The Challenge: Expanding Access to Health Services
Leaders at a Federally Qualified Health Center identified a key gap in the continuum of care for the diverse population of homeless and unstably housed individuals they serve across 20+ locations. Some patients were exiting intensive inpatient services with needs too complex for typical outpatient settings but not complex enough to secure space in a residential program.
To address these growing needs, the organization planned to open a new, 70-unit transitional recovery housing facility collocated with fully integrated substance use disorder (SUD) services, including day treatment, outpatient, and intensive outpatient levels of care. The facility would also advance a broader strategic effort to increase integration between housing and health services.
Eager to create a seamless patient experience, this non-profit partnered with Point B to facilitate the design of a person-centered care model and an integrated operating model to help high-acuity patients stabilize and reintegrate into the community.
Our partnership paved the way for the next generation of integrated behavioral healthcare.
An Opportunity for Innovation
Unlocking the potential of this new facility required teams to go beyond traditional care models. Knowing the nuance and complexity involved in meeting the needs of underserved patient groups, Point B’s team of healthcare experts led with an empathy-first approach.
From the onset, stakeholders across the organization had diverse perspectives on the goals and vision for the new facility. Point B experts knew these early conversations were an important opportunity to create common ground and unite the organization’s leaders around what mattered most. As the new facility’s operating model began to take shape, this unity provided a strong foundation for patient care to stand upon.
Our Approach to Care Model Design
Our team was eager to leverage our proven framework for creating patient-centric care experiences.
This approach included:
- A dyad model to co-design an integrated SUD and supportive housing program.
- People-centered design methodologies to define the patient journey from referral through treatment and discharge.
- Leadership assessments to enable an integrated service team and streamline collaboration across the care network.
These methodologies set the stage for clear governance and operating structures to empower delivery teams across their high-acuity healthcare settings.
The Community Impact
Our partnership paved the way for the next generation of integrated behavioral healthcare.
Leaders of the new facility were equipped with an operating model that defined roles and responsibilities and reimagined governance pathways for a more seamless patient experience. Evidence-based treatment and training materials provided employees with access to critical resources on demand.
With these frameworks in place, the new facility:
Opened 70 new beds
That improved access to substance use disorder and supportive housing for the houseless population
Established an intensive outpatient program
That offered up to 19 hours of substance use disorder treatment per week
Housed over 100 individuals
The first year of operations also garnered an over 60% treatment success rate (patient “stepped-down” to lower level of care)
Developed a whole-health, person-centered program
That included housing, case management, and employment support offerings, boosting clients’ success in transitioning out of treatment or to lower levels of care
United around this care model, employees now collaborate as an integrated team that makes treatment decisions together. Together, they’re closing an important care gap for members of the houseless population, empowering them with the services they need to succeed across their full healthcare journey. Point B is proud to continue our partnership with the Federally Qualified Health Center FQHC while we pursue further care model optimization across additional service lines.
Related Insights
RELATED INDUSTRIES
RELATED SOLUTIONS