A letter to our community: Last Updated 03/23/2020
| AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 |
With the stay at home order, the Institute has decided the staff will work from home until it is lifted. We successfully moved everything over this past weekend and will unpack at a later date. Classes will be held via Zoom and the clinic will continue to see patients virtually. For questions, contact Marketing@stlpi.org.
The coronavirus has changed our world right before our eyes in ways we couldn’t have imagined, even a month ago. I wanted to reach out and let you know how we are approaching the situation at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute.
First and foremost, our thoughts are with all those who are struggling because of the impact of the virus, whether directly or indirectly. We have all been impacted in one way or another – our businesses, schools, senior centers, our families and communities, and our way of life for at least the next several weeks.
Second, the Institute has decided to be proactive in our actions when it comes to the safety of our Board, Faculty, Staff, Students, patients and others who are a part of our community. Please see changes we have made below –
We feel, especially now, it is important to meet the emotional needs of our patients but want to consider all possible actions that will minimize the spread of COVID-19. Virtual therapy sessions have been made available, with each therapist and patient deciding, based upon recommended medical guidelines, how to provide necessary psychological support without putting anyone at risk of illness.
ANALYTIC TRAINING, APP, & COMMUNITY EDUCATION CLASSES
To be as safe as possible we are moving all classes-Analytic, APP & Community Ed- to virtual beginning March 16. Students have been notified by their instructors will also have other types of assignments.
For Community Education, Integrating Medication with Psychotherapy in the treatment of Depression will be moved to Fall 2020. All other community education classes will be evaluated on a case by case basis and are available for Distance Learning via Zoom.
The Early Application Tuition Deadline remains April 20, and the Scholarship Deadline for the first round of allocations remains April 15.
THE 12TH ANNUAL SPRING FLING
The annual Spring Fling event has been postponed. We look forward to this event each year as an opportunity to celebrate and support the mental health initiatives of the Institute and hope to reschedule it for a later date. If you have purchased a ticket to Spring Fling you will be receiving additional information soon. If you have any questions, please contact Madeline Stroder at madelinestroder@stlpi.org.
THE INSTITUTE’S NEW LOCATION AND THE LIBRARY
The Institute is still planning to move to our new location – 7700 Clayton Rd, Ste 200 – on Saturday, March 21. The library collection will be temporarily unavailable until the shelves are restocked at the new location. If you have questions regarding the library, please contact David at library@stlpi.org.
STAFF
Institute leadership has asked the staff to work virtually from home in the foreseeable future, however, during the move, up to two staff members will be available in the office
As we go forward, we will continue to keep you updated.
In partnership,
Emily Coen
Board Chair
| UPDATE: Gatherings of more than 1,000 people in the City of St. Louis will be prohibited to limit the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, city leaders announced Thursday afternoon. (source: STLtoday). The Institute is continuing to operate as normal. Students can ZOOM into classes via distance learning, if they prefer. ZOOM Requirements HERE.
| CLINIC UPDATE 03/12/2020: HERE
News of the Coronavirus, known as “SARS-CoV-2″ or “COVID-19”, has spread just as fast as the virus itself, and we at the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute want to make sure our community has a healthy environment here at the Institute. Organizations like the World Health Organization, Health and Human Services, and more have ruled this outbreak as a “public health emergency.”
The new coronavirus infection, called COVID-19, has now infected over 100,000 people worldwide. The global death toll has crossed 3,000, according to Gulf News.
Recently, a young woman in the St. Louis area tested positive for COVID-19, a virus first detected in China. Due to the proximity of this case, we felt it was needed to share the importance of being mindful when it comes to this virus. If you have recently traveled, been in contact with any patients or others showing symptoms, or are showing symptoms yourself, we ask you would be mindful and self–quarantine as needed.
Currently, the risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low, according to the CDC. If you have been in places where ongoing spread has been reported, are working with patients showing symptoms of COVID-19, have been in close contact with persons with COVID-19, or have recently traveled from any location with known cases, we would ask you to think about self-quarantine.
Please consider your potential to transmit the virus to those who may have autoimmune disorders or other medical conditions, weaker immune systems due to age, etc. that may put them at a greater risk of being exposed to the virus. This may be true even if you are not showing symptoms.
Symptoms of this virus that may appear 2-14 days after exposure include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
For more information and tips on how to protect yourself, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
The Institute will continue to operate as normal unless otherwise notified. For any questions about how the Institute is handling the situation, please contact marketing@stlpi.org.
Other Links to Explore
A letter from the Public Advocacy Department of the American Psychoanalytic Association HERE
My Epidemic Story HERE
CDC Guidance: Older adults to “stay at home as much as possible” HERE
Letter on COVID-19 from a Psychoanalyst in Cleveland HERE