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 Riverside City College Case Study

 

Overview

Riverside City College (RCC), a higher education institution within the Riverside Community College District in California, partnered with Care Solace in the Spring of 2020 to help the primary on-campus provider meet the growing mental health needs of 20,000+ students.

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At a glance

 

20k+

higher education students

 

1.6k

communications saved to coordinate care

 

 

1

licensed mental health therapist

 

187%

increase in appointments (compared to the national average)

Challenges

Kevin Wurtz, LMFT, is the Mental Health Services Supervisor on the RCC campus. Due to the number of students in need, he could not provide therapy consistently, even with support from associate therapists. He needed to connect his students to quality providers, but before partnering with Care Solace, he continuously ran into the following roadblocks:

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Uncertainty of Quality Referrals

“I never feel comfortable just sending someone to a random person,” said Wurtz. He wanted to find quality providers matched to each student’s coverage and specific needs.

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Limitations with MOU Partners

“With our MOU partners, we would run into a couple hiccups — either students don’t close the referral, or we would be at capacity with our MOU use slots,” said Wurtz.

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Time-Consuming Follow-Through

The complex mental health care system makes it difficult for students to connect with a provider on their own. “In my experience, every time the student has been given a referral, they've never gone. It just doesn't pan out,” said Wurtz.

With the large student population, the mental health needs of his students became nearly impossible to manage on his own. It was too much for an institution with a small staff.

Solutions

 

Knowing he needed assistance, Wurtz and his director set out to find a solution. During their search, they spoke directly with Chad Castruita, the Founder and CEO of Care Solace, and heard his personal story of the struggle to find help. “When Chad shared his story, it profoundly resonated," said Wurtz. They did not want RCC students to have a similar experience and partnered with Care Solace to ensure their students could easily access quality mental health care.

 

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Warm Handoff® Referral Process

Care Solace’s proprietary software, Care Loop®, allows Wurtz to easily make referrals to Care Solace. He expressed, “The easy-to-use-and-track Warm Handoff process changed everything.” With each student, he sets up 30-60 minute appointments to determine their needs and complete the referral process. During these appointments, Wurtz shares his computer screen with the student, and they fill in necessary information together, such as the type of care needed (e.g., trauma, relational, grief), to ensure a connection with a quality provider matched to their specific needs.

Care Companion™ Response Time

After submitting a Warm Handoff, Wurtz sits with his students until a call from a dedicated Care Companion is received. “I tell the student to get ready because you're going to be contacted in about nine minutes.” Wurtz explained that the prompt and persistent follow-up from the 24/7/365 Care Companion team, “builds trust and ensures they feel supported.” Most importantly, it increases the rate students get connected to care.

Case Management & Referral Tracking

Wurtz shows his students how he will stay connected to their progress each step of the way through the Care Loop dashboard. He can easily track when they match with quality providers and schedule an appointment. “I have peace of mind knowing that they will be supported and I will stay connected to their outcomes.”

Case Management & Referral Tracking

Wurtz shows his students how he will stay connected to their progress each step of the way through the Care Loop dashboard. He can easily track when they match with quality providers and schedule an appointment. “I have peace of mind knowing that they will be supported and I will stay connected to their outcomes.”

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Care Solace Impact report
(July 2020 - June 2021)

1,611 communications saved

on behalf of staff and families. On average, each communication takes 6 minutes, which means Care Solace saved Wurtz and families 20+ full work days.

50% booked an appointment

when using Care Solace compared to an average of only 18%, when a person navigates the mental health care system on their own. We increased the appointment rate by 178% compared to the national average.

34% had Medicaid or no coverage

Care Solace connected individuals to quality mental health care providers regardless of coverage.

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64% from the BIPOC community

Care Solace provides equitable access to care for RCC’s diverse student body.

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Care Solace will give you timely, frequent, personalized help and a ‘no quit' attitude. That's what I love the most; they will exhaust every possible means and resource available to ensure you get the right care.
Kevin Wurtz, LMFT
Mental Health Services Supervisor

Conclusion

Over the course of 5+ years serving students on campus, it became clear that even as a licensed therapist with 18+ years of experience and support from the associate therapists he supervises, Wurtz would not be able to meet the increasing need for therapeutic support. Working collaboratively with Care Solace, Wurtz is now able to successfully navigate the mental health care system and provide support every step of the way for his students.

Let’s chat about how Care Solace can work alongside you.

 

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