North Central, IN. – In times of uncertainty, it can be frightening to experience changes in our normal routine, especially for those who suffer from mental illness or substance use disorder. Valley Oaks Health, the community mental health center in Tippecanoe County and the 9 surrounding counties is actively addressing these needs while balancing the public health concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Valley Oaks Health urges our community members to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety protocols to protect the most vulnerable among us by reducing the risk of contagion through proper hand-washing, covering up coughs and sneezes, and practicing social distancing.
Valley Oaks’ number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of all staff and consumers. We are proactively working to slow the spread of COVID-19 while providing quality mental health and addiction treatment services to those in need by doing the following:
- Enhanced cleaning of all areas.
- Screening all consumers with scheduled provider visits and anyone who enters a Valley Oaks’ service location.
- Practicing social distancing in all areas such as Valley Oaks’ lobbies/waiting areas, individual offices, and in the community.
- Promoting the use of telehealth services whenever possible to significantly reduce traffic flow through all Valley Oaks’ service locations.
- Temporarily halting on-site group services.
- Encouraging and allowing staff to work from home whenever possible.
- Enforcing travel restrictions and self-quarantine practices for all staff.
- Linking to service providers via the Valley Oaks’ emergency number: 800-859-5553
- Sharing resources via Valley Oaks Health Hub. The Health Hub (valleyhealthhub.org) tool is an online resource that provides guidance on mental health and substance use disorder. With everything from encyclopedic resources and guides to common disorders to practical and alternative approaches to mental health care, the Health Hub is a valuable resource for the community at large, including those who may be isolated in this time of uncertainty.
Please visit our webpage at www.valleyoaks.org to connect with your local office if needed. Valley Oaks will also provide updates via our agency’s Facebook page.
MEDIA CONTACT
Zoe Frantz
zfrantz-ne@valleyoaks.org
812-298-4533
About Valley Oaks Health:
Valley Oaks Health is a community mental health center that provides mental health and substance use treatment services across 9 counties in central Indiana. To learn more about our services please visit our website at www.valleyoaks.org .
