County Department COVID-19 Re-Opening Safety Plan for the Catt. County Dept. of Community Services at the Olean Counseling Center in Olean, NY.
Reference Note
This was started from the County Department Reopening Safety Plan form submission #19 (ID: 2885) County Center on 2020-06-02.
Department Information:
Community Services Dept.
Facility / Location Name:
Olean Counseling Center
Address of Facility:
1 Leo Moss Dr., Suite 4308, Olean, New York. 14760, United States
People
Physical Distancing
- Provide COVID-19 training as assigned by Human Resources. Yes
- Ensure 6 ft. distance between personnel, unless safety or core function of the work activity requires a shorter distance. Any time personnel are less than 6 ft. apart from one another, personnel must wear acceptable face coverings. Yes
- Tightly confined spaces will be occupied by only one individual at a time, unless all occupants are wearing face coverings. Yes
- Post social distancing markers using tape or signs that denote 6 ft. of spacing in commonly used and other applicable areas on the site. Yes
- When distancing is not feasible between work stations or spaces, personnel must wear face coverings. Yes
- Encourage social distancing through telework and flexible scheduling when feasible. Yes
Describe how you will meet the criteria above
See XYZ.
Telework
Protect personnel at high risk for severe illness through telework, or minimizing contact with the public and other employees when able Yes
Limit In-Person Gatherings
Limit in-person gatherings (e.g. interviews) as much as possible and use tele- or video-conferencing whenever possible. Essential in-person gatherings (e.g. meetings) should be held in open, well-ventilated spaces with appropriate social distancing among participants Yes
Describe how you will meet the criteria above
See XYZ.
Remote Work
Identify those employees that can remote work-from-home Yes
What types of positions may do remote work-from-home?
All of the employees are essential for daily functions. We can have 2 therapist remote work from home as long as telehealth is an option. Once telehealth is no longer an option they will need to work on site. We have 3 support staff (2 key board specialist, 1 account clerk typist) We would need one in the building during business hours. This potentially would need to be on a rotation to allow for them to utilize accrued time.
Designated Areas
Establish designated areas for pick-ups, deliveries, and the public, limiting contact to the extent possible. Yes
Identify the designated areas within this location
See XYZ.
Additional Comments
Provide a detailed summary of how you will implement and comply with the social distancing guidelines listed above for your department.
1. Telehealth and telework will be utilized for as long as allowed by NYS Office of Mental Health, to minimize the number of people in the office.
2. Most office spaces do not all allow for 6ft of separation between individuals.
a. When telehealth is no longer permitted by NYS OMH, all individuals that are in the office spaces with other people will be required to wear masks.
b. Clients will be asked to come alone to their appts, except for child clients- guardians/parents will be asked to limit the number of individuals coming to the appt to the child client and 1 parent/guardian.
c. Staff will be required to disinfect their area between each client appt.
d. For Clients that come to appts without a mask, one will be provided by the clinic.
3. When staff are in their office by themselves, they will not be required to wear a mask, however, when they walk down the hallways, which are not wide enough to allow passing beyond 6 ft., they will be required to wear face coverings.
a. This will also be in effect for the front office, break room, and rest room areas, or any other area that does not allow for 6 ft. between individuals.
4. Signs will be posted throughout the clinic regarding social distancing, and taped markers will be placed on the floor around desks in the front office and waiting room.
5. Protect personnel at high risk for severe illness through telework, or minimizing contact with the public and other employees when able
a. To the extent possible and permissible by NYS OMH, staff who are high risk will continue remote work
6. Limit in-person gatherings (e.g. interviews) as much as possible and use tele- or video-conferencing whenever possible. Essential in-person gatherings (e.g. meetings) should be held in open, well-ventilated spaces with appropriate social distancing among participants
a. In order to meet the above, all meetings will be held via video-conferencing software- through GoToMeeting or WebEx. There will be no scheduled in-person meetings.
What types of positions may do remote work from home:
- For as long as telehealth is permitted by NYS OMH, most staff in the counseling center will be able to work from home- therapists, prescribers, support staff, billing staff, nurses, and supervisors.
- Pick-ups and deliveries
- Any ppwk/documents will be emailed to clients, providers, and/or other individuals; if email is not possible for whatever reason, items will be mailed. If there are other items which will require a pick up, individuals will be asked to give a day/time in which they will be able to pick up item and they will only be able to pick up at the front desk of the Olean Counseling Center
- Individuals who need to drop off items when mailing is not possible will be able to do so, by bringing said item to the front desk at the Olean Counseling Center.
- All other deliveries from UPS, FedEx, etc. will continue as is.
Places
Physical Space Modifications
Please provide in detail any physical space modifications that are proposed to achieve social distancing requirements. These modifications can include, but not limited to rearranging offices, adding physical barriers, etc.
Agree to discuss space modifications with Public Works / Building Maintenance. Yes
Describe in detail the modifications that are proposed & possible costs associated, if known
- The back “bullpen” area which currently is set up with shared cubicles needs to be reconfigured so that each employee has their own space.
- Per building maintenance, 6 cubicle spaces will be re-constructed in order to accommodate 5 employees and storage.
- At this time, a cost is not available for this modification.
Protective Equipment
Employers must provide employees with an acceptable face covering at no-cost to the employee and have an adequate supply of coverings in case of replacement. Yes
Face coverings must be cleaned or replaced after use or when damaged or soiled, may not be shared, and should be properly stored or discarded. Yes
Limit the sharing of objects and discourage touching of shared surfaces; or, when in contact with shared objects or frequently touched areas, wear gloves (trade-appropriate or medical); or, sanitize or wash hands before and after contact. Yes
Detailed Summary Options
Detailed Summary of Personal Protective Equipment
- All staff will be given re-usable face masks, if they do not have their own
- Staff will be educated on the importance of cleaning and disinfecting their own masks, and storage, when appropriate, and signs will be posted with educational cleaning reminders
- Disposable PPE will be discarded in designated containers within the clinic
- Clients and/or visitors that come to the clinic without face masks will be given one.
Hygiene and Cleaning
Adhere to hygiene and sanitation requirements from the CDC and NYS Dept. of Health. Yes
Provide and maintain hand hygiene stations for personnel, including handwashing with soap, water, and paper towels, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing 60% or more alcohol for areas where handwashing is not feasible. Yes
Conduct regular cleaning and disinfection at least after every shift, daily, or more frequently as needed, and frequent cleaning and disinfection of shared objects (e.g. tools, machinery) and surfaces, as well as high transit areas, such as restrooms and common areas, must be completed. Yes
Detailed Summary Options
- All staff will be given individual hand sanitizers to keep at their work stations
- Hand sanitizers will also be kept at all shared areas that include shared objects that are frequently touched
- Handwashing is available in the break room and the rest rooms
- Signage will be placed in each area on proper hand washing techniques
- Cleaning and disinfecting
- Each office will be wiped down after any face to face visits with clients and/or visitors; staff will be responsible for wiping down their own areas.
- Appts will be spaced out so that there is time allowed for the cleaning/disinfecting to occur
- All shared objects (i.e. copy machine, fax machine, etc.) will be wiped down after each use by the user.
- Common and high transit areas will be wiped down, at minimum, in the morning, middle, and end of each day; this will be a shared responsibility of staff on site.
Communication
Post signage throughout the site to remind personnel to adhere to proper hygiene, social distancing rules, appropriate use of PPE, and cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Yes
Establish a communication method for employees, visitors, and customers with a consistent means to provide updated information. Yes
If a worker tests positive for COVID-19, department head must immediately notify the County Health Departments and cooperate with contact tracing efforts, including notification of potential contacts, such as workers or visitors who had close contact with the individual, while maintaining confidentiality required by state and federal law and regulations. Yes
Detailed Summary Options
- Any updated information for staff will be shared on the shared Community Services V: drive on the County server. Staff are notified when files are added to that drive are pertinent to them.
- Signage will be placed throughout the clinic with any updated communications that must be shared amongst clients, visitors, and staff .
Process
Screening
All employees shall self-monitor and check his or her temperature every 12 hours whether at work or at home. Yes
All employees shall also undergo a pre-shift temperature screening when reporting to work at the beginning of each shift. Yes
All employees shall report at the beginning of each shift to a central designated point of entry which shall be determined by the County Administrator. Yes
For employees that do not report to a physical building and instead travel from home to places in the community, each shall perform a pre-shift temperature screening before each shift. Leaving the home and reporting to your work site is the equivalent of your attestation that you are without a fever. Yes
Symptom Screening
If you have any of the following symptoms, staff shall not enter the workplace and shall contact his or her supervisor and refer the employee to contact the EOC nurse. Yes
Where is the designated point of entry for this/each location within your department?
Employees will enter through the main entrance of the Olean County Building and will enter the clinic through the waiting room entrance only.
How will you implement the pre-shift temperature screening and symptom screening at each location in accordance with Directive 11-2020?
- All employees will undergo a pre-shift screening when reporting to the office each day
- All staff will be required to report to the Clinic Director (Admin Sect in C.D. absence) at the start of their day with the following information:
- temperature read from the front door
- any other positive symptoms: cough, difficulty breathing, body aches, headaches, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- positive COVID test in last 14 days
- close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID in past 14 days