American Detox and Treatment Center wanted to improve alumni engagement and follow-up while relieving internal administrative pressures. By adopting Encyrcle and implementing automated features, American Detox increased readmissions and helped staff create more meaningful, lasting connections.

“We’re not only getting those readmits back, but we’re supporting our clients when they leave us so they’re not left behind. I update my staff on what alumni are doing, and it has boosted morale to see that our work is beneficial. It matters.”

Brittany Cole, Director of Growth at American Detox and Treatment Center

The opposite of addiction is connection. Addiction makes people want to isolate, but the team at American Detox and Treatment Center strives to break that pattern. The 24-bed facility in Chesney, South Carolina, focuses on healing the whole person with individualized treatment plans, including counseling, next-step preparation, and comprehensive discharge planning.

Long-term success often requires strong connections between staff and alumni who have passed through the treatment program. While relying on manual efforts, these connections were difficult to achieve.

‍Missed opportunities for ongoing support‍

Brittany Cole, Director of Growth at American Detox and Treatment Center, wears many hats and handles everything from admissions and business development to marketing and alumni engagement. She used to manage most tasks manually through spreadsheets and phone calls.

Brittany and the rest of the team wanted to stay connected with alumni and provide ongoing support as they navigated life post-treatment. However, maintaining those connections and engagement was laborious, and there often wasn’t enough time. The result was painful to witness.

“There was a severe disconnect with our clients,” Brittany says. “We realized that they weren’t returning to us. We would find out they weren’t continuing treatment, but we weren’t able to help them.”

The lack of updates about alumni also lowered morale. Staff didn’t feel they were making a difference for the people who came through the program.

‍A shared dedication to connection

Out of the blue, Brittany got a phone call from Encyrcle. The more conversations Brittany had with the team, the more she began to understand the possibilities. At first, it was the customer experience that stood out.

“I’m busy. I need someone to stay on me, and they stayed on me,” Brittany says. “They were patient with me. They listened to every little detail and they walked with me every step of the way. I’ve never worked with a company that does that.”

More than anything else, though, Brittany decided to try Encyrcle because of the company’s shared passion for the cause. Brittany says the team’s genuine commitment to helping the client mirrored her own team’s number one goal.

“We could see that the people who own Encyrcle also struggled at some point in their journey with substance abuse and know what it’s like,” she says. “That made it easy for us to make that choice.”

‍Increased automation leads to a comprehensive alumni program

Using Encyrcle, American Detox automated alumni contact and created consistent post-treatment touchpoints. Whenever a client leaves treatment, they receive an automated text check-in 24 hours later. The platform sends subsequent texts after one week, two weeks, one month, three months and so on, with additional check-ins thoughtfully spaced in between.

“Encyrcle has made my life and my job so much easier. It was the best implementation process I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve been a part of a lot of them. They took my vision and made it a reality.”

Brittany Cole, Director of Growth at American Detox and Treatment Center

The team also implemented text-based workflows that integrate with their EMR to streamline outreach, compliance, and data collection. These efforts have led to a flourishing alumni program that includes surveys, a Facebook group, a quarterly in-person event at the center, and monthly alumni meetings.

“It’s grown into this really cool thing that we didn’t even know could exist,” Brittany says.

‍Finding time for more meaningful activities‍

Automating and streamlining alumni engagement and outreach has transformed American Detox’s post-treatments efforts. They now have a more holistic program where they can continue to support alumni while seamlessly managing day-to-day tasks. Since adopting Encyrcle, Brittany has regained valuable time to devote to areas like growth, admissions, and building relationships with other referral sources.

“Having this program where I have a direct link back to the clients takes out all the extra work. It has literally duplicated me,” Brittany says.

Brittany likens it to having an AI assistant that is always on and saves “an abundance of time.” Instead of constantly answering messages and addressing issues, she can go into the platform at set intervals and manage the alumni program more efficiently.

Encyrcle also allows her to quickly identify at-risk alumni in real time, ensuring people get the care they deserve and increasing the odds of a positive outcome.

“What I really love about Encyrcle is that it will notify me if someone is of imminent risk,” Brittany says. “I know if somebody needs me right then and there, I can go find that person and make sure they’re okay.”

Brittany Cole, Director of Growth at American Detox and Treatment Center

‍Increasing readmissions and driving client success

Historically, American Detox didn't have access to readmission figures, which meant they didn't know how many people returned to them or sought help in other programs entirely. Encyrcle gave the team a process to remain connected with alumni and could capture those who otherwise may have been lost.

“The readmission rate has increased exponentially, and that’s helped us create this network of unattached referrals and send people to other PHP programs,” Brittany says. “We went from a position of always being the receiver to being the giver.”

Their goal was to have a third of business come from readmits. They have surpassed that goal, with more than 40% of the center’s clients coming from readmits — a figure that hovered between 5–7% prior to working with Encyrcle. That's a 471% increase in readmissions.

Some clients return to American Detox repeatedly after falling back into patterns of substance abuse. When Brittany sent out a survey to ask such clients what they were missing, the top response was connection. Encyrcle enabled the team to fill that gap, improving accountability and, in some cases, individual outcomes.

"One client had been getting the text messages, and he was answering them at first. Things were going great, and then he stopped," Brittany says. "Then, all of a sudden, at 10 o'clock at night, I got a message from him, saying, 'Brit, I need to come back.' I told him I'd squeeze him in the next day, and we did. What a cool thing."

Brittany can have these kinds of interactions at scale because of Encyrcle's automation capabilities. Rather than using impersonal, generic language, the customizable options allow Brittany to engage with clients and alumni in her own words, without losing the personal touch.

“They know it’s Brit that’s talking to them on the other side of the screen. I’ve built that connection with them in admissions, and I carry that connection without feeling fake or pushed. It’s very authentic,” she says.

‍Deeper connections to counter addiction‍

The platform provides “powerful” ease of access, reassuring clients and alumni that they can reach Brittany with just a few taps. In some cases, the additional support and connection may mean that someone doesn't need to return to care. Other times, it means they can return to care faster and easier. Either way, it reassures Brittany that no one will fall through the cracks.

For Brittany, the biggest benefit of working with Encyrcle has been the ability to build deep, long-lasting contact with people. Those connections are lifelines during a long and often bumpy journey.

“Recovery is all about connection. Being able to facilitate that with Encyrcle has been indescribably amazing.”

“I was sitting, looking at spreadsheets — copying and pasting, copying and pasting — and making a minimal dent in the alumni program. I was feeling very unsuccessful and I wanted to do so much more,” Brittany says.

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