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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Citing the critical need during the COVID-19 pandemic, Children&rsquo;s Service Center Wednesday continued its monthly food distribution, serving nearly 200 clients.
				Last month, the CSC&rsquo;s Weinberg Food Bank served 190 clients and that number increased significantly this month due to the coronavirus outbreak.
				The food was distributed until 2 p.m. at the CSC Training Center in the 300 block of South Franklin Street.
				President and CEO Michael P. Hopkins said when the program first started, he told the staff that CSC was not going to talk about money.
				&ldquo;What we were going to do &mdash; and continue to do &mdash; is do our best to keep the staff safe and financially whole while protecting and continuing to serve our clients,&rdquo; Hopkins said. &ldquo;Anyone that wanted to and were able to work kept working and were compensated for their efforts.&rdquo;
				Hopkins said children, adolescents and adults with mental and behavioral health issues need consistency in treatment.
				&ldquo;For 158 years, that has been our responsibility,&rdquo; Hopkins said. &ldquo;CSC continues to take every step necessary to keep our commitment, including applying for Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and gaining provider&rsquo;s approval for non-traditional treatment such as the use of telephonic treatment.&rdquo;
				Hopkins said the last month has been spectacular &mdash; in both striking and meaningful ways.
				&ldquo;Spectacular in that we are witnessing a challenge not known in our lifetimes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Meaningful in that each person associated with this organization has stepped up to perform beyond anything that has ever been asked of them.&rdquo;
				Hopkins went on to say that with high unemployment, school dismissals, and general uncertainty, access to food is critical for many of CSC&rsquo;s clients and their families.
				&ldquo;Every day, staff are identifying food sources as well as picking up and delivering food to client homes,&rdquo; Hopkins said. &ldquo;Where necessary, we are using funds from the CSC Charitable Fund to assist.&rdquo;
				Hopkins added that while the demand has increased, CSC has been hosting the monthly Weinberg Food Bank for the last 3-4 years on the Wilkes-Barre campus.
				&ldquo;Today, we will pack, distribute and/or deliver food to 210 Children&rsquo;s Service Center or Robinson Counseling Center client families,&rdquo; Hopkins said.
				Susan Hennemuth, CSC&rsquo;s Director of Development, said for the last 158 years, the Children&rsquo;s Service Center has been providing behavioral and mental health services &#8211; without interruption &mdash; for children and adolescents and more recently for adults, through its affiliate, Robinson Counseling Center.
				Hennemuth said when the inherent danger of the pandemic first came to light in mid-March, CSC&rsquo;s management team &mdash; headed by Hopkins &mdash; made a commitment to keeping CSC&rsquo;s 483 staff safe and financially whole, while protecting and serving the center&rsquo;s clients.
				To that end, Hennemuth said CSC has researched and followed up on every option available, and has:
				&#8226; Applied for the federal government&rsquo;s Paycheck Protection Plan Loan/Grant program.
				&#8226; Worked with providers to gain approval to implement non-traditional treatment plans.
				&#8226; Scoured every resource to find appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
				&#8226; Dealt with equipment and connectivity issues necessary for Telehealth services.
				Hennemuth said while CSC has been maintaining services during the pandemic, there have been challenges. She said CSC and RCC have remained open and have either maintained or increased the numbers served during the pandemic.
				CSC has served 1,552 clients ages 18 and over between March 16 and April 25, 2020, compared to 1,132 during the same time period in 2019. Clients under age 18 has also risen, from 2,906 in March-April 2019 to 2,940 for March-April 2020.
				Hennemuth said according to the April 14 2020 issue of The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, not much is known about the long-term mental health effects of large-scale disease outbreaks on children and adolescents.
				&ldquo;It is the position of the Children&rsquo;s Service Center that uninterrupted treatment will go a long way toward ameliorating untold effects,&rdquo; Hennemuth said.
				Hennemuth went on to say that many CSC and RCC staff are providing services through telehealth and have put considerable effort into identifying emergent family needs (e.g., increased food deliveries; additional addiction prevention activities with group home residents) as well as using their imagination to lessen the loss of fun activities (e.g., a dress-up prom dinner).

Children’s Service Center distributes food; all services continue