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As COVID-19 continues to impact residential programs across the country, integrated outdoor therapy company, Pacific Quest, is taking definitive steps to safeguard the health of enrollees and staff alike.
State officials in Hawaii have worked diligently to control the spread of novel coronavirus. State-mandated safety measures include employing contact tracers, implementing a 14-day state-mandated quarantine for anybody traveling to the islands, and an aggressive testing strategy.
In addition to state-mandated safety measures, Pacific Quest continues to proactively screen and test for Sars-CoV-2 in an effort to protect the families they serve, the adolescents and young adults they work with, and the staff they employ.
According to the program’s Medical Director, Dr. Britta Zimmer, their safety protocols begin before enrollees even arrive. Pacific Quest utilizes a strategy known as “sandwich testing,” in which every participant receives an at-home screening before flying to Hawaii. They then receive a second test 5-7 days after their arrival. “This is to screen for any travel-related exposure to the virus,” Dr. Zimmer explains.
Upon arrival, each participant spends their 14-day state-mandated quarantine at Pacific Quest’s residential facilities. “Luckily,” Dr. Zimmer says, “this is not very different from what we’ve already been doing. We’ve always had an orientation phase, a reflection phase, where participants stay on campus and don’t go out to the greater community.”
As an integrated, whole-person wellness program, Pacific Quest has some unique advantages and challenges in the fight against COVID-19. While the program’s enrollees spend a significant portion of their day outdoors—practicing Horticultural Therapy at Pacific Quest’s sustainable farm—they sleep indoors. Following guidance from the CDC, the program has taken several additional steps, including restricting onsite visits and reducing census. Learn more about the specifics around Pacific Quest’s COVID-19 response and how they’re working to protect families, participants, and staff.
About Pacific Quest
Pacific Quest began 16 years ago with the mission to provide hope to parents and struggling adolescents and young adults by facilitating life-changing experiences on the Big Island of Hawaii. The hybrid wilderness/residential therapy program works with adolescents and young adults struggling with anxiety, depression, isolation, substance misuse, and trauma. For more: https://pacificquest.org
