When Wellbridge Addiction Treatment and Research decided to build an alumni outreach program, they chose Encyrcle to help build rapport at scale. By automating outreach for 3,000+ alumni, Wellbridge has increased engagement and readmissions, ensuring better results for the treatment center and its alumni.

In the five years since opening their doors, Wellbridge Addiction Treatment and Research has touched more than 3,000 lives. This New York-based dual-diagnosis facility manages 130 beds for treating alcohol and substance use disorder via detox and inpatient rehab.

Once someone leaves treatment, the journey changes, and connections become critical.

“The opposite of addiction is connection, and connection is what makes a patient thrive and be able to successfully maintain sobriety,” says Director of Alumni Engagement Deanna McCartin. “Doing it alone just doesn't work for most.”

Wellbridge set out to build a world-class alumni outreach program to foster more connections and improve outcomes for alumni.

‍Never enough time for personalized outreach

Wellbridge didn’t have an existing outreach program, meaning Deanna had to work from scratch. The team didn’t have an alumni department, nor did they have any outreach data to leverage. Instead, Deanna relied on a manual approach.

She used to spend entire workdays on the phone checking in with patients and offering support. The one-by-one outreach was extremely time-consuming, and with thousands of alumni to connect with weekly, she simply ran out of time.  

Deanna’s vision included the ability to engage in meaningful calls and texts with every alumnus of the treatment center.

“I wanted something to help with manual, all-day-long phone calls, checking in on our alumni, and creating seamless transitions from the phone to a personalized chat by text," she says.

‍Automating communications with a human touch

Deanna enlisted an alumni consultant to help her get the alumni program off the ground, and the consultant referred her Encyrcle. The team shared a “beautiful” presentation for Deanna, Wellbridge’s executives, and their leadership team and everyone was energized by the possibilities.

“They showed us how the platform could significantly improve outcomes and measurements with readmits and referrals from our alumni,” Deanna says.

She was especially impressed by Encyrcle’s stated commitment to feedback and suggestions. It indicated a willingness to grow and evolve, which was just what the Wellbridge team needed.

“Encyrcle didn’t feel like just another SaaS platform. It felt like a team, where everyone wanted to support us in every way possible, which holds true to this day.”

​— Deanna McCartin, Director of Alumni Engagement

The company quickly decided to adopt Encyrcle and put their plan for an effective, easily-scalable alumni outreach program into action.

‍1:1 messaging without the 1:1 time commitment

Encyrcle enabled automated messaging, immediately expanding the number of alumni Wellbridge reaches. These messages are personalized, ensuring every person feels validated, seen, and heard throughout their recovery journey.

Adding automation has resulted in massive time savings for Wellbridge. Deanna has regained the time that she previously spent on manual check-ins through calls and messages. Now, her customized workflows connect with the right alumni with the right messaging at the right time.

“We're talking hours of time I'm saving,” Deanna says. “Instead of coming into work, picking up the phone, and staying on it all day, I'm able to communicate through a simple platform.”

Even though Wellbridge team members don’t manually type the messages, they are always on the other end, monitoring responses. With a more streamlined flow, Deanna can swiftly pivot to other tasks as needed.

“When people are struggling, I'm able to step away and help,” she says.

‍Increased engagement and readmissions offer a clearer picture of alumni life

Wellbridge’s new program far exceeds industry standards. Their engagement rate is at 38%, compared to the industry standard of 24%.

“Since partnering with Encyrcle, we’ve had an incredible increase in engagement,” Deanna says. “You can see our alumni absolutely love being engaged with Wellbridge.”

Whether alumni are thriving or struggling, staying in touch over time has cultivated stronger relationships between alumni and staff. The increased engagement has also led to higher readmission rates. Approximately 28% of their total census are readmissions, which means they are catching people who need additional support.

It’s a positive cycle, where “the more they hear from us, the more engagement there is,” Deanna says.

A similar cycle has emerged for feedback. Wellbridge values feedback from existing and former patients, and Deanna shares that information with staff members in a monthly newsletter. Hearing from alumni boosts staff morale, and the feedback guides their activities.

‍From events to support groups, sobriety can be fun

While everyone has their own journey, alumni also need a strong support system. So, in addition to the individual personalised text messages, Wellbridge uses Encyrcle to send group texts that “feel very welcoming and very warm.” This capability has made it easier to design meaningful events, that Deanna can plan faster and more efficiently.

The Encyrcle team also steps in when necessary. In one case, Wellbridge was planning an event in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and the team didn’t know how to segment their Connecticut patients for specific messaging. Deanna reached out to Encyrcle for assistance.

“My account managers messaged back in five minutes. They were able to create a group, separate out a certain demographic of patients, and send a mass text. Things like that make my job so much easier, so I can focus on the things that I truly need to focus on, like patients in crisis,” Deana says.

Beyond alumni events, Wellbridge uses Encyrcle to drive interest in their support groups. This effort has steadily increased their membership.

“More and more patients are showing up for groups now, because they feel a part of a community instead of feeling so isolated alone prior to their addiction struggle,” Deanna says. “Sobriety can be fun, and that's what they need to hear.”

“Partnering with Encyrcle was the best decision that we've ever made. They are a top-notch company that is right by your side, helping you to grow your alumni department. It's been an absolute pleasure working with them."

— Deanna McCartin, Director of Alumni Engagement

‍Walking with alumni every step of the way

By working with Encyrcle, Wellbridge has realized opportunities to grow the facility's client base, referral system, and annual revenue.

“Partnering with Encyrcle was the best decision that we've ever made,” she says. “They are a top-notch company that is right by your side, helping you to grow your alumni department. It's been an absolute pleasure working with them."

More than anything else, the Wellbridge team can be wherever their alumni need them to be, whether it means sharing words of encouragement and support or making it easy for them to return. In either case, having a reliable, consistent method of connection has made a world of difference for the Wellbridge team and their alumni.

"I maintain a consistent workflow now," Deanna says. “Within 24 hours of a patient leaving the facility, they know we’re there for them, that there are support groups available, so they don't feel alone and have that sense of connection."

“Within 24 hours of a patient leaving the facility, they know we’re there for them, that there are support groups available, so they don't feel alone and have that sense of connection."