Footprints’ Staci Allan Helps Remove Barriers to Mental Health Treatment
Staci Allan, business development officer at Footprints to Recovery, joined forces with Lake Behavioral Hospital to remove barriers to mental health treatment in Lake County and Southeast Wisconsin. Allan, who has worked in the behavioral health field for over a decade and is a long-time advocate for access to life-saving substance abuse and mental health treatment, was asked to participate in an important legislative hearing on March 23, 2020. The hearing sought to change the section of Wisconsin’s Chapter 51 law, which prevents people experiencing an acute psychiatric episode to be transported to an Illinois psychiatric provider, even if that provider is closer. There is precedent, as this cooperative legislation is already in reciprocal laws with Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota; all of them able to accept Chapter 51 patients from Wisconsin. Allan was asked to join the hearing to advocate for the legislation change. Others in attendance included Illinois Senator Adrienne Johnson; Lake Behavioral Hospital CEO Cindy DeMarco, LCSW; Lake Behavioral Hospital Director of Business Development Charla Waxman, MBA, EdD; and several Wisconsin and Illinois community constituents such as aldermen and mayors. Dr. Waxman, who spearheaded the hearing said, “When they told me to call three people on the other side of the border, Staci was my first call. She has been a great partner at Lake. [She] would not be the only person I could have called, but we have a longstanding relationship in the community, she knows what she is talking about, and she is fair. I knew we would get what we needed.” Allan is well known for her outreach work in the behavioral health field as well as her role with the Illinois School District 21 Board of Education and her campaign work in local elections. “My role and reputation is to discuss access and barriers to treatment and how to remove them legislatively,” said Allan. “Lake Behavioral Hospital is right on the Wisconsin border. If someone is in a psychosis event, sometimes the hospital over the state line might actually be closer than in Illinois. It’s not unusual for someone in Illinois to get caught up in a system they don’t understand.” The need for legislative change became apparent to Lake Behavioral Hospital when they began hearing from concerned fire chiefs in northern Illinois border towns and emergency room professionals in Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie that because of the Wisconsin Chapter 51 mental health commitment law, they couldn’t send Illinois residents back across the border to their home state for inpatient psychiatric treatment, even though Lake Behavioral Hospital is only a 15-to-20-minute ride. Current Wisconsin laws prevent acute psychiatric transport from crossing state lines. Officers and ER employees are often forced to transport Illinois patients as much as one to three hours north in Wisconsin to secure treatment. Many ER workers in Southeast Wisconsin and mental health professionals were also frustrated with the legal barriers that prevented them from sending Wisconsin residents to specialty treatment centers in Illinois, even when they were closer than Wisconsin facilities. For example, patients from the Kenosha and Racine areas would be cared for much closer to their own community when receiving care in Waukegan, Illinois. Lake Behavioral Hospital decided to take the lead in pursuing legislation that would be a collaborative arrangement between Wisconsin and Illinois, allowing facilities in Illinois to accept and treat patients from Wisconsin who are subject to Chapter 51 of the Wisconsin mental health code. Patients could then receive treatment near their own community. The revision would also correct the treatment accessibility issue, regardless of border or state, for Wisconsin residents who would like to choose treatment closer to home even though it may be in Illinois. This new bill would give them access to many treatment providers in northern Illinois counties, not just Lake Behavioral Hospital. “We’re all doing the same job. We’re all in it for the same reason. If we’re a bunch of islands or the relationships are acrimonious at all, nobody benefits,” said Dr. Waxman. “It’s just a different law in Wisconsin, and we want [people] to be able to make their choice. We can provide multiple layers of treatment, but we couldn’t serve that Kenosha involuntary patient without that change.” The legislation change is expected to be approved after a second hearing in which some wording changes will be implemented. “We know many people come in with complicated issues even if they’re involuntary, many times by a substance abuse event,” said Allan. “These efforts solidify the relations we have with not just Lake, but with their entire system. We want to be a good partner in Lake County. We were there as advocates and that was the part that was very appreciated.”
Footprints to Recovery COVID-19 Policy Update
Our COVID-19 Policy *DISCLAIMER: In the interest of early detection and for the health of our population, we kindly ask that any visitor who has a fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms stay home. We reserve the right to refuse entry to any persons who may be considered a threat to the health of our population. At Footprints to Recovery, our immediate concern is to keep our patients and staff safe from the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). To take all of the appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety of patients and employees concerning COVID-19, our entire staff has been thoroughly educated on the signs and symptoms of the virus to ensure proper procedure and monitoring. Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 include: It is important to note, that symptoms of COVID-19 are not always noticeable, and therefore, the only way people will know if they have the virus is to be tested. However, limited testing for the virus has unfortunately caused it to spread further. To stop the virus from spreading further, our team has been instructed to strictly follow the guidelines set by the Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). We are reporting any known incidences of coronavirus or anyone thought to be infected at our facilities to the local health department and other necessary medical personnel to ensure the safety of our other patients and employees. Footprints to Recovery COVID-19 Procedures At Footprints to Recovery, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still accepting new patients at each of our facilities at this time. However, we ask that you please read our precautions and procedures that we have recently listed for current and potential new patients to follow below. Visitors *DURING THIS TIME, VISITING IS TEMPORARILY FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES ONLY! Current Patients Potential Patient Admissions New Patient Admissions Other Available Resources to Utilize Amid COVID-19 Telehealth *All FTR facilities now have telehealth capabilities. As everyone has been ordered to social distance ourselves and stay home for the safety of ourselves and others, all Footprints to Recovery facilities now offer telehealth services, as a means to further prevent the spreading of this virus. For people who are unable to come to any of our treatment locations in New Jersey, Colorado, or Illinois, due to quarantine or COVID-19 related health concerns, you will still be able to receive the help that you need. Our virtual addiction treatment services provide individuals with the opportunity to remain connected and involved with treatment and therapy groups via video chat technology while keeping the appropriate and safe distance from others. Virtual Recovery Group Resources: Just because COVID-19 has put a major halt on things, healthcare is still available. This goes for addiction treatment. Sobriety can be maintained and doesn’t have to end, just because in-person meetings can’t be held. There are a plethora of addiction resources out there to help you or a loved one keep up with your recovery and prevent relapse. Here are various 12-Step meetings available for you can still attend virtually during the pandemic. Virtual Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings http://aa-intergroup.org/directory.php Virtual Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meetings https://virtual-na.org/ Virtual Heroin Anonymous (HA) Meetings *(Temporarily on Tuesday’s at 7:00 pm EST) https://zoom.us/support/down4j?from=join&id=4863421195 Meeting ID: 4863421195 Virtual Al-Anon Family Group Meetings https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/electronic-meetings/ Virtual SMART Recovery Meetings smartrecovery.org/community/calendar.php Virtual SOS Sobriety Meetings http://www.sossobriety.org/on-line-groups Other Important COVID-19 Information Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus Stay Safe! Thank You For Your Understanding Addiction treatment facilities such as ours, need to continue to take necessary action, to spread awareness of COVID-19, and most importantly, prioritize patient and employee safety. Stay safe, and most importantly, stay home! Best regards, Footprints to Recovery
