APNL News

APNL Guidance for COVID-19 (16/03/2020)

March 16, 2020

Your APNL Executive are aware of the increased stresses and concerns that have emerged and continue to develop due to COVID-19.  We understand the balance between following rules around social distancing, keeping ourselves and our clients safe, while at the same time acknowledging that the need for ongoing psychological services is essential, more than ever, for many.  We’ll continue to keep you updated as new developments emerge. Be sure to take care of yourselves, your loved ones, as well as your clients, and together we’ll get through this.

Self-Education

If you have not already done so, you should take first steps towards self-education about the novel coronavirus, prevention, spread rates and epidemiological maps, etc., to ensure understanding of how to best prevent contagion and spread of the virus, address clients’ concerns, but also ensure appropriate measures for self-care and self-determination for action and emergency planning.

Facts:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html#faq

Preparing your office/practice:

  1. Preparedness, protecting clients and yourself:  https://www.apaservices.org/practice/news/covid19-psychology-services-protection?_ga=2.34409319.770582353.1583706150-1624503128.1459723777
  2. Preparing your office:
    https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/files/factsheet-covid-19-environmental-cleaning-NL.pdf

Educating Clients

  1. Take time to reflect and assess your own response to the outbreak, level of anxiety, (dis)comfort, biases etc.  Draft a plan that would address the need for reducing the spread of the disease, protect your clients, but also ensure your own health and protection
  2. Talk to your clients about the situation and assess their concerns, needs, possible level of risk, etc.
  3. Provide in-person education or share online resources (follow APNL on Twitter and Facebook for updated resources and articles)
  4. Discuss with clients extra measures you are taking to ensure cleanliness and safety.

Printable Signage or Handouts:

Here are a few downloadable resources that you can use to inform clients by email or by printing (be sure to check our social media for additional resources)

Guidelines for Telepsychology:

The NLPB is currently developing guidelines which will be shared with registrants shortly.  In the meantime, these may provide some useful resources/suggestions.

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