March Admissions Break Record

Last month, you made it possible for more people than ever to have access to BHG’s life-saving services with a record-breaking 2,129 patient admissions. March was a longer month than February, but we overachieved on a per day basis, and overall, 62% of our regions had either the best month historically or the best in the past six months. Thank you all for your tremendous achievement and challenging work to make this possible.  

While we’re seeing admissions go up, we’re also noticing an unfavorable trend in discharges and are working to understand why and what we can do about it. We need to continue to focus on discharges and best practices that we know make a difference with keeping patients in treatment such as calling our no-shows, counselor and provider touch points. Take time to look into Power BI and really understand your discharge trends and make sure you have plans in place to address them. If you are unsure of what else you can do or need help with how to keep those best practices in place, reach out to your leadership team, RCD, Dr. Nordstrom or myself. We are here to support you.       

I know the latter half of 2021 and early 2022 were difficult but all of you and your teams have shown resilience and the ability to rise up, walk through the adversity with a plan and passion to overcome the barriers.    

Thank you and your teams for what you do each and every day.  

Building Efficacy through Employment Advocacy 

As a certified Individual Placement and Support (IPS) employment specialist, I often hear counselors express concern that employment-related activities during treatment will trigger relapse. Prevailing data indicate the reverse is true. 

For example, this Recovery Research Institute graph demonstrates employment impacts on treatment by measuring changes in abstinence over a six-month period. The overall finding: any form of employment enhancement improved abstinence rates.  

Employment focus improves outcomes 

“When they start to see their value, people’s self-esteem increases which impacts their commitment to recovery,” explains Leah Berger, IPS Program Supervisor. “Employment-focused care requires collaboration across services and with community partners. The increased sense of support leads to higher satisfaction rates, which may lead to increased client retention.”  

SAMSHA’s guide for employment and education-focused SUD recovery validates the positive impacts and outlines federal initiatives to support employment services. As part of those initiatives, the BHG Denver Downtown and Longmont Treatment Centers receive State Opioid Recovery grant monies which fund on-site employment specialists. 

Tips for employment-focused treatment 

• Build skills awareness: Clinicians often see strengths and skills that clients don’t see. After several years’ incarceration, Gina* felt unemployable. In less than an hour, we identified strong marketable skills including proactive conflict resolution, social media savvy, and adherence to standard operating procedures. 
• Brainstorm opportunities: George* expressed a desire to do something meaningful with his time. Although he has an MBA, he has never worked. Once introduced to O*Net Online, the U.S. Department of Labor career database, he began brainstorming his options for using his education and built self-awareness through assessments. He is now planning for a career in finance. 
   
• Catch employment-based cues: Mike* told his counselor he felt devalued in his IT job making $55,000. At his first IPS session, Mike* lacked the confidence and self-advocacy skills to secure a more competitive position. We created a skills-based resume, conducted mock interviews, and explored stress-reducing techniques. In less than three months, he secured a position as team lead making $115,000. 
    
• Refer to community resources: These government-funded programs are available in every community and provide extensive support services for individuals with barriers to employment, including legal barriers and substance-use histories.  
  • State vocational rehabilitation programs provide individualized services for people with disabilities and leverage resources to provide comprehensive support including assessments, job coaching, assistive technology, transportation, and job-related accommodations.  
  • Workforce centers/American job centers cultivate strong employer networks, provide computer access for job search purposes, and advocate for fair employment practices. 
  • Employment first is a national systems-change framework centered on the premise that all individuals, especially those individuals with the most significant disabilities, are capable of full participation in Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) and community life. 

What you can do 

Clients thrive with strong, wrap-around support services. Contact the IPS team (Leah Berger, Carla Adams, Larisa Jensen, and Shawn Wilkinson) for more information and employment-enhancing tips. Let’s work together for client success.  

*Names changed to protect confidentiality.