Open Arms makes changes to protect resident, students and staff

Open Arms Family and Educational Services, with campuses in Lyons and near Switz City, has announced several precautionary procedure changes in wake of the current world-wide Coronavirus/COVID-19 medical crisis.

Open Arms’ Management Team met in special session Friday morning and made several immediate changes at both the Switz City and the Lyons locations. The Switz City campus is home to Turning Point Education Center (TEPC) and the Miriam Home for Girls. The Lyons campus, houses the Open Arms foster care offices, administrative offices and the soon-to-open HEbron Home for Boys.

• All administrative and school offices, along with the girl’s group home will be closed to the public. Anyone who has items for the donation center, is asked to contact Development Director Shelia Corey 812-659-2001, Ext. 719 in advance to make arrangements.

• Suspend all unnecessary tours and outside visitors until further notice.

• TPEC will be closed to the day and evening students, with the exception of a small number of High School Equivalency Exam (HSE) students, who will be testing this coming week on Wednesday and Thursday. Other students will do distance learning work from home or off-campus computers. CNC classes will be conducted off-site at the Wagler Performance Products location near Odon.

Open Arms Executive Director Marty Corey says information about the Corona Virus from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is being posted in all buildings to help educate the staff to the medical dangers of the virus.

here will be other “in-house” changes made among the staff to mitigate the spread of the virus, such as limiting direct contact with foster care clients, opting for virtual meetings when possible and working from home when feasible.

Corey said he wants the staff to be proactive and diligent in their cleaning and disinfection processes.

“We are going to be doing everything we can to keep from spreading it (the virus), Corey said.

Corey stressed that Open Arms officials will be in close contact with local, state and national health officials tracking the spread and development of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will re-evaluate the changes weekly.

Government officials say patients with COVID-19 are experiencing respiratory illnesses that are accompanied by fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after expose, according to information provided by the CDC.