COVID-19 Important Updates

As the world adapts to the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental and behavioral health practitioners are a step ahead of the curve. Formerly, in order to provide HIPAA-compliant telehealth services, practitioners had to connect to a secure, hard-wired line. In fact, many telehealth operations still function this way today. However, as companies like BlueJeans and Zoom developed HIPAA-compliant software that safely and legally protects Personal Health Information (PHI), the mental health field began to embrace telehealth on a larger scale, well before the emergence of COVID-19.

Cyber Security

BlueJeans (and platforms like it) utilizes highly secure, encrypted video connectivity to meet HIPAA privacy rules. What does encrypted mean? Encryption is a process by which the data being transferred between client and clinician (and to other group members, if applicable) is translated into another form (coding language) and is only converted back into video data by a user who has the “key.” In this case, only the people invited to the BlueJeans meeting have the “key.” This kind of encryption ensures that no 3^rd party could access the video or audio, even if they hacked into the system, because they don’t have the key to decode it.

Participating in a Telehealth Session

High Focus Centers uses the BlueJeans platform to conduct our telehealth sessions.  Below is a helpful video and reference PDF that demonstrate the ease and convenience of this service.

Joining a BlueJeans meeting from a browser (PDF)

Please call us at (800) 877-3628 at any time to schedule an appointment.

In response to COVID-19, social distancing has become our new way of life. However, it is more important now than ever for clients with mental health, substance use or eating disorders to have access to the treatment that they need. High Focus Centers has implemented a telehealth solution for group, individual, and family sessions – as well as med management – to provide outpatient treatment via video conferencing.

Please watch this brief video to learn more about how we are responding to clients’ needs.

As always, we are available to answer any questions. Please call us at (800) 877-3628 at any time.

The safety and well-being of clients, families and employees has always been and will continue to remain a top priority at Pyramid Healthcare and its affiliated companies.

As such, under the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and state and local officials, we have implemented a number of precautionary measures across our organization in response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

Because our treatment facilities, referral, screening and admissions processes will remain open and active for as long as deemed safe and appropriate, we believe it is important to communicate the steps we are taking to help keep our clients, families and employees safe and healthy.

• Our Intake Department is assessing and evaluating incoming clients by inquiring about travel during the previous 14 days, other potential exposure to COVID-19 and presence of flu-like symptoms or flu prior to admission,  and we will deny admission to those who have screened positive
• We have temporarily suspended on-site family visitation and programming, and are modifying technical capabilities and policies to provide for digital visitation options
• Where possible, in outpatient offices we are offering telemedicine options to in-person treatment
• In residential programs, we are suspending outside self-help meetings and are restricting in-house self-help meetings to include only our residential clients
• We have been communicating actively and daily with our employees relative to proper hygiene including frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer regularly and to stay home if they feel ill or are demonstrating signs of illness such as fever, cough or shortness of breath
• We have provided our front line employees with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and have acquired as much reserve PPE as we have been able to obtain
• We screen all clients daily for fever, cough and shortness of breath
• Our maintenance and housekeeping departments have increased their sanitization efforts in client and employee areas
• We have postponed all company-hosted events and activities

All of our treatment facilities will remain open and continue to provide care until directed otherwise by the Government.

We will continue to closely monitor updates issued by the CDC, WHO and state and local authorities surrounding COVID-19, and will follow all recommended steps to ensure the continued safety, health and well-being of our clients, families and employees.

Jonathan Wolf
President and CEO