July 01, 2002

Circle Of Hope Opens At Illini Hospital

Community Partnership Relocates Adult Substance Abuse Treatment Program

Pictured left to right, Tom Grooms, Vice Chairman, Illini Board of Directors; Chuck Burhn, CEO, Illini Hospital; Carolyn Ross, Director, Center for Alcohol and Drug Services (CADS); Tom McCarthy, President, CADS Board of Directors; Jim Berg, Vice President, Genesis Health System.

A much-needed residential substance abuse rehabilitation program will relocate to the Illinois Quad Cities-thanks to a new community partnership between the Center for Alcohol & Drug Services, Inc. (CADS), Illini Hospital and the Rock Island County Council on Addictions (RICCA).

A ribbon-cutting for CIRCLE of Hope, an eight-bed facility located within an independent space at Illini Hospital, was held today. CIRCLE, an acronym for CADS-Illini-RICCA-Collaborative-Learning Environment is the first of its kind at Illini. "We are very excited about this new service and the community partnership it creates between Illini, CADS, and RICCA," said Chuck Bruhn, Illini Hospital CEO. "Illini Health Services has a long history of working collaboratively with other area organizations in meeting the health care needs of our community. The CIRCLE of Hope program is a great way for us to continue that tradition while expanding the services offered through the hospital."

"There is a considerable need for this type of service in our community," said Carolyn Ross, Executive Director, CADS. "Studies show substance abusers continually seek treatment in emergency rooms, and are becoming incarcerated or going without the help they need until they end up in an acute situation. Our hope is that this community partnership will provide comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation services that break down the barriers felt by residents seeking help."

The program is for adult Illinois residents who are in need of substance abuse services in a residential rehabilitation environment. Patients follow a structured daily regimen that will be provided by CADS staff at RICCA, a Rock Island County agency dedicated to helping former substance abusers build the foundation necessary to return to society as capable and contributing citizens.

While at the RICCA facility, patients will participate in group and individual counseling, career assessment, employment skills training and build upon their independent living skills. In the evening patients, will return to CIRCLE of Hope where they will continue with individual, group, and family counseling sessions and complete daily assignments. The planned average length of stay at CIRCLE of Hope is 14 to 18 days, depending on patients' needs. The program is an independent unit with clinical staff provided by CADS and medical support by Illini Hospital.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASA) will no longer reimburse any provider for the care of Illinois residents at facilities located outside of the State of Illinois. Due to that decision, OASA requested that CADS develop a plan to relocate existing services presently offered at CADS' Country Oaks facility in Buffalo, Iowa, to an Illinois location. "This project will not create a duplication of existing services, but rather a "relocation" of existing services," adds Ross. "Optimistically, this project utilizes collaboration, shared resources, community partnerships, and a clear intent to provide a continuum of care absent of previous barriers. Collectively, this program and its supporting partners will combine resources in order to effectively serve the community."

Beginning in 1967, the Quint Cities Drug Abuse Council and Scott County Alcohol Rehabilitation Foundation (SCARF) provided substance abuse services in this community. In 1980, these two entities merged to become The Center for Alcohol & Drug Services, which exists to provide substance abuse treatment and prevention services to the Quad Cities community. CADS is licensed and funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to provide adult outpatient, DUI evaluation and remedial education, residential, halfway house, and methadone treatment services to Illinois residents. CADS provides a wide array of substance abuse treatment and prevention services for adolescents and adults in Illinois and Iowa.

RICCA, founded in 1960, operates as a Family Service and Chemical Dependency Treatment and Prevention Organization. RICCA works to strengthen the family and utilizes a family systems approach to addiction recovery. Organizers believe family is the most important nurturing, teaching and supporting element in its treatment and prevention programs. Prevention encompasses a proactive process of challenging and stretching the limits of our knowledge, working with families, neighborhoods, schools and communities to create healthy and productive environments.

Illini has been providing quality medical care to the residents of this area since 1968 and has a tradition that always puts the patient first. Illini Hospital is a full-service acute care medical center, featuring a full range of inpatient and outpatient services to residents of a three-county area. In addition to primary care and a designated Level II trauma center, Illini also offers sophisticated medical specialties and diagnostics and is an affiliate of Genesis Health System.

For more information about the addictions recovery services offered in the Illinois Quad Cities, contact CADS at 563-322-2667 or visit any one of the following websites, http://www.cads-ia.com/, www.genesishealth.com or http://www.ricca.org/.