Saint Elizabeths Hospital – Behavioral Healthcare Services

For Belleview, Illinois residents, Saint Elizabeth Hospital – Behavioral Healthcare Services made it a mission to bridge the gap between crisis and recovery for those struggling with substance use disorder. Through its partnership with the Gateway Foundation, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital offered a Warm Handoff program. The Warm Handoff Program helped patients transition seamlessly from emergency care to addiction treatment. This approach was designed to eliminate the common barriers that prevented individuals from seeking help and ensured that those who were ready to make a change had immediate access to the support they needed.

Whether a patient arrived at the emergency department due to an overdose, withdrawal symptoms or another substance-related crisis, they were quickly connected with an engagement specialist through the Warm Handoff Program. The engagement specialist was a licensed addiction counselor or a clinical social worker. They assessed the patient’s needs and discussed treatment options available in the emergency department.

Unlike the previously available traditional models of handing out a phone number or brochure to the patients in need, Saint Elizabeth’s used to take a more hands-on approach. If the person who was seeking help agreed to treatment, a recovery coach would work to provide encouragement and help with childcare, transportation and support. The recovery coach offered by the Warm Handoff program would be someone who had experienced long-term recovery and addiction.

Saint Elizabeth’s also integrated mental health support into its recovery planning. Counselors previously used motivational interviewing techniques to help patients find the personal desire to seek change. Plus, they also had peer-led support groups that patients could access during all stages of their recovery process. By offering non-judgmental immediate assistance, they played a crucial role in guiding individuals toward a healthier and more stable life.