We are a key partner in the emergency response to COVID-19 in western Washington.
The daily challenges of opioid addiction and homelessness only get tougher during a crisis like this. Our doctors, nurses, counselors, case managers, and outreach teams are tirelessly supporting people in recovery and keeping everyone as safe as possible.
At the onset of the pandemic, our leadership quickly implemented changes and the new initiatives we needed to keep our clients and staff safe from COVID-19 as we provide daily essential treatment services and outreach.
To date, $160,000 has been raised to support COVID-19 relief at Evergreen Treatment Services. Thanks to our incredible donors, we will be able to keep people in recovery while also keeping everyone safe. This funding supported the purchase of equipment for remote workers and telehealth, personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and disposable gloves, shelter-in-place supplies, hazard pay for frontline staff, and a variety of infrastructure needs to adapt our facility to meet new safety guidelines.
As of October 18th, supplemental federal funding that has allowed us to provide hazard pay to our frontline employees is ending. Help us continue investing in staff safety while we meet the needs of the community.
We have also received more than 23,000 disposable and reusable masks. We are absolutely floored by this show of care for our participants and staff. We are still accepting donations of washable, hand-made masks that meet the CDC guidelines. Masks with ear loops are preferred, as opposed to ties. Though we have limited the encounters between staff and clients, we are still on the front lines doing the critical clinic and outreach work to keep people alive and in recovery. Masks will allow us to continue our work while limiting exposure.
Donated masks may be dropped off at our Seattle clinic at 1700 Airport Way South, Monday through Friday, 1-3 pm. Please call the front desk at 206.223.3644 when you arrive and a staff member will come out to pick up your delivery. All masks are washed and distributed to various program sites as needed.
We are also in need of tents and sleeping bags for people who do not have shelter. Please contact Brenda Frazier at REACH to coordinate pick-up/drop-off: 206.715.4048.
Toiletry items, hand sanitizer, and men’s clothing/shoes are also needed for our case management team to distribute to patients. Please contact Jardea Kane at the Seattle clinic to coordinate pick-up/drop-off: 206.581.8512 or jkane[at]evergreentreatment[dot]org.
ETS’ Board of Directors and leadership team would like to acknowledge our frontline staff who show up every day to ensure the people we serve receive medication and support during this difficult time. Our staff has adapted to a tremendous amount of change in a short time, as we’ve revamped operations and infrastructure in our clinics and at REACH to promote social distancing and to ensure the health and safety of both clients and staff. Staff and their families have put their fears aside to provide life-saving services to over 6,000 people each day.
Thanks to our amazing team, the people we serve are not being left to weather this storm on their own. We will continue to show up for them long after we get to the other side of this crisis. Together, we will get through this.
On behalf of our patients, clients, and staff, thank you.
OPIOID USE TREATMENT RESPONSE
ETS continues to see patients every day, but we’ve made some smart changes to our schedule and facilities to ensure that patients exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms are kept apart from those who are healthy. We are now providing take-home medication, offering telehealth and telephone check-ins, and utilizing “open-air” spaces for symptomatic patients to ensure that fewer patients are in the clinics at any one time and six-foot social distancing guidelines are maintained. The guidelines we created for our clinics have now been adopted statewide and have informed national policy for opioid treatment during this pandemic. If you are a patient, download this pamphlet for information on keeping yourself safe.
REACH RESPONSE
As the virus moves through our communities, it underscores areas where the system is failing for people living outside. REACH’s role has been critical in showing up for clients as other social service providers close their doors. REACH staff is creating new pathways for clients to find shelter and housing. Also, REACH has become a crucial part of the emergency response network for the homeless community, by conducting outreach to encampments, helping people prioritize hygiene, and reinforcing ways to maintain social distancing practices. We are working with government partners at the state and local levels to offer rapid testing to our clients and routing people to COVID isolation and quarantine recovery locations as needed.
Thank you to our Supporters!
