Community Service Spotlight
Lifeline Connections has provided behavioral health treatment to individuals and families across Washington State since 1962. With a strong presence in the North Sound region, Lifeline Connections delivers a compassionate and comprehensive continuum of coordinated quality services, fosters enduring relationships, and empowers our communities to truly thrive.
Through outpatient, inpatient, and residential programs, as well as specialized interventions, Lifeline Connections meets individuals facing mental health and/or substance use conditions where they are on their personal recovery journey. The organization walks alongside each person on their unique path to hope, help, and healing.
Lifeline also offers a unique inpatient program to help those receiving treatment reintegrate more smoothly into the community. The Men’s Low Intensity Residential program is discussed below in detail.
Highlighted below are some of the services Lifeline Connections provides within the North Sound community:
Men’s Low-Intensity Residential Program
One of Lifeline Connections’ newer programs is the Men’s Low-Intensity Residential (MLIR) Inpatient Treatment Program. This one-of-a-kind program is a 3.1 level of care and offers treatment to men with substance use disorders.
The MLIR program enrolls participants for a duration of anywhere from three to six months. During this time, participants work closely with their counselors to develop an individualized plan that helps sustain and maintain their recovery. A combination of clinical groups, individual sessions, skill-building groups, routine building, and assistance in achieving educational and occupational pursuits all contribute to the ongoing progress of each participant.
Men’s Low Intensity Residential Program operates on a phase framework:
- Phase 1: Participants engage outside in the community with staff support.
- Phase 2: Participants engage in community time with a peer from the program to practice accountability.
- Phase 3: Participants engage in the community independently.
The program utilizes community experiences for reflection in assignments, group discussions, and individual sessions.
Continuing with a holistic approach, Men’s Low Intensity Program connects participants to all providers involved in their care, including primary care physicians, counselors, psychiatrists, and peer support. For additional support on a community level, participants engage in support groups and community events.
One participant shared, “MLIR has offered me an opportunity that I never thought imaginable. I have learned more about myself here than I have in years of prior treatment.”
The experience at MLIR offers a unique opportunity for those living with substance use disorder to practice their skills in real-time, within a supportive environment that fosters long-term recovery.
Outpatient Programs
In Whatcom and Skagit counties, Lifeline Connections offers a range of services for individuals ages 13 and older. Our high quality programs are staffed by dedicated professionals who value superior customer service and positive outcomes. We seek to inspire hope and support lifesaving changes for people affected by substance use and mental health conditions.
Outpatient programs offer wraparound support with services including:
- Mental health and substance use counseling
- Peer support
- Mental health medication management
- Case management and resource navigation
- Short- and long-term housing support
- And more
Lifeline Connections offers walk-in access to substance use assessments Monday through Thursday, starting at 8:30 a.m. Scheduled mental health assessments and medication-assisted treatment services are available through our front desk, Monday through Friday. With minimal or no wait times, services are delivered both in person and via telehealth to ensure accessibility across the region. More than 450 individuals participate in care each month through outpatient services, with more than 1,500 unique services provided.
Many of the individuals Lifeline Connections serves are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. Through peer support and housing specialists, we provide outreach, housing, and employment support services for both short-term and long-term needs.
Lifeline Connections strives to assist individuals in our community by providing traditional services in nontraditional ways. Our outpatient and community-based services also work closely with therapeutic specialty courts such as Whatcom Recovery Court, Skagit Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and the Mental Health Sentencing Alternative. From jail assessments and care coordination, we follow individuals from inpatient care to the completion of outpatient services, with the goal of helping each person achieve success in reaching their goals, regardless of the challenges they may face.
New Journeys: Early Intervention for Psychosis
Psychosis is a condition that affects an individual’s mind and their relationship with reality. Symptoms may include hearing, seeing, or feeling things that aren’t there; strong beliefs about something that isn’t true despite evidence to the contrary; and confused or disorganized thinking and speech. During an episode of psychosis, an individual often experiences a period of functional decline, and they may appear depressed, withdrawn, irritable, or anxious.
Nearly 3.5 percent of individuals will experience psychosis in their lifetime, making it the third most disabling condition in the world. However, due to the difficulty in identifying psychosis symptoms and the ongoing stigma surrounding mental illness and schizophrenia, individuals often experience symptoms for over two years before receiving treatment. This delay can lead to reduced functioning, diminished response to treatment, higher risk of suicide, and more long-term adverse outcomes. Early identification and intervention with coordinated specialty care can modify these risk factors and lead to better outcomes for individuals experiencing early psychosis.
Lifeline Connections’ New Journeys Program is a community-based coordinated specialty care program for youth and young adults experiencing first-episode psychosis. New Journeys works with individuals between 15 and 40 years old whose symptoms of psychosis have emerged in the past one week to two years. The program adopts a new perspective on recovery, emphasizing a person’s ability to lead a rewarding and meaningful life through enhanced social functioning, role performance, and overall well-being.
Our multidisciplinary team provides a variety of high-intensity, wraparound services to assist individuals with their recovery, including:
- Individual Resiliency Therapy (IRT)
- Supported education and employment
- Family education
- Peer support
- Case management
- Medication management
Using a shared decision-making approach, clinicians work with individuals to set and achieve goals so that, when individuals complete the program, they are in the recovery phase of psychosis and confident in their abilities to live fulfilling lives.
Holistic Care and Community Partnership
From preventative mental health care to long-term recovery from substance use disorder, Lifeline Connections is committed to being a trusted resource for wholeperson care in the North Sound region. Lifeline Connections’ vast array of programs offers not only treatment, but also provides hope, help, and healing to our communities.
As the need for accessible, compassionate behavioral health care continues to grow in Washington, Lifeline Connections remains grounded in its founding mission to provide quality services, foster enduring relationships, and empower our communities to truly thrive.
To learn more about Lifeline Connections’ services and programs or how to access care, visit www.lifelineconnections.org.
___________________________________
Staff at Lifeline Connections and To The Point Collaborative coauthored this article. Lifeline Connections provides behavioral health services across Washington. To The Point Collaborative is a communications firm that partners with mission-driven organizations to share their stories. Learn more at https://lifelineconnections.org/ and https://tothepointcollaborative.com/.
