In response to COVID-19, Community Legal Aid SoCal has enacted procedures to protect the safety, health, and wellbeing of our clients, staff, and volunteers.
As of Friday, March 20th, our physical locations will be closed until further notice. However, we will continue to serve our clients via telephone appointments. Our hotline number (800-834-5001) will stay open through the duration.
The Self-Help Center in the Compton courthouse will be closed. Our courthouse clinics will remain open until further notice.
Clients or applicants who require in-person appointments as a reasonable accommodation will be handled on a case by case basis.
We are following new guidelines regarding any in-person meetings with clients, the handling of client documents and signatures, and are following a checklist for disinfecting meeting spaces.
As we continue to monitor the situation, we will be updating this notice with any changes in our response to COVID-19.
Safety Precautions to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Do your best to maintain “social distancing.” Keep 6 feet of space between yourself and others whenever possible. Posters are being developed to explain this process to clients.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and throw the tissue away after use. If a tissue isn’t available, cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
- Clean and disinfect doorknobs, switches, handles, computers, telephones, bedside tables, bathroom sinks, toilets, counters, toys and other surfaces that are commonly touched around the home or workplace. Our cleaning crews are doing this at our offices.
- To the extent possible, avoid touching commonly used surfaces in public places like elevator buttons, door handles and handrails and avoid handshaking with people. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
Resources for the Community
General Information
Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus
Orange County Public Healthcare Agency
http://www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/epidasmt/epi/dip/prevention/novel_coronavirus
California Department of Public Health (CDPH, State)
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/nCOV2019.aspx
Centers for Disease Control
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
World Health Organization (WHO, International)
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
211.org
http://211.org/services/covid19
Employment
Employment Development Department (State of California) Fact Sheet for Workers
https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm
Health
Health Consumer Alliance
https://healthconsumer.org/covid19/
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — Guidance to help Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans Respond to COVID-19 coronavirus
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-issues-guidance-help-medicare-advantage-and-part-d-plans-respond-covid-19
Medicare coverage and testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/coronavirus-test?utm_campaign=20200305_gmd_prv_gal&utm_content=english&utm_medium=email&utm
Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans COVID-19 Screening and Testing (if pdf viewer does not open, copy and paste the below link in your search bar.)
https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Documents/MMCD/COVID-19Memo.pdf
Coverage and Benefits Related to COVID-19 Medicaid and CHIP (if pdf viewer does not open, copy and paste the below link in your search bar.)
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/03052020-medicaid-covid-19-fact-sheet.pdf
Travelers’ Health Destinations webpage
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list for up-to-date recommendations before you travel.
