients still receive the life-saving care they need. Residential workers helping clients who live in Thresholds housing through uncertain times, information services staff working overtime to provide the technology and support our workforce needs to telework, human resources staff quickly crafting policies to support our workforce, homeless outreach workers educating their clients who are homeless on how to keep themselves safe, and countless other inspiring tales – our staff are the best in the business.
How you can help
Our supporters and partners are incredible, and so many of you have sent your good wishes and asked how you can help. Here are a few things that you can do:
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- Lost revenue and cancelled fundraising events paired with an unprecedented public health crisis means that Thresholds is facing financial uncertainty paired with sudden expenses. The easiest way to help is to make a donation today.
- Thresholds doctors, nurses, staff, and FQHC partners need PPE and N95 masks to safely administer critical medications and perform our work. If you’re interested in donating these items, please contact Debbie.Pavick@thresholds.org.
- Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Share our posts and help spread the word about our staff’s dedicated work during this crisis.
- Participate in our “UnGala” campaign by sponsoring or donating. Be on the lookout for our emails and social media posts with other fun virtual events connected to this campaign.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our work now and in the future. We simply could not do this good work without partners, donors, supporters, and advocates like you.
Mark Ishaug, CEO
The post A Message from CEO Mark Ishaug about COVID-19 appeared first on Thresholds.
