A New Stage in our Recovery

Great news! Not only have we made it through another week of no new COVID-19 cases, our state has entered a new stage in our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the Governor lifted the Stay Home, Stay Safe order as the entire state moves into the “Improving” phase of the MI Safe Start Plan.   We want to thank our clients, staff, family, and friends for doing your part to get us here and for your patience and support as we continue our efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.   Check out our new data graphs which track active and total COVID-19 cases on our website  where you can follow along for current information.

We know many of you have questions about Special Tree’s next steps in COVID-19 recovery. 

We want to emphasize that our current safety protocols and procedures will remain in place throughout our organization, even as we gradually reactivate services.  Just like we came together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 early on, we remain committed to following the guidelines to keep our clients, staff, and communities safe.

Our COVID-19 team will continue to engage in their thorough planning for delivering safe care and services to our clients as we cautiously reopen our facilities and resume programs including the Discover Summer Pediatric Program, In-patient Therapy, Outpatient Therapy, and Vocational Therapy.

Here's the Latest Updates:

• Inpatient clients at the NeuroCare Center are back in the greenhouse this week following current safety protocols.
   
• Leaves of Absence (LOA’s) have resumed for Residential clients in our Supporting Living program with screening protocols in place.
   
• The Troy Neuro Skills Outpatient Center welcomed back outpatient clients in Day Treatment Services and Inpro this week.  The Industrial Operation Center in Wayne is also back in action for outpatient clients only.  Prior to reopening, all returning staff have been trained on our safety protocols and procedures which are aligned with the Governor’s orders, including screening, enhanced practices for disinfecting equipment, social distancing measures, use of PPE, and more.
   
• Outpatient therapy in Wayne County is tentatively scheduled to begin in late June in the former pediatric activity area at the NeuroCare Center.  This location will keep our inpatient and outpatient clients from interacting to ensure continued safety of clients who reside at Special Tree full time while still enabling outpatient clients to continue their rehabilitation outside of the current telehealth offerings.
   
• We are allowing limited client outings to parks and outdoor adventures as we continue to slowly resume regular activities in ways that ensure the continued safety and protection of our clients, staff, and communities.
   
• Visitor restrictions continue. We are making plans for how we can safely welcome visitors back when restrictions are lifted.  In the meantime, we’re coming up with creative ways to help families connect with loved ones such as the Drive-Through Parade of Love on June 5th at the NeuroCare Campus which was a huge success. 

We know that after such a long period of being asked to stay home, the temptation is strong to return to "normal" activities. We urge everyone to follow social-distancing guidelines and to wear PPE when going out. Our continued success and improvement in controlling this pandemic depends on all of us.

We’ll continue to keep you up-to-date on the steps we’re taking in response to COVID-19 and encourage you to reach out to your Case Manager or Residential Program Manager with your questions and concerns.