Washington Hospital IHOT
Comprehensive Multicultural and Multilingual Continuum of Care
The Hume Center’s comprehensive multicultural and multilingual continuum of care operates nine service departments out of two main, and three satellite, clinics as well as relevant on site services provided in the community and local schools. Our services are primarily performed in the Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, with some clinical services also available in the greater Bay Area.
We value professional and accessible services. Our clinicians are licensed in the state of California, and we have great pride in being able to provide services in multiple languages. We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Please let our staff know if your preferred language is not English, as we currently have staff and trainee fluency in: English, Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu.
Washington Hospital IHOT (Transitions Team)
The Hume Center is partnering with Alameda Behavioral Health and Washington Hospital to address the emergency department’s challenges with frequent visits for patients ages 18 and above, living in the Southern Region of Alameda County with behavioral health needs through increased service options and enhanced care coordination/ linkage.
The Hume Center IHOT program in collaboration with the Washington Hospital Emergency Department provides 18+ adults with behavioral health needs:
- Immediate disposition resources
- Ongoing contact to reduce the utilization of the ED
- Care coordination & linkage to Alameda County (or other appropriate county/community services).
Who We Serve
The implementation of these services will focus on outpatient support services to increase engagement with individuals who have not consistently participated in mental health treatment.
Collaboration
This unique team includes partnership between clinicians, peer specialists, as well as family partners who work closely with the Washington Hospital Emergency Room medical team and various other community partners including but not limited to: Fremont MHET team, Alameda County AOT, John George Psychiatric Hospital, and Cherry Hill Sobering & Detox Center.
Outpatient Support Services Features
Linkage
The WH IHOT team assists patients with connecting, or linking, to community resources and programs that fit the patients’ behavioral health needs. This includes connecting with the ACCESS and Centerpoint screening call centers, communicating with Alameda county temporary and transitional housing coordinators, collaborating with the Fremont Mental Health Assessment Team, the Alameda Assisted Outpatient Team, local IHOT teams, Food/Clothing resources, and many more behavioral health resources.
Outreach
The WH IHOT team performs daily outreach within the Washington Hospital Emergency Room 7 days per week. Additionally, team members coordinate with the Fremont Police MHET team to outreach for patients currently living in or temporarily occupying encampments and shelters. Team members are properly equipped with appropriate clothing and safety equipment and have received guidance and education by the MHET team for how to conduct themselves in homeless encampments.
Family Services
The WH IHOT team includes a Family Partner whose primary goal is to provide education and support to the families of the patients. This includes making home visits and providing basic counseling as well as providing education and directing families to community resources such as NAMI. Additionally, the Family Partner holds monthly meetings at the clinic for the patients’ families to receive support from their peers.
Admission Criteria
- Have been admitted to hospital for behavioral health issues 5 or more times in past 12 months,
- Are Medi-Cal eligible, and
- Are not currently already connected with an existing Alameda County behavioral health program.
Steps to be Admitted
Staff
This program is staffed by licensed mental health providers, peer specialists, and family partners. The Hume Center is a training clinic for peer specialists, care coordinators, family partners, master-degree and doctoral-degree practicum students. Additionally the Hume Center is an approved APPIC internship and post-doctoral fellowship training program.
History of This Program
This multi-year pilot program was approved in 2024, and will use the IHOT (In-Home Outreach Team) model to engage individuals, with suspected moderate-to-severe mental illness accessing care through the Washington Hospital Emergency Department, and assertively intervene both during and after the ED visits to redirect them to more appropriate service settings more effectively able to meet their individual needs.
Washington Hospital IHOT (Transitions Team)
This Service is Offered AT
Washington Hospital in collaboration with the Fremont Clinic.
Eligibility Criteria
Patients who have been admitted to Washington Hospital Emergency Room 5 or more times in the past 12 months
Services are Provided BY
Staff and trainees receiving supervision by licensed psychologists.