The Rosecrance Florian Program serves uniformed service personnel such as firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, and military, offering the best opportunity for lasting recovery for co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders by incorporating occupational factors into the treatment process. Florian is the first program in the county dedicated to and specializing in helping fire service members who need substance abuse treatment and who also need care for job-related post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and other behavioral health issues.
The Florian Program gives uniformed service personnel a safe, structured environment where they can begin to heal and pursue long-term recovery.
Florian Program is housed in a designated co-ed unit at the Rosecrance Harrison Campus in Rockford, Illinois, which offers a full continuum of residential and outpatient services. Clients stay an average of 35 days on the unit and receive core services including: physician care; on-site detoxification with medication assistance; comprehensive psychiatric evaluations; individual, group and family counseling; peer support groups; counseling sessions with a certified chaplain; experiential therapies that include art and recreation; and nutrition health education.
How our treatment works
Florian clients benefit by having services tailored to the needs of people who experience ongoing exposure to trauma, access to staff with military and firefighting experience, and relationships with peer support leaders from the Illinois Firefighters Peer Support network and a community of firefighters. When clients’ treatment on the Florian unit concludes, Rosecrance offers comprehensive, individualized discharge planning to provide a smooth transition to aftercare services in clients’ own communities.
Rosecrance also has a well-established family program that takes place every weekend. Family members are invited and encouraged to attend two days of family education, which includes information about addiction and how substance abuse is a family disease. Florian clients also meet individually with their family members during treatment.
Florian is led by Daniel DeGryse, an active-duty Battalion Chief/EMT with more than 27 years of experience at the Chicago Fire Department and 30 years of experience in the field of addiction and mental health. Dan is also a certified employee assistance professional and a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor. To ensure the highest level of care, all Florian staff participates in regular cultural awareness training so they can better understand the physical and emotional nature of the fire service. That training includes suiting up in full firefighter gear and doing drills under the supervision of the Rockford Fire Department, whose fire chief serves on the Florian Advisory Committee. The 12-member committee, comprised of experienced firefighters, fire personnel, and a police officer with military service, advises Florian Program leaders and helps expand relationships and connections in the field.
Rosecrance moved the Florian unit to a bigger space in 2016 for the recent expansion of the program to serve all uniformed services, including police, military and corrections officers. Rosecrance decided to expand services to all first responders after finding success with addressing the needs of fire service personnel and identifying the often volatile climates faced by police and other first responders.
How to refer someone to our program
People can enter the program several different ways. They can refer themselves, a family member can refer a loved one or the referral could come directly from an employer (in this case, most often a fire department), an employee assistance program (EAP) or peer supporter. Anyone can contact Dan at 815-387-2461, 312-833-0196 or ddegryse@rosecrance.org for information.
Once an inquiry is made, a person is connected with our Access Department. An access staff member asks the person a series of questions to determine if he or she formally qualifies for treatment. After that, a phone assessment or in-person assessment is done with one of our master’s-level counselors. Insurance is verified, then people can be admitted to the Health Center for detoxification, if needed, or directly to the Florian unit.
The Rosecrans Florian Program Website:
https://www.rosecranceflorian.org/rosecrance-florian-program/
The Rosecrans Symposium Website:
http://www.rosecranceflorian.org/
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