The work we do at First Step Recovery is critical to so many, and we’re committed to being here when our clients need us the most. We are managing a crisis within a crisis; an epidemic within a pandemic. To ensure that we’re enforcing the most stringent COVID safety measures—while providing our essential treatment services—we continuously seek guidance from the Ohio Department of Health and other trusted experts in the infectious disease field to most effectively protect the health and safety of our employees and clients.

In addition to providing all clients with information on COVID-19, First Step Recovery is taking the following precautions:

• Symptom Monitoring: Temperatures are monitored and logged daily for both employees and clients. If an employee experiences COVID-related symptoms, he or she must be evaluated and COVID tested prior to returning to work. If a client experiences COVID-related symptoms, a physician is consulted for further evaluation and treatment as well as possible referral for evaluation of their symptoms.
• Screening: Clients are screened regarding recent activity and location prior to being added to our admission schedule.
• Sanitizing: We have implemented extensive cleaning and sanitizing policies and we’ve ensured that employees are provided with necessary resources to properly disinfect workspaces.
• Social Distancing: Clients and employees are required to wear masks. Inpatient clients are provided masks and receive orientation on social distancing. Group rooms are set up to adhere to social distancing requirements. Markers have been placed on the floors and grounds to remind people of proper social distancing mandates. Televisions have been added to the dorm rooms to help reduce the number of people in the common space. We’ve also voluntarily reduced our client capacity to help slow the spread of COVID. (Family Day and hosting of outside sober support groups have been suspended as a further safety measure.)
• Additional Precautions: All mail, packages, lab pick-ups and drop-offs occur between the double doors. We have provided plexiglass shields to admissions and providers/counselors as evidence suggests transmission could occur through talking beyond a brief encounter.

As the COVID pandemic took shape, First Step Recovery immediately sought guidance from both local and county health departments regarding how to best protect our clients and employees. And, as the pandemic continued, our compliance department began performing daily rounds to ensure adherence to our facility policies. Additionally, the local health department conducts random visits to monitor our adherence to required safety measures.

‍Our extensive COVID-19 precautions are just the beginning of how we show We Care More.

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Author: Cindy Woodford, First Step Recovery Chief Operating Officer, LICDC

For additional information about First Step Recovery’s services and how to get started, contact us today at 330.369.8022.

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