East Hartford Youth Services Offers Telehealth Service

East Hartford, CT—Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the East Hartford Youth Services Division has been focused on providing local families with counseling services to aid them in these trying times.

Annually, the East Hartford Youth Services provides counseling services to approximately 300 local youths and families. These services are made available by nine Master’s level counselors and augmented by eight master’s level interns.

To ensure that individuals and families continue to receive the support they need, our Youth Services Counselors began offering counseling services remotely via online video, audio and phone.

“As we are dealing with these stressful times, it’s critical for local youths and their families to be able to receive the support they need,” said Mayor Marcia Leclerc. “Our Youth Services Counselors are well-equipped to provide their counseling services remotely to those who might be dealing with stress and anxiety at this time.”

To ensure the continuation of counseling services remotely, the Youth Services division is utilizing a Telehealth platform called Doxy.me, which creates a face-to-face experience through online video and audio.

“As it became more evident that social distancing was going to continue for an extended time, we began exploring the possibility of providing Telehealth services to our families because it can be difficult to assess how people are actually doing without seeing their facial expression and body language,” said Youth Services Director Cephus Nolen.

Telehealth or Telemedicine is the use of telecommunications technology to provide real-time physical or behavioral health care to clients at a distance. The platform ensures that all data is encrypted, sessions are anonymous, and none of the information is stored. The site also adheres to HIPAA, PIPEDA, and GDPR data privacy requirements.

The Youth Services Division continues to have regular contact with their clients, ensuring their wellbeing and exploring resources they might need during this anxious times.

To schedule a counseling appointment or to receive valuable information and resources related to youth and families please call the East Hartford Youth Services Division at 860-291-7179 Monday – Friday between 8:30 am -4:30 pm.