Infection Control

We take the safety of both our staff and our clients seriously and we have implemented an infection control policy to decrease the risk of infection while we resume in-person services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our policies are based on the most recent guidelines from both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Outpatient counseling offices are designated as a healthcare setting by DPH, and thus we are held to the same infection control requirements as any other outpatient medical office. As that guidance is updated, our policies may be amended.

Please note that not all clinicians have resumed offering in-person services. Each of our clinicians will make their own determination of when they will resume these services, based on their own personal circumstances and risk factors.

Infection Control Policy

Informed Consent. All clients who wish to receive in-person services are required to sign a consent form for in-person services. This form outlines the risks that clients should take into consideration, as well as the expectations of what clients will do to minimize their risk.

Symptom Checks. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires that all clients and staff be checked for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to receiving in-person services during every visit. Our staff complete a COVID-19 Symptom Screening Questionnaire prior to, or immediately upon, coming into the office on days that an in-person session is scheduled. Clients are sent the same screening questionnaire around 24 hours prior to their appointment time. If they do not complete the questionnaire prior to coming in, they will be asked to complete a paper version in our office prior to meeting with their clinician. If either a staff person or a client answers “yes” to any of the symptoms listed, they are asked to stay home and the session will be changed to a telehealth appointment.

COVID-19 Vaccinations. Staff are required to be fully vaccinated prior to returning to the office, defined as having been at least 14 days since they received at least one Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine or two doses of Pfizer, Moderna, or Novax vaccinations. Clients are also required to be fully vaccinated before receiving in-person services, and they are asked to provide a copy of their vaccination card.

Exposure to COVID-19 and COVID-19 Infections. If a staff person has been exposed to someone who is COVID-19 positive but are not exhibiting symptoms and have not tested positive themselves, they are required to wait at least 5 days and show a negative COVID-19 test before returning to the office. Staff who have tested positive for COVID or who have exposed to COVID-19 and are exhibiting symptoms (regardless of whether they test positive for COVID-19) are required to wait at least 10 days and show a negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to the office.

If a client has been exposed to COVID-19 or has tested positive for COVID-19, we ask that they follow the same guidelines as the staff, though we will not require them to provide evidence of a negative test.

Masks. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) still requires that everyone wear masks while in healthcare settings. We have a few individually wrapped, single-use surgical masks in the reception area, if a client forgets to bring their own. Once in the therapy room, DPH does allow masks to be removed as long as both the client and the therapist agree to it. Please note that masks must be put back on before leaving the therapy room.

Air Purifiers. We have placed medical grade air purifiers, with HEPA 13 filters, in the reception area and in each therapy office. They are always running on days that clients come into the office.

Sanitizing and Disinfecting. The CDC recommends washing your hands often with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. We have also placed alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout the office and encourage clients and staff to use them frequently. We also use disinfecting wipes to clean commonly touched objects (like doorknobs) at the end of each day.

Minimize exposure. We ask all clients to arrive no more than 5 minutes prior to their appointment time, to minimize time in the reception area.