The BCI Alpha outpatient program and Kirkwood Detox have significantly increased the percent of patients who leave Detox and complete an evaluation for treatment at BCI. In January 2009, 17 of 19 people referred here successfully completed their evaluation, compared to only 3 of 21 in January 2008. The project is the latest success story in our Paths to Recovery process improvement effort.For years, we’ve struggled with how to engage people recently discharged from Detox. Typically, they’ve stopped using drugs, but haven’t stabilized their lifestyle, particularly their living environment. They were being discharged from Detox with only the instructions to go to BCI for an intake, and more often than not, they never showed up. Later, many would relapse and return to Detox in a revolving door cycle.
About a year ago, BCI and Kirkwood Detox went to work developing a personalized approach for these clients. We realized they are a unique population with unique needs. The solution we found was to give them more personal attention, and go above and beyond the normal referral process to ensure follow-through.
Detox staff began driving patients to our door upon their release. BCI began sending one of our counselors to Detox once a week to speak to patients about our treatment program, establish rapport, and motivate them to attend. Patients could start their intake paperwork at the time if they wanted to, and many chose to do so. Once someone was admitted to BCI, we offered them incentives to return for their first session. Over time, BCI and Detox fine-tuned our timing of discharge and orientation, exchanged patient lists to track who did or did not get to where they should be, and discussed individual cases as needed. As a result, we strengthened our collaborative relationship to the point where today, referrals are nearly seamless.
Coordination among agencies is so important when a client is moving from one to another. Since we've found a way to make it work, more people now have a chance at long-term recovery rather than being caught in a revolving door between addiction and Detox. Great job to everyone who played a part in this success.
3 comments:
great article
i don't know if this program is still something you guys do, but if it is i figured you guys might like to know this....
back in November 2009 my boyfriend went to Kirkwood Detox, he was supposed to be there for 2weeks but because of insurance issues they kept him for 5days. Anyway, while he was in there I was at home looking up everything I could on the internet about recovery stuff in the area and what his options were. I am familiar with you guys, I came on here and saw this program were you and Kirkwood worked together and became really excited because I thought for sure this is what would happen with him while he was in there and everything would be taken care of while he was in there and he would come out with a plan in action..... NOT SO. During his 5days in there, no one came and spoke about coming to BCI and he said not a single person or doctor or nurse even mentioned it to him as an aftercare choice, he literally had no idea that this program even existed. I was so disappointed because according to what i read on this website i was under the impression that he would be told about it probably several times and talked to about it as an exit strategy and then given a ride there and everything.
I don't know what happened, maybe it was just an "off week" for you guys where someone couldn't get out to Kirkwood to talk about the program, but i'm pretty sure the nurses there or counselors there should be talking about you guys whether you have someone that comes to talk that week or not.
I WISH he had the support that it makes it seem is going on between your 2programs. Do you know how hard it is to get a recovering addict who just got out of detox, who has no car, and doesn't live anywhere near Wilmington to be able to get up and find a ride to the Lancaster Ave location@4am so they can be there@5am??? that is really hard. to this day i still don't get why you only do intakes at Lancaster Ave..that is honestly THE WORST place i have ever been to in my LIFE for treatment, it's not close to a lot of places or people which makes it extremely hard to get to that early in the morning. and then once you get there you might get turned away if you have Xanax or Methadone in your system because they won't let you in like that, but of course it's not posted anywhere or told to you on the phone...so then you have to find ANOTHER ride back there once you DO get it out of your system, and lets pray to god that by that point you haven't said "F**K it!!!!" like so many addicts do and just go back to street using....
its tough out there to get into recovery sometimes, guys, and i'm just letting you know the Kirkwood Detox isn't referring people to you on their own. My boyfriend was in there for almost a week and DESPERATELY wanted help, the only reason he made it to BCI is because of the work that i did looking you guys up while he was in there, not because of KIrkwood's staff.... something you might want to bring up to them, if this is a program or a partnership that is still in the process!
Hi, thanks for your comment. We encountered some difficulties with the Detox partnership in the last year due to staff turnover, and we're now working on getting it back up and running. We know there's a need for this service, as you say. Hopefully it will return soon.
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