How Compass Health Center Brookfield Is Redefining Patient-Centered Care in Wisconsin: An Interview with Allison Lancione, LPC, ICS
When families in Wisconsin face a mental health crisis, knowing where to turn can be overwhelming. Weekly therapy often isn’t enough, while hospitalization might feel too intensive. Compass Health Center’s Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs bridge that gap, providing immediate access to evidence-based, psychiatrist-led care that helps people regain stability. Compass now offers in-person services in Brookfield, and virtual services statewide.
As Compass opens its Brookfield location, Director of Clinical Services Allison Lancione, LPC, brings more than 15 years of clinical experience in PHP and IOP care, trauma, mood disorders, and substance use treatment. She has devoted much of her career to supporting both patients and clinicians, creating environments where staff feel empowered to deliver the highest-quality care.
In this interview with Britt Teasdale, Associate Director of Brand and Content, Allison shares her journey, her perspective on the mental health landscape in Wisconsin, and why Compass’s model of care is uniquely suited to meet the moment.
This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and flow. The speaker’s original meaning and intent have not been changed.
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Q&A
Britt Teasdale (BT): Tell me about your professional background and what brought you to Compass.
Allison Lancione (AL):
I am a licensed professional counselor by training. I have been in the field for about 14 years, working in PHP and IOP levels of care for the majority of my career.
I started as a clinician specializing in working with individuals diagnosed with trauma, but also mood disorders and substance use disorders. Over the past six years, I’ve spent a large majority of my time focused on clinical supervision and the development of clinicians—supporting their growth as new clinicians and those who have been in the field for a while—providing consultation and case conceptualization, and supporting well-being within the field of counseling.
What interested me in Compass was the values of the organization and patient-centered care being at the forefront of everything Compass does. I’m excited that Compass embraces the values they’ve set in place and holds true to patient-centered care. With that comes supporting clinicians, which is an important piece of the work that I do, supporting an environment of clinicians and staff so we can provide the best care possible to the individuals who are coming in every day for treatment.
BT: It’s amazing. Are you part of the Brookfield community? Do you live nearby?
AL:
Brookfield is in Waukesha County, and our location is close to the Milwaukee County border. I’m just over the border in Milwaukee County, around the Tosa area by the medical college.
BT: Have you lived in Wisconsin your whole life?
AL:
No, I was born in Wisconsin, but right before I turned three, we moved to New York. I grew up on the East Coast, but I came back to Wisconsin when my parents retired—they returned here—and then my husband and I started a family. We wanted to be close to family, and that’s how I ended up here in Wisconsin.
BT: What does opening a new mental health center, Compass Brookfield, close to home, mean for you?
AL:
It’s a really exciting opportunity, especially post-pandemic. I have noticed a gap in mental health care. There are a lot of waitlists for outpatient providers and prescribers, as well as intermediate and higher levels of care—from partial hospitalization to residential—and at times people struggle to find a bed on an inpatient unit for individuals experiencing a crisis.
For me, it’s an exciting opportunity to offer evidence-based, patient-centered care for the community that needs it. We need another, better, option, and it’s exciting to bring this into the community.
BT: The intermediate level of care is so important, and not as many people as we’d like know about it. Can you speak about what makes PHP and IOP special for those who don’t need inpatient care but need more than weekly outpatient support?
AL:
Absolutely. Not everybody understands or knows about PHP and IOP. Individuals who need more than a once-a-week therapy appointment have the opportunity to come to Compass for PHP and spend approximately six hours a day really diving into skills they may have been working on with their outpatient therapist but didn’t have enough time to process, work through, and engage in.
This gives individuals the opportunity to come in, learn these skills, go home and apply what they’re learning, to perhaps a difficult experience that evening, or by engaging in something they’d been avoiding. They come in the next day and work through the bumps they experienced or share with their peers and treatment team how successful they were in applying a skill or doing something they’ve avoided for quite some time.
Our goal at Compass is also to support individuals who are experiencing higher acuity symptoms—suicidal ideation, self-harm concerns—without stepping someone up to an inpatient unit. In fact, around 88% of individuals we see in our care have experienced suicidal ideation and we’ve been able to treat that in a partial level of care without necessarily stepping up to an inpatient facility or residential level of care.
BT: You mentioned you’ve spent most of your career in this level of care. Why did you choose to focus here? What drew you to it and keeps you coming back?
AL:
When I was practicing as a clinician and seeing individuals every day, there was that piece of being able to work with somebody through really difficult points of their life and seeing them progress on a daily basis. Six weeks can feel long for individuals. For a clinician, I recognize it’s a small part of their journey, and I get to share that experience and see improvements in a shorter amount of time.
I also really appreciate working with the treatment team—our psychiatric prescribers, registered nurses, all of the people who wrap around an individual during their care—which is unique to partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. I like watching an individual go through this journey of care and see gains in their treatment.
BT: Let’s touch on those gains. We know the Compass model of care is proven. How do we know what we’re doing works?
AL:
We use evidence-based approaches: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Our patients take assessments upon admission, throughout their care, and when they step down to IOP so we can assess progress.
For example, when someone is in our Mood & Anxiety program, we ask them to take the PHQ-9, which assesses levels of depression. We’ve seen that individuals who come into our care experience, on average, a 55% decrease in depressive symptoms over the time they’re with us in partial hospitalization.
BT: For someone who doesn’t understand how symptom reduction is measured—they may think a 55% decrease doesn’t sound like a lot—how would you describe that?
AL:
Great question. We talk about time in treatment. In partial hospitalization, these things take time—we often refer to six weeks. There are markers we share with individuals: the more time they spend with us—around 24 days in partial hospitalization—the more improvement they will see.
We have created patient-friendly tools and visuals, including the Recovery Curve and Zone of Optimal Outcomes. We might say, “If you’re with us for 14 days, your depression may decrease by 4 points. But if you look at our outcomes, individuals in partial hospitalization for 24 days see depression decrease even more.” We explain that we have a sweet spot for days in care. It seems like a lot of time to give, and we know that if you’re with us for at least 24 days in partial hospitalization, followed by a step down to intensive outpatient, depression, anxiety, and OCD symptoms come down significantly compared to two weeks in treatment.
BT: Really good to understand. We know everyone’s symptoms feel different, but as a generalization, what would it feel like to have depression reduced by 55%? What could that look like in someone’s life?
AL:
From a generalized perspective: being able to move toward activities you’ve been avoiding because of depressive symptoms. I like to look at it through values—what do you value, and have you been unable to engage in those values because of depression or anxiety?
It might look like getting one extra hour of sleep. Or, if I’ve been struggling with basic hygiene—brushing my teeth, taking a shower—maybe now I can shower twice a week versus not being able to when I came into treatment. It might look like spending time with a loved one, going out to see family again, or reading a book—something I enjoy but couldn’t do because of my symptoms.
BT: You mentioned the mental health challenges you’re seeing in Wisconsin—long waitlists, limited access to this level of care. Why is Compass’s model well-suited to handle these challenges?
AL:
It starts at the beginning of someone’s experience with Compass. From the time someone calls or submits an inquiry online, they get a response quickly. That’s what we pride ourselves on—connecting with individuals and getting them into PHP and IOP rapidly. Some people have experienced long callback times or long waits to get into programming elsewhere.
Compass values responding so people can start treatment, typically within a day. They reach out, have an assessment, and then they’re in our doors. That ability to get into care—adults and adolescents—means they’re not on waitlists with symptoms increasing. We know that within Wisconsin the suicide rate has increased significantly and is one of the top causes of death in the state. It’s critical to get people into care as soon as possible.
BT: As a parent, clinician, and site leader, why is immediate access so important? What does waiting do to a family versus being seen right away?
AL:
Being able to get into care right away—and even the quick response from someone at Compass—starts to increase hope: someone’s answering me, hearing me, and I can come into treatment. When people are on waitlists, we see higher anxiety: How long will this take? When will things get better? That can lead to hopelessness and helplessness if access to care isn’t quick.
Navigating mental health systems can be overwhelming. Making things streamlined and simple decreases anxiety and alleviates fears: How do I get into treatment? How do I get my child the care they need? What does this even mean? Compass makes it a simple process: people understand they can get treatment quickly and get answers rapidly, without wondering whether they need a referral first, etc. Reaching out for help is scary, and we want to reduce stigma and ensure people have access to care. As a parent of teenagers, it can be scary when your child is experiencing symptoms. I want my children to have the best care, and I want that for our community as well.
BT: Beyond immediacy, many people struggle with multiple diagnoses or challenges. How is our approach unique?
AL:
What I appreciate about the Compass model is that we can address co-occurring concerns or multiple issues someone is experiencing. If an individual has a trauma diagnosis, they can be treated for trauma and also attend other groups offering generalized skills to address depression or interpersonal relationships. They don’t have to complete one area of treatment before moving to the next.
Care isn’t siloed. If someone has OCD, they’ll get ERP daily and can also attend more generalized groups that help with skills outside OCD, or tailored to OCD and anxiety. That means individuals get a good dose of skills outside a specialty area and can start to return to work or school—without having to complete one program and then go somewhere else to address a second issue. We can provide several specialty care areas at the same time, which also reduces the total time someone is in treatment.
BT: Why is that needed right now in Wisconsin?
AL:
Often individuals aren’t experiencing just one diagnosis in a vacuum. With trauma, for example, there’s the trauma diagnosis and its symptoms, but also how it affects mood, values, engagement in community, and interpersonal relationships. Learning interpersonal effectiveness or reconnecting with values is a great way to provide care. People rarely experience things in silos—it’s all-encompassing—so offering care that addresses individual needs rather than a single diagnosis is critical.
BT: What are common misconceptions about PHP and IOP?
AL:
One misconception is that PHP and IOP can’t address higher-acuity needs, like suicidal ideation—acute or chronic—self-harm, or substance use. When done correctly, PHP and IOP can absolutely address those areas.
Another concern is the time commitment. People may feel they don’t have the time or ability to balance PHP or IOP. At Compass, we validate that and ensure they have things in place to focus on treatment. If someone needs help with FMLA paperwork, we help. If they need short-term disability to extend beyond FMLA, we help. We problem-solve and navigate the time in treatment. We want people to feel comfortable coming into PHP and know there’s a treatment team to help them step away from responsibilities and obligations for the time needed to complete treatment.
BT: How does Compass differ from other providers of PHP and IOP in the area?
AL:
We tailor everything to be patient-centered. From the start—reaching out for services—the quick response sets us apart: the ability to speak with someone right away and be assessed by a licensed therapist.
When they come into care, we can treat multiple diagnoses at once. Our treatment team setup is also distinctive: individuals work with a primary therapist and a family therapist. That stands out, because many organizations have the primary therapist also serve as the family therapist. Family therapists specialize in that work—they educate the family and help support the patient through care.
We also have our psychiatric team—either a psychiatrist or an APNP. Individuals meet with them twice a week. We have an RN on the team as well. For adolescents, we have an education specialist. Historically, Compass education specialists have backgrounds in education and have worked in schools, then moved into mental health. They can navigate school systems and advocate for adolescents and children in our care: what we’re working on, what they might need on returning to school, the coping skills that will benefit them, and who the support people will be when they return.
They also work with schools to ensure adolescents have the work they need. That gets added into a morning group where adolescents work on schoolwork with the education specialist so they’re not falling too far behind. This is special to Compass and helps adolescents integrate back into school with the tools they need to be successful. As a parent, that eases anxiety about academics and extracurriculars when sending a child or adolescent into treatment.
BT: What would you say to a parent or individual, adult or young adult, unsure whether they need the PHP or IOP level of care?
AL:
I would validate the reasons they’re uncertain. I encourage people to give it a try. If you’ve reached out, there’s a reason. If you’ve been referred by your outpatient therapist, there’s a reason.
We can validate that the first week of PHP and IOP can be overwhelming. It’s a different setting and may be unfamiliar. Validating concerns, hesitations, and fear is a priority for me and our team. We explain the benefits of PHP and IOP. It might seem like a long time. It sounds cliché, but taking care of yourself before you can care for others applies here.
It might feel like a long time to be in treatment, however if symptoms are unaddressed this can continue to impede day-to-day activities, work, or for adolescents, school. That can compound over time and make the problem bigger, potentially leading to residential care, longer time out of work, or inpatient stabilization. I say: give PHP and IOP a try. We will work with you to get the tools you need to be successful and reduce symptoms.
BT: If someone is unsure whether to go to the ER or bring their teen to the ER, or to call Compass, what would you say?
AL:
If it’s a psychiatric emergency—if the person is stating they are suicidal in the moment and cannot remain safe, or there are any signs of self-harm injuries—we want them to go to the ER.
If someone is having an increase in symptoms and things don’t feel like they’re getting better, or they’re struggling to complete daily tasks—avoiding situations, experiencing an increase in panic attacks, crying more than usual, for example—that’s a time to call Compass. So I’d differentiate: if it’s a psychiatric emergency and someone absolutely cannot keep themselves safe—suicidal ideation with plan and intent—take them to the ER. Otherwise, if symptoms are increasing and daily life is difficult, reach out to us.
BT: That’s helpful. Bringing it full circle, nurturing clinicians is really important to you. With immediate access to care, specialized programs, and our environment at Compass, nurturing our clinical culture matters. What kind of clinical culture are you aiming to build, and why?
AL:
We want clinicians to feel supported in day-to-day functions and beyond. Every day we have rounding and the ability for clinicians to share where they might need help—covering a group, meeting with some of the patients during the today—so we provide support for the clinic’s basic needs. Beyond that is supervision and consultation: designated times to sit in a group setting or with their clinical supervisor to talk through where they might feel stuck or need extra support, and to share if they’re experiencing burnout or compassion fatigue—figuring out what additional supports they’ll need. That’s important in this line of work, given how intense it can be at all levels of mental health care.
We also create an environment that’s fun. We celebrate successes—completing licensure (a huge accomplishment), birthdays, milestones—or even hosting a random potluck. Clinicians may plan outings outside of the clinic. Creating an environment where people feel comfortable sharing difficulties and celebrating wins is important because we’re experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals. People are passionate about this line of work and if it’s not supportive, its not sustainable, they leave the field. It’s important for me and the other clinical supervisors to create an environment where people feel welcome, supported, and connected—building community among clinicians so they have support day-to-day and outside of here.
Britt: One final question. Is there anything you wish I had asked that you’d like to speak to, about yourself, the community, or Compass?
AL:
One thing: at Compass, it’s not just about the work we do inside the clinic and our daily delivery of treatment in PHP and IOP. It’s important to connect with the community and figure out what our collaborators need—schools, individual providers, and partners—and how we can support outside of PHP and IOP. We want to be a resource to the community at large beyond daily treatment services.
Watch the Full Interview
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Bios
Allison Lancione, LPC, ICS is the Site Director for Compass Health Center Brookfield. With over 13 years of clinical experience in PHP and IOP levels of care, Allison specializes in trauma, mood disorders, and substance use treatment. She has dedicated much of her career to clinical supervision and clinician well-being, ensuring that teams feel supported and empowered to provide high-quality, patient-centered care.
Britt Teasdale is a writer, photographer, and creative strategist. As Associate Director of Brand Management & Content at Compass Health Center, she has spent nearly a decade shaping narratives that translate complex clinical ideas into stories that resonate, reduce stigma, and help families access care. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing and began her career in journalism. She is also co-host of Compass’s forthcoming podcast, You Only Know What You Know.
