Grafton in Action – Fall 2020

As we head into the seventh month of Covid-19 in Virginia, a lot has changed at Grafton. For the first time in our 61-year history, we are serving hundreds of clients virtually instead of face-to-face. Our students and employees have had to adapt to online learning, new schedules, fewer community outings, and even more rigorous health and safety protocols.

This year has not only been difficult for our clients, but also for families who have missed quality time with loved ones in our care. We understand how frustrating this situation is for parents, and we are working hard to safely resume visitations in accordance with CDC guidelines as soon as possible. Most importantly, we are continuing to serve our clients with the same level of comfort and care as we always have.

While some of these changes have been tough, the truth is that we are certainly not alone; behavioral healthcare facilities all over the nation are facing the same challenges. We are all in uncharted waters. Thankfully, Grafton is navigating through them safely.

At the onset of the pandemic, Grafton took critical steps to ensure the safety of our clients and our staff. We moved swiftly to adopt an organization-wide employee mask policy, limited outside visitors to protect our residential clients, and formed a Covid-19 monitoring committee that continues to meet daily. With some of the individuals we serve being medically fragile, ensuring our group homes and dorms stay virus-free has been – and continues to be – a top priority. Thanks to these actions, as of today, no clients in our care have tested positive for Covid-19.

None of this would have been possible without the commitment of our amazing staff. For months on end, we have seen employees volunteer to change their schedules, stay overtime, and fill vacant shifts to help keep operations running smoothly. We have highlighted more than 40 team members, below, who have gone above and beyond during this pandemic. Our clients and our community are incredibly lucky to have their unwavering support.

While the back-to-school season may look different this year, many things remain the same. Our mission to care for clients with compassion and kindness is unchanged. And our teachers and Early Intervention team continue to reach children virtually, with great success. Regardless of what is going on in the world, Grafton is committed to being here, doing what we do best.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work to get through these challenging times together.

Read the full newsletter here.