4^th April 2020

FOLLOW-UP LETTER TO MEMBERS – COVID-19 NEW STAY HOME MEASURES

Dear SAC Members,

As a follow up to my email to you last evening, this is to support Members who will continue to offer their counselling services to their current clients under “essential services.”

As mentioned in my earlier letter dated 3^rd April 2020, following types of clients may need continued attending during the period from 7 April to 4 May:

2. These current restrictions will impact our counselling engagement with our clients for ONE (1) month only. Therefore it is advised that a proper assessment be made for the more vulnerable clients who may be at a “higher risk” for example: clinically depressed, actively suicidal, phobic, OCD, active self-harming, acute interpersonal or psychological issues like family violence and child abuse, etc.

Members are advised to visit the website below to read up the scope of “Essential Services” as defined under the “Exemption from Suspension of Activities” especially under Health and Social Services Item #7 which covers the type of counselling service that the list of clients mentioned above would need. I have the Item #7 extracted below for your easy reference.

*7. Selected social services to support vulnerable segments of the population

1. This includes residential services for those with no alternative accommodation, community-based intervention for those with no alternative caregiving arrangements, community-based social services for priority cases, and public facing services for priority cases e.g. serious/urgent cases, cases requiring intensive supervision.

*Extracted from https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/essentialservices/healthandsocialservices/ on 4^th April 2020 10:00am.

Should you have any questions or clarifications, please write in to admin@sacsingapore.org

Stay Well and Stay Safe!

Warm regards,

Sam Kuna

President (Singapore Association for Counselling)