Covid-19 Information & Updates

A Message for Our Employees

Dear Staff,

On behalf of the thousands of individuals and families we serve, I want to thank our dedicated employees for their steadfast commitment to our mission during this unprecedented emergency.  You are providing an essential service as you continue providing the life-sustaining care that our vulnerable population needs every day.

At this moment, hundreds of direct support professionals are working in our 95 group homes across Pennsylvania to make sure that our residents remain healthy and safe.  Many of these residents are medically fragile and have special dietary and other needs that have to be met to sustain them.  Our employees have not missed a beat in providing the highest quality care in these challenging circumstances. Our nursing team is at work 24 hours a day as a resource for medical issues and helping to ensure that every precaution is taken to maintain a healthy environment.

I would also like to salute our school faculty and therapists, who are personally reaching out to every student’s family to offer learning support. They are developing customized educational activities so that these children can continue making progress in their learning goals.

Our behavioral health professionals show great determination and resourcefulness in providing therapy and other assistance by telephone or video to children, adults and families with a broad range of mental health challenges.  Many times, they are the primary link to help families avert crisis and prevent inpatient hospitalization.

Across our organization, we have employees in human resources, finance, administration and other departments working long days to respond to the unexpected demands of this crisis and provide the support to keep our organization operating.  Other staff is continuing to contact families in programs that remain temporarily closed to look for a way to help.

Our employees put aside the anxieties that we are all experiencing to focus on helping our children, adults and families who may be facing situations we could never have anticipated just a few weeks ago. For this selflessness, I consider you, our essential employees, true heroes.

As our administrative team works to respond to this fluid and quickly changing situation, I am reassured by the commitment that our employees demonstrate every day that we will be able to meet the challenges of this crisis.  We are unified in this fight.

Thank you for all that you are doing to serve our children and adults entrusted to our care.

Sincerely,

John Barber

President/Chief Executive Officer

Information and Resources

State Representatives Bob Merski and Pat Harkins have compiled information about a variety of resources, including help applying for unemployment compensation, registering to vote by mail, and locating assistance for utility costs and food. Check out the list of resources at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111lVd70xbtxrkDTgc0saJbvWWEL3BgSOcmYgDdLHAzs/mobilebasic

Barber Behavioral Health

The Barber Behavioral Health team continues to provide services telephonically during the Covid-19 emergency. Our staff is here to ensure that families, children and adults continue to have the therapies and medication management that they need and to accept referrals for new patients. Below is contact information for our programs:

Acute Partial Hospitalization Program for children, contact Amanda Monocello at 814-323-5289

Blended Case Management Program for children and adults, contact Christine Stoker at 814-874-5680

Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services for children or our Forensic Outpatient Clinic, contact Kaleena Howell at 814-878-5945

Family-Based Mental Health Services for children and families, contact Christine Bible at 814-878-5970

Important Message to Staff

The Barber National Institute would like to publicly recognize and thank all of our dedicated employees for all that they do to care for our individuals – particularly during these challenging circumstances. The work that we perform is truly “essential and life-sustaining,” and it could not be done without our wonderful employees who continue to show their commitment to our mission.

As various government agencies issue directives, our work will always be designated as essential and our residential and Agency with Choice staff should follow their scheduled shifts. Staff should have received letters designating them as essential workers, or this can be downloaded from the employee portal.

Erie Mayor Joe Schember’s designation of a state of emergency in the City of Erie does not affect the delivery of our essential services, though it will enable Erie to access federal relief funding.

All employees should continue to carry out all enhanced infection control procedures including frequent hand washing and cleaning of high-touch surfaces.

Staff who are ill should follow their regular call-off procedures and will be asked specific screening questions. Employees who have questions are encouraged to contact their supervisors or Human Resources.

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