Nonprofit Talk: COVID challenges services for people with mental illness
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David Woodlock is the president and CEO of the Institute for Community Living. Photo courtesy of ICL
By David Woodlock, as told to the Eagle
David Woodlock is the president and CEO of the Institute for Community Living, or ICL, which helps people living with mental illness, substance misuse, and developmental disabilities live healthier and more fulfilling lives. Headquartered in lower Manhattan, ICL is located throughout the city with five supported housing sites and a shelter for veterans in Queens.
How has your organization navigated the pandemic?
A majority of our staff cannot telecommute and many work directly with clients, who are very vulnerable to COVID. At the outset, our priority was to continue providing services while ensuring the health and safety of staff and clients. Our outreach teams began providing basic necessities, such as clothing, food, and cell phones to clients, in addition to regular services.
We are acutely aware of the stress that the pandemic has had on our staff, so we have expanded our counseling services for them. In addition, we opened a hotline for any New Yorker in need of support: 888-425-0501.
How are you now serving your constituents/clients/program participants?
The services we provide are essential. We have continued to serve residential clients in person by making adjustments to maintain the recommended physical distance and giving clients and staff PPE. For many clients, we’ve successfully transitioned to telehealth, including teletherapy. In the past, chronic pain and depression may have prevented some clients from attending appointments, and telehealth has proved to be more accessible to them. As a result, telehealth therapy appointments are better attended for these clients than pre-pandemic appointments.
How are you balancing the needs of your clients with the level of risk to your employees?
Our staff who work in residences for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the greatest contact with clients. Our clients’ lives depend on these staff, so we have developed strict protocols for cleaning our facilities and screening for symptoms. While we were unable to purchase masks during the first month of the crisis, we relied on donations – including from Merrick Pharmacy in Rosedale - and distributed them to the residences and shelters with the highest number of cases. It was a difficult time, but we are now past the peek; and we finally have sufficient PPE.
What types of support do you most need now?
We need some of the temporary measures – like Medicaid reimbursement for telehealth – to become permanent. We are concerned about cuts to Medicaid and other government funding given the State and City budget shortfalls. We need funding to cover the incentive pay that we have offered to our team in order to maintain adequate staffing in our shelters, as well as laptops and other equipment we have used to provide telehealth services. Finally, since social distancing and other measures will still be needed for the foreseeable future, we need PPE - specifically masks and gowns.
What programs/services have you had to cut or scale back on? (and/or) Are there open positions now and if so, which ones/what types?
We’ve actually increased services and are hiring across the board: therapists, nurses, case managers, maintenance staff, direct support professionals, medical billers, residence managers, and more. All job openings are listed on our website: iclinc.org.
What do you think the future holds for your sector as a result of the pandemic?
This crisis has made everyone understand that emotional and physical health are inextricably intertwined. Stress will be the new epidemic as we recover, so we need government and private philanthropy to support what we do. If you want to help, please visit iclinc.org/donate.
Learn more about ICL at iclinc.org.
