UPDATE May 2021:
UPDATE February 2021:
Approximately 400 staff and residents of CRJ programs in Massachusetts have received a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and another 200 have received a first dose. We continue to work with state and local health officials to determine when and how our staff and residents in the other states in which we operate programs will be able to get vaccinated.
UPDATE January 2021:
CRJ staff members and individuals in our residential programs have begun to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, representing a monumental milestone in protecting our staff, residents, and communities, and finally reining in the deadly pandemic.
All of the states where CRJ operates residential programs — Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island — have prioritized staff and residents in congregate care settings, but the the vaccine rollout varies state by state. We are working closely with state and local health officials to get as many of our staff and residents vaccinated in line with each state’s eligibility phases and as vaccine supplies allow.
Over two days in January, approximately 450 members of our staff and individuals we serve in Massachusetts received their first vaccine dose during two clinics we organized at our locations in Shirley and Kingston. We are working on scheduling additional clinics as vaccine supplies become available.
Community Resources for Justice is committed to providing exceptional services and a healthy, safe environment for those in our care and our staff. We are closely monitoring the ongoing coronavirus outbreak through our partners at the local, state, and federal levels, and we are working hard to ensure that both staff and residents are following the CDC guidelines for staying healthy, including frequent hand-washing and using hand sanitizer, covering coughs or sneezes, and avoiding gatherings.
We’ve also taken additional steps to have adequate supplies of things like gloves, disinfectant wipes, thermometers, and prescription medications for those that take them in case they’re needed in the coming days and weeks.
Our residential programs will remain open and staffed. Our employees are considered “essential workers” under the restrictions now in place in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island, and will continue to be allowed to travel to and from work so that they can continue to provide the care and support that our residents depend on.
For many of our residents, these precautions have caused unfortunate disruptions to regular routines, such as work, community activities, and support group meetings. However, our staff are working hard to make sure that residents in our programs are as happy, healthy, and engaged as possible during this difficult time.
Additional resources:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)