Returning to Your Office During COVID-19

Uzoamaka Obiekwe, Bria Graham-Glover, Rebecca Resnik, Psy.D., Joe Scroppo, Ph.D., J.D.

This workshop was presented and recorded on June 26th, 2020.

3 CE Credits

As Maryland begins the process of reopening in the midst of COVID, psychologists are asked to adopt protocol to keep their practice safe as they resume in-person services. This workshop will identify ways psychologists can develop safety measures from physical distancing to masking to disinfecting. We will also discuss potential risk factors while providing in-person services during a pandemic. 

After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to 

  • Recognize at least four symptoms associated with COVID infection.
  • Implement non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) within the office setting to reduce the risk of COVID transmission.
  • Explain the difference between cleaning and disinfection.
  • Identify the three strategies associated with return to work criteria for COVID positive or suspected COVID positive staff
  • Analyze the risk management and ethical situations emerging in mental health practice at this time. 


REGISTER 

Uzoamaka Obiekwe is an Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) at the University of Maryland Medical Center and has over nine years of healthcare experience. As an ICP she provides education to nurses, providers, and various allied health staff to communicate policies and procedures designed to prevent the spread of infection. More recently, her role as an ICP has involved contact tracing for COVID positive employees, educating staff members on proper isolation practices to keep themselves and patients safe during the COVID pandemic, and staying current on the data and research around COVID transmission. What she most enjoys about being an ICP is performing surveillance on central line associated bloodstream infections and data analysis.

Uzoamaka graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences and earned a Masters of Public Health from The George Washington University. She has been a Board Certified Medical Laboratory Scientist through the American Society of Clinical Pathology since 2011. Formerly, she was employed as a Laboratory Scientist at several facilities including: University of Virginia Medical Center, St. Mary’s Bons Secours, and MedStar Southern Maryland. She currently serves as the Diversity Chair for the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Bria Graham-Glover is an Social Science Research Analyst with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the current President of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of APIC. She is extensively trained in clinical epidemiology and infection control, obtaining her certification in infection control and epidemiology (CIC), in 2015. Her talents and work ethic has afforded her opportunities as an Infection Control Epidemiologist at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, The University of Maryland Medical Center, and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. Bria’s track record extends beyond the local community as she has provided infection control and outbreak investigation support for the Department of Defense at military treatment facilities worldwide. Bria holds a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and is a current adjunct professor of epidemiology at Towson University.

Dr. Joe Scroppo is a forensic psychologist and attorney. He maintains private practices in law as well as clinical and forensic psychology and has been a Risk Management Consultant for The Trust since 2012. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Hofstra University School of Medicine and is a Fellow of APA Division 42. Dr. Scroppo is an expert in domestic battering and its effects, various mental state defenses to homicide charges, the civil commitment of sex offenders, and forensic assessment in child custody and maltreatment matters. Dr. Scroppo has a keen interest in risk management and ethics and has presented, taught, and published in that area.