Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO) is committed to serving the justice-involved young men in New York City through our supportive services. Like you, we have been closely monitoring the increasing concern over COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) and with the health and safety of our participants and staff in mind, we have made the decision to amend our operating protocols.
As of today, March 16th, GOSO will be closed and all meetings and on-site services postponed until at least April 1st. To ensure our participants do not experience a detrimental interruption to the core supportive services upon which they rely, we are providing the following:
- GOSO’s social work staff will maintain all scheduled appointments with all participants, holding virtual sessions by phone. As ever, we are committed to our participants and supporting them through these events, which may cause increased anxiety or other reactions for which mental health expertise is invaluable.
- Our GOSOWorks Employment Program is communicating with all employer partner sites to ensure participants who continue to work are in safe and sanitary conditions. If GOSOWorks interns are unable to work due to their site’s closure or personal illness, GOSO will provide paid time off/paid sick leave.
- In accordance with the NYC Mayor’s Office, we have postponed events and large gatherings, like our annual GOSO Gala, which was set to take place on April 22nd. A new rescheduled date will be announced once it is confirmed.
We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves and will continue to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).