In first 2 years, The Link shows big impact in addressing community needs

People in Sioux Falls rarely detox in an emergency room or in jail any longer.

That’s one of the biggest community impacts in the first two years of operation for The Link, a downtown triage center formed by the city of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, Avera Health and Sanford Health.

On an individual basis, though, the stories are profound in a powerful way.

There’s the person, for instance, who came to The Link 68 times to sleep off intoxication and refused a medically managed detox each time — until the 69th visit.

Treatment followed, and “last I knew, which was several months ago, they were still clean and sober,” said Thomas Otten, assistant vice president of Avera Behavioral Health, who is part of the Avera team managing The Link.

“You just have to stay with patients.”

Since June 2021, nearly 8,400 triage visits have occurred at The Link, which is at 123 N. Dakota Ave., and nearly 2,700 individuals have been served.

A lot of these patients used to show up at hospital emergency departments, where managing the intoxication is much costlier than at The Link and takes up space from other medical emergencies. Now, if patients are at hospitals in need of detox and other services, “they’ll call The Link and transfer them to us rather quickly, which has been a great fit,” Otten said in a Tuesday update to the Sioux Falls City Council.

It also has helped ease a burden on the jail. Official numbers will be released next month, but Otten said ballpark figures show bookings related to intoxication have dropped from about 1,000 per year to fewer than 50.

“It is a remarkable change in how we’re treating this as a community,” he said.

Key word: Treating.

While The Link has a sobering center where people can sleep off alcohol or drugs for six to 10 hours and “when they can walk, they’re free to go,” Otten said, it also offers medically managed detox where patients spend a few days in substance withdrawal before being “linked” to the next stage in their treatment — often intensive outpatient or inpatient care.

“The vision is to create a community where hope lives and everyone is respected,” Otten said.

The Link also offers three beds for those in mental health crisis and can connect patients with post-sexual assault care in collaboration with The Compass Center.

Here’s a look at those served so far:

The data suggests that while The Link has served thousands in need already, there could be many more who could benefit from the services.

As of 2018, there were 21,615 adults in the Sioux Falls area experiencing a substance use disorder. In 2019, 38 percent of Sioux Falls adults self-reported binge drinking.

“Alcohol by far remains the king,” Otten said. “It is by far the most common substance we see (with) abuse.”

Other substances being abused include:

• Methamphetamines
• MDMA, or ecstasy
• Marijuana
• Prescription drugs
• Fentanyl and other opioids
• Cocaine
• Heroin

Chances are, there’s someone in everyone’s life who might benefit from the services offered at The Link, Otten said, sharing that he experienced it in his own family just a few weeks ago.

He helped a family member connect with The Link who had decided after years of struggling with alcohol to get help.

They walked in the door like anyone else, and The Link “could not have been more welcoming — open arms — just telling her she can get there,” he said. “Probably a third of the staff that work at The Link have their own addiction story.”

The Link is open every day, 24 hours a day. Anyone can walk in for service or be brought by others. To connect by phone, call 605-275-1000.