Recovery is not a destination; it's a lifelong journey. Smart behavioral health providers understand that their job doesn't end when a patient walks out the door. The post-discharge period—often the most vulnerable time—is where long-term recovery is truly forged.
This article, based on a recent episode of the Recovery Reach podcast, dives deep into the essential role of alumni programs in modern behavioral healthcare. We feature insights from Ben Wilkins, General Manager for Cared For, a division of Continuum Cloud. As a behavioral health strategist with deep experience in aftercare engagement, Ben unpacks how the right systems and technology transform simple follow-up into a powerful, sustainable community that benefits both patients and the organization's bottom line.
If you're a behavioral health executive, marketing leader, or business operator, this conversation will fundamentally change the way you view aftercare. Alumni programs are no longer a "nice-to-have"; they are a critical driver of clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and explosive growth.
Recent data suggests that over 85% of treatment organizations have some form of an alumni program. This high number confirms Ben Wilkins's view that if a treatment center doesn't have one, it is automatically at a competitive disadvantage. However, simply having a program is not enough.
Key Quote: "85% of organizations have an alumni program... What that doesn’t mean is that 85% are doing alumni well. You have to engage with them to be able to continue the journey with them." - Ben Wilkins
The true value of a robust alumni program extends far beyond simply "doing the right thing." It serves as a vital feedback loop and a powerful engine for organizational success:
For patients and their families, a strong alumni program signals genuine, long-term commitment from the provider. They are looking for assurance that support doesn't vanish at the point of discharge.
From a business standpoint, a thriving alumni community is an army of unpaid marketers. Ben Wilkins highlights several ways alumni engagement directly impacts key business metrics:
Referrals from alumni carry immense weight. They come from a place of genuine experience and trust, making them far more potent than traditional advertising. Experts now suggest that an optimal admissions mix should see 25% to 30% of new admissions coming from alumni referrals. Some panel discussions at recent conferences even suggested that organizations with up to 50% of admissions from referrals are seen as highly desirable acquisition targets, signaling a super-strong, efficient program.
The math is simple: the cost per admission for an alumni referral is essentially zero, even when accounting for the cost of a dedicated Alumni Coordinator. This dramatically reduces reliance on expensive digital channels like Google PPC.
The role of alumni in the marketing funnel includes:
A common mistake Wilkins observes is treatment centers relying solely on a basic, unmanaged Facebook group as their alumni program. While this is better than nothing, it comes with significant drawbacks for a behavioral health audience:
Successful programs are comprehensive, proactive, and dedicated. They require a significant infrastructure investment:
The behavioral health industry has long struggled with tracking tangible, long-term outcomes, which hinders the transition to value-based care models. Technology like Cared For, which white-labels its app for providers, solves this by extending the data collection window.
Cared For clients typically see an average engagement term of 18 months, a significant leap from the 3-month window of a typical Facebook group. This extended engagement allows providers to collect invaluable data for:
Key Quote: "The opposite of addiction is connection. So what are we connecting to? Are we connecting to an algorithm or are we connecting to a person? We want to build that human-to-human connection." - Ben Wilkins
The goal of technology, Wilkins asserts, is not to replace human connection but to enhance it. Automation should handle the triage, freeing up the alumni coordinator to focus on high-touch, human intervention.
When asked about the concrete Return on Investment (ROI) for an alumni program, Wilkins focuses on three high-impact drivers:
Demonstrating long-term engagement and positive outcomes is the path to achieving better rates from payers. Providers who can show engagement extending 18 to 24 months post-discharge hold a significant advantage in these negotiations. The ability to track progress and success longitudinally is the backbone of any value-based care model. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - SAMHSA)
As detailed in Section 2, a single alumni coordinator's salary is a far lower investment than the combined cost of a large business development team and a hefty digital marketing budget, yet the referral volume can rival or surpass these traditional channels. Alumni are organically motivated to refer; they want to give back and help others benefit from the treatment that helped them.
Relapse is a reality in the recovery process. A connected alumni population provides a crucial safety net for readmission. When an alumnus is struggling, being actively engaged with their original provider's community dramatically increases the likelihood they will return to the facility they know and trust, rather than seeking treatment elsewhere. This preserves revenue and, more importantly, ensures continuity of care.
Consistency is the secret sauce for follow-up. The most effective way to guarantee post-discharge consistency is to establish the new pattern pre-discharge.
The best practice is to onboard patients onto the alumni app—which is white-labeled as the center's own app—before they complete treatment. Cared For recommends getting patients on the app as early as the admissions phase to receive educational materials and connect one-on-one with staff.
This process ensures that when the patient leaves, they are not thrown into a completely new, unfamiliar platform. They continue with a familiar tool and communication style, making the post-discharge transition far smoother and reducing the likelihood of dropping off.
To connect with resources that can help build your program's infrastructure, consider organizations like TPAs, which Ben Wilkins highly recommends for organizations looking to formalize and scale their alumni operations.
Looking ahead five years, the evolution of alumni programming will be driven by two primary forces: the responsible integration of Artificial Intelligence and an intensified focus on peer support and connection.
Just as telehealth transformed access during COVID-19, AI will reshape how providers engage with alumni. The key is using it to enhance human connection, not replace it. AI's role will be sophisticated data analysis:
The industry must collectively decide the most ethical and effective ways to deploy AI in this sensitive, high-stakes area.
Wilkins believes the future will see programs focusing on extending the duration of high-level peer support from the current 18–24 months to 36 months or longer. This deeper focus on community and connection is the strongest indicator of long-term success. The realization that alumni communities can function effectively, even for non-residential groups like IOP or MAT programs, opens up the app model to a wider array of behavioral health services, allowing more individuals to benefit from a secure, dedicated peer network that understands the principle: "You are not alone."
For treatment center owners and marketing leaders, the message is clear: the alumni program is a strategic asset. Invest in dedicated staff, robust technology, and processes that prioritize long-term, human-centered connection. The returns—in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and organic growth—are undeniable.
Are you leveraging your alumni program to its fullest potential? A strong, tech-enabled aftercare community is your most powerful tool for improving patient outcomes, securing better payer contracts, and driving high-value referrals.
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