COVID-19 Arrangements
for Clinical Services
As of November 2021
Return to partial face-to-face services
The Victorian Government have stated that telehealth remains the preferred arrangement, and you are welcome to continue to use telehealth for your sessions.
With further lifting of restrictions, we are providing face to face sessions for a number of clients for whom telehealth has been difficult, or for formal assessments that can not be done online.
We will be adhering to COVID safe plan requirements. Please note that we are taking new measures at Family Minded to ensure we reduce the risk of COVID-19 contagion to staff and clients.
What does this mean for you and/or your child?
If you/and your family are happy to continue with telehealth services then nothing will change. If your household is not fully vaccinated (for those eligible) then you will continue to access support via telehealth.
If you/your child has found telehealth difficult and you would like to come back to face to face appointments, please let us know.
Our assessment services are resuming, these will be conducted via mixture of face to face and telehealth sessions. Where required, during face to face child assessment sessions we will removing face masks for communication needs in the assessment. Please discuss with your clinician if you have concerns about this process. Clients will be required to undertake rapid antigen testing prior to the session for face to face assessments. If this is required, you will be informed about this prior to the appointment.
With further lifting of restrictions, we are providing face to face sessions for a number of clients for whom telehealth has been difficult, or for formal assessments that can not be done online.
We will be adhering to COVID safe plan requirements. Please note that we are taking new measures at Family Minded to ensure we reduce the risk of COVID-19 contagion to staff and clients.
- All staff on site are vaccinated as per vaccination requirements by the government for health professionals.
- All parents/caregivers and clients aged 12 and up attending on site must be double vaccinated to reduce risk to staff and other clients on site.**
- All parents/caregivers and kids aged 12 and up will need to show proof of their vaccination on arrival.**
- Please ensure you are able to show your (and your child's) vaccination certificate on arrival. If you do not have proof of vaccination you will not be allowed in the building and cancellation fees will be applied.
- For unvaccinated clients (and care givers), the option of telehealth will remain, as will the option of undertaking Rapid Antigen Testing prior to each appointment.
- Our waiting room is closed. Please wait in your car, or away from the entrance. When your clinician greets you and invites you to come to the building please complete the QR check in and show this and the vaccination certificate(s) to your clinician.
- Only the client and one caregiving adult may attend the office. Siblings can not attend. Two caregivers can attend for the specific purpose of family or parent sessions and both will be required to confirm they are both currently vaccinated.
- We will be required to use appropriate hygiene and socially distance in the session.
- Health declaration forms must be completed prior to coming into the office.
- There may be interruptions to face to face sessions if you or your clinician has cold symptoms are unable to attend the office (as per COVID safe plan), in which case if everyone is well enough, you will be offered a telehealth appointment instead.
What does this mean for you and/or your child?
If you/and your family are happy to continue with telehealth services then nothing will change. If your household is not fully vaccinated (for those eligible) then you will continue to access support via telehealth.
If you/your child has found telehealth difficult and you would like to come back to face to face appointments, please let us know.
Our assessment services are resuming, these will be conducted via mixture of face to face and telehealth sessions. Where required, during face to face child assessment sessions we will removing face masks for communication needs in the assessment. Please discuss with your clinician if you have concerns about this process. Clients will be required to undertake rapid antigen testing prior to the session for face to face assessments. If this is required, you will be informed about this prior to the appointment.
If you have any concerns about the above, please contact practice owner Katherine Hill on 98117052.
Information about our COVID safe plan - keeping us all safe
In line with DHHS and WHO recommendations, we have established arrangements to do what we can to support the efforts to minimise the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
We are returning to partial face-to-face services. We are regularly disinfecting our toys/surroundings, monitoring our own health, clients and caregivers attending the building will be required to wear a mask if 12 years or older, use the hand sanitiser in the waiting room, and may be temperature checked with a thermometer. A Health Declaration form will be sent out prior to the session and must be completed before entering the building. This form will outline how to access the building. Our waiting room is closed.
If you are attending an appointment at the clinic please wait in your car until the appointment time, do not attend early. Only the client and one parent is permitted in the building. NO other children are permitted to attend the office.
If you or your child are unwell with cold like symptoms or fever do not attend your session. If your clinician is similarly unwell we will be cancelling the session, or if they are self isolating, we will be offering Telehealth/online therapy services to maintain the therapy.
If you attend the session and you or your child are visibly experiencing cold symptoms, the session will be cancelled and you will be asked to leave the building.
We are not enforcing late cancellation fees if you contact us before 9am on the day of your appointment and make alternative arrangements. If you miss the session or contact us within hours of the session (and after 9am) you will be sent a late cancellation fee.
We are returning to partial face-to-face services. We are regularly disinfecting our toys/surroundings, monitoring our own health, clients and caregivers attending the building will be required to wear a mask if 12 years or older, use the hand sanitiser in the waiting room, and may be temperature checked with a thermometer. A Health Declaration form will be sent out prior to the session and must be completed before entering the building. This form will outline how to access the building. Our waiting room is closed.
If you are attending an appointment at the clinic please wait in your car until the appointment time, do not attend early. Only the client and one parent is permitted in the building. NO other children are permitted to attend the office.
If you or your child are unwell with cold like symptoms or fever do not attend your session. If your clinician is similarly unwell we will be cancelling the session, or if they are self isolating, we will be offering Telehealth/online therapy services to maintain the therapy.
If you attend the session and you or your child are visibly experiencing cold symptoms, the session will be cancelled and you will be asked to leave the building.
We are not enforcing late cancellation fees if you contact us before 9am on the day of your appointment and make alternative arrangements. If you miss the session or contact us within hours of the session (and after 9am) you will be sent a late cancellation fee.
Telehealth/Online Therapy
Telehealth/Online therapy services are accessed by the internet and will require a camera and microphone (e.g., on an iPad or computer). For younger children, this will need to be parent and child, or just a parent session as the younger children will be unlikely to remain engaged via video conference for the whole session.
With the current health restrictions associated with COVID-19 we are able to provide Telehelath services to our current clients through a range of funding options.
Please talk to your clinician about online therapy options.
Zoom
We use telehealth provider Zoom to provide telehealth/online therapy services to clients.