COVID-19 Statement
To our clients, their families, and all of our community supporters and partners.
Please know that we are working hard to address all concerns related to COVID-19 while keeping the best interests and safety of clients, staff, our extended families, and the community at the forefront of all decisions.
For now, FSS will continue our normal office hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Friday) and will continue to follow our normal work and holiday schedule. Our phone lines are fully operational, and we were able to keep the same direct numbers we had previously. Our VRC is up and running at Guyon Saunders Resource Center located at 200 S. Tyler.
I say “for now,” because we continue to monitor the ongoing developments relating to COVID-19 and its impact, and are closely following information shared by the CDC as well as local and state agencies about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The safety of our clients and staff is always our top priority, so it may be that we have to alter our service provision model quickly if/when cases are reported in our area.
We are concerned for those who are suffering from mental health issues, survivors who will be asked to quarantine in an abusive home, for students whose schools are shut down, for veterans who are in need of assistance, for health care providers who will be over-stretched, for the many shelters who must remain open, and for everyone else who is at greater risk because of this virus.
The team here at FSS wants everyone to know that during this crisis, we are working diligently to ensure uninterrupted services as much as we can. We are exploring the option of being able to provide telehealth services to counseling clients if needed as well as possibly having staff work from home. Our crisis line, Safe House, and other services remain open. Rest assured that we are working hard to ensure that community members needing the vital life-saving services we provide will receive the assistance they need from FSS staff.
For those who would like, or have requested, a presentation from our staff, please know that we are enacting a “social distancing” protocol. This means that these events may be postponed depending on crowd size, and we are looking into virtual platforms such as webinars. We have tasked employees to take all precautions against contracting and spreading COVID-19 as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and state and local agencies. We have instructed employees not to come to work if they are sick or if they may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus, and to go home if they begin to feel sick at work. Employees will work with their supervisor to accommodate potential absences related to the evolving situation.
The work we do has always been challenging- yet rewarding. We deeply appreciate the support of everyone who has ensured our services are available and have assisted us on our way to recovering from the fire. We are so thankful that with help from you, our supporters, we continue to be operational and working towards an even better future!
If you need help, please call our main office at 806-342-2500 or our 24-Hour Crisis Hotline 806-374-5433. You can find out about additional resources at www.fss-ama.org.
With gratitude,
Jim Womack
Chief Executive Officer
Family Support Services of Amarillo, Inc.
