COVID-19 Update: Counseling Services Available to New and Existing Clients
Phone and video counseling available during the COVID-19 emergency. Learn more about HFI’s programs and sign up for counseling HERE.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (March 26, 2020) – While Western Pennsylvanians practice social distancing and stay at home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, residents who depend on treatment for mental health disorders or addiction may be missing out on vital, in-person counseling appointments. For this reason, Holy Family Institute (HFI) announced today that it has launched a telehealth service so that it can continue providing medically necessary behavioral health services to those in need. In place of in-person appointments, counselors and clients will be able to connect virtually through a variety of available platforms such as Skype and Facebook, or even through a telephone call.
“When the State Department of Human Services expanded behavioral health services to include telehealth, we knew we had to get on board,” says Sister Linda Yankoski, President and CEO of HFI. “We have many patients who depend on these counseling sessions that we knew we had to help during this difficult time. Isolation can make some needs even more acute; they need us now more than ever, and we have capacity to welcome new clients.”
HFI’s telehealth option is considered a “life-giving service” under Governor Wolf’s mandate last week. Programs that will use the service include HFI’s counseling programs for substance use disorder and gambling addiction, mental health disorders, and its Family-Focused program for families impacted by serious emotional and behavioral issues, including depression, ADHD, and anxiety.
The memorandum from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services expresses a preference for telehealth for when patients are quarantined, self-quarantined or self-isolated due to exposure or possible risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. HFI’s new telehealth option will be used by all on its counseling team, keeping appointments often at a patient’s regular time, from the safety of their homes.
Learn more and sign up for counseling HERE.
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About Holy Family Institute: Holy Family Institute’s mission to empower children and families to lead responsible lives and develop healthy and meaningful relationships built on faith, hope, and love, drives the organization to help everyone who comes to its door. Founded in 1900 as an orphanage for children, Holy Family has evolved as a devoted social services provider for the Pittsburgh region, helping individuals and families receive services or access resources that will assist them in meeting immediate and long-term needs for a better, sustainable future. More than 20 programs include mental health, behavioral health, early intervention, specialized learning, community-based family support services, substance abuse and addiction counseling, safe child visits, and energy assistance. The Institute serves individuals and families in homes, schools, and nine neighborhood centers in Allegheny, Indiana, Beaver, Armstrong and Butler counties.
