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Talk about how the events of recent months have affected either your work or your ability to work.
Although I am still working full time, my job has been significantly impacted by COVID 19. I am a social worker who has my own practice, mainly seeing young adults and adults, particularly new moms, in an office that I rent. On 3/13, Governor Baker declared a State of Emergency for MA. At that time I needed to scramble to get a platform from which I could conduct counseling through tele-health. Shortly after the State of Emergency, Baker announced that all insurances operating in MA needed to reimburse tele-health at the same rate that in person visits are reimbursed, paving the way for health services, including mental health, to continue. Not being particularly adept at technology, getting a healthcare platform up and running was really challenging. ... Most of my clients chose to continue to meet with me virtually, although a few opted out for the time being.There were some snafus in the beginning, primarily due to weak internet, such as the sessions freezing so I was missing actual content of what people were saying, not being able to hear or sometimes see clients, etc. ... I greatly prefer working from home. The picture included above shows the view of the little desk I work from looking into my back yard, and most importantly, our cat Zelda who is a frequent companion while I am working. My dog sometimes visits, which is also fun for me, and I believe my clients, who have asked to meet him. I like the extra time working from home has created in each day, allowing time for more cooking, yoga, reading, seeing our pets and my husband. There are many unknowns, however - should I keep my office, which I am still paying rent for and not using? If I decide to go back to my office, when will it be safe to see clients, protecting their health and my own? Will insurances continue to cover tele-health after the pandemic subsides? If not, or at a reduced rate like pre-pandemic, would I make enough money to help pay the bills? Would my clients want to continue through tele-health, or would I lose most of them? Etc, etc. ...
July 6, 2020
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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Well. Here I am in Germany, where I’ve been since August. I came here for a few days, and ended up staying for months. (I’m supposed to be in Paris, teaching at a university there, but…well. Here’s the letter I sent to a lawyer a week or so ago: I am a British and American citizen, stranded in Berlin by COVID. I arrived before the 31st of December 2020, but was not able to get an anmeldung. I am a PhD student at an American university, and I have held a fellowship at a university in Paris since September 2019. It expires in August this year. I have been teaching classes for the French university remotely from Berlin since August 2020. I had planned to declare residency in France, but I am at high risk for COVID, and am concerned that the case numbers are too high to fly back safely. I would like your advice on two questions: 1. What are the options for declaring residency in Germany? 2. What is the process for registering for an eventual vaccine appointment in Germany, and how do I do that, given my complicated residency situation? (Ideally, i would get vaccinated here and then fly back to France to declare residency before the June 30 deadline, but i don’t know how to go about it. ) I am aware that vaccines for my category are not yet available, but I’d like to know how to get on the list, and that seems to require residency. I appreciate that this may not be your specialty, but I would welcome any advice you have. » If you have time to advise us, please let me know!“ So, I’m caught in the pincers of two world events: Brexit and Covid. I very much want to declare residency in Europe, but I’m in one country and my paperwork says I’m in another. I had expected the COVID-19 case numbers would drop ages before, or that the vaccination rollout would be faster. But, here I am, nose up against the deadline, and still not sure I can safely get back to France in time. It’s suspenseful!
May 10, 2021