COVID-19 Updates

A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO

Developments around the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve, and we remain committed to keeping you up to date on all that Meadows Behavioral Healthcare is doing to follow the latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for maintaining staff and patient safety.

We already had stringent infection control practices in place, and we have implemented additional measures in the past months to reduce the risk of infection. These include patient pre-screening with FDA-authorized Rapid Antigen tests prior to admission and during the first two weeks of treatment, an enhanced deep-cleaning regimen, ongoing patient screenings, the use of face masks by both patients and staff throughout treatment, ongoing symptom monitoring, decreased group gathering sizes, and the implementations of online options for some outpatient treatment, workshops, and family programming.

As a behavioral healthcare institution, we have remained operational throughout this global health crisis, continuing to provide these necessary services in the safest manner possible. Now, as mandated shutdowns and safer-at-home recommendations are eased, we are seeing an increased need for mental health and addiction treatment. A federal emergency hotline for people in emotional distress registered a more than 1,000 percent increase in April compared with the same time last year, according to The Washington Post, and online therapy company Talkspace reported a 65 percent jump in clients since mid-February. And nearly half of Americans report the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

Statistics like that make us more committed than ever to our goal of offering unparalleled care. For more information on all we are doing, you can read a message from our chief medical officer, and you can always find the latest programming modifications on this page. The safety of our staff and patients is always our highest priority. Thank you for putting your trust in us!

S. Walsh

Sean Walsh, CEO
Meadows Behavioral Healthcare

Enhanced Safety Measures

Learn how Meadows Behavioral Healthcare is implementing the latest safety measures for maintaining staff and patient safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Enhanced Procedures & Programming Modifications

Patient Pre-Screening – During our intake process, all patients answer an in-depth set of COVID-19 Screening Questions to identify any risk factors. All potential patients also receive an FDA-authorized Antibody Screening Test. Results for this finger-stick test are available after only a short wait and indicate if the patient was infected with COVID-19 relatively recently or in the past. Anyone who tests positive for will not be allowed to admit to the general population but will be offered treatment at our Observational Treatment Center (OTC).

Ongoing Patient Screening – Once admitted, all new patients will be required to wear a face mask for the first 14 days of treatment. Patients will receive repeat Antibody Screening Tests on days 3, 7, and 12 of treatment to limit the possibility of a patient being infected with COVID-19. Employees have received extensive education and training regarding infectious disease transmission and treatment and all current patients are screened regularly for COVID-19 symptoms, with vitals taken by a medical professional.

Visitation/Family Programming – We have suspended in-person visits at this time and all in-person family programming. While we know the value and importance of family treatment in our programs, we acknowledge we have less ability to screen family members and the potential health risk they present. We are currently offering a variety of family treatment experiences to enable family members to participate in their loved ones’ recovery.

Our Facilities – In addition to following all CDC and WHO guidelines and infectious disease protocols, we are enhancing our maintenance and deep-cleaning regimens, including the addition of a cutting-edge antimicrobial product.

Decreased Group Gatherings – A large percentage of our treatment interventions and modalities already happen in groups of less than 10, but we have modified programming elements that traditionally gather together larger groups of patients.

Face Masks – All newly admitted patients are required to wear a face mask for their first 14 days in treatment.

Social Distancing – We educate and promote opportunities to practice social distance in all relevant areas, including common areas and dining halls. We also make sure to provide adequate spacing and allow for empty seats and spacing our group rooms chairs.

Staff/Patient Hygiene – Our staff follows proper hand hygiene protocols at all times. We proactively continue to educate patients on CDC guidelines for hygiene.

Outpatient Programs – While outpatient treatment still falls under “essential healthcare business,” and we are applying all the same safety measures in our outpatient programs as we are in our inpatient, we are also offering Telehealth in our outpatient programs. At this lower level of care, treatment can be offered in this way to those ordered to shelter in place or who prefer to participate using a virtual option during this pandemic. We are also doing weekly FDA-authorized Rapid Antigen Tests for all in-person treatment for both staff and patients.

Company Updates

Inpatient Treatment Programs Are Open

The current uncertain circumstances of life can put those already at risk for mental health and addiction issues at even greater risk of dysfunctional behaviors. We recognize that these individuals and their loved ones need us now more than ever. That’s why all of our specialized inpatient treatment programs are open and accepting patients — while taking every necessary precaution to ensure the safety of patients and staff. For those struggling with substance use disorders, trauma, eating disorders, and related mental health conditions, the safest place to be is in treatment.

Antibody Screening Test

We use an FDA-authorized Antibody Screening Test on all admitting patients, following up with three additional tests during the first two weeks in treatment to ensure against false negative results.

Observational Treatment Center (OTC)

We are committed to protecting our patient communities from possible infection, but we don’t believe in turning away patients in need. To address this, we have designed and opened a separate Observational Treatment Center (OTC), a complete standalone program specifically for anyone who tests positive. Our OTC is equipped with a full medical team with treatment provided by our senior leadership, including our chief medical officer, director of addiction medicine, and vice president. Patients remain in the OTC for 14 days or until symptoms have resolved or they test negative.

Outpatient Treatment Open and TeleHealth Option Available

Our outpatient centers in Scottsdale, Silicon Valley, and Dallas are fully staffed and accepting patients, and we are also offering TeleHealth services at all locations for patients that prefer to participate in treatment using this service. Activities at our Outpatient Centers continue, with strict precautions being taken to ensure the health of patients and staff.

Current health precautions include:

Every staff member and patient must wash their hands immediately upon arrival
Hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes are used regularly before and after activities
Pens are wiped down before and after use
All staff and patients will have their temperature taken every time they arrive at the center
Anyone suspected of having a fever will be sent home
All patients are screened using the CDC screening questions
Doors are left open to avoid touching doorknobs or handles
Employees are allowed to work from home as much as possible (charting, etc.)
Everyone is asked to maintain the recommended distance of six feet apart
Masks are mandatory for all staff, patients, and visitors
No physical touching is allowed
Outside 12-Step meetings of over 10 attendees are discouraged

Traveling for Treatment

Once the difficult decision to seek treatment has been made, we never want getting there to be an obstacle. Meadows Behavioral Healthcare can help solve transportation issues and find a solution for a safe transition to treatment. This includes assistance with ground transportation from most states as well as air transportation companionship with our staff and community partners. Call our Intake Team for more information at 800-244-4949.

For Alumni

In these uncertain times, staying connected to support systems and recovery groups is more important than ever. For our alumni, we have transitioned to conducting our Recovery Enhancement Group via Zoom online meetings. Additionally, we have added a list of online meetings to the Alumni webpage which can be found here.

For Families

We recognize that families are an important part of the healing and recovery process for those in treatment. The Meadows Behavioral Healthcare family of inpatient treatment programs have implemented a variety of online family treatment experiences for our family members to enable them to continue to participate in their loved ones’ recovery while maintaining health and safety standards. This currently includes virtual weekly family sessions.