A Story of Strength, Recovery, and Giving Back

As we celebrate National Nurses Week, we take a moment to thank, recognize, and applaud Kristin Waite-Labott, RN, Freedom Institute’s Senior Admissions Coordinator and founder of the Wisconsin Peer Alliances for Nurses. Kristin is the first person our clients and referrers ‘meet’ when exploring Freedom’s programs. A registered nurse herself, Kris joined Freedom Institute in 2019 as a recovery coach, working with nurses who were struggling with substance use issues. Today, she runs our Admissions operation, welcoming clients to Freedom, listening to them closely, and working together to get them on the right track. It’s the perfect role to employ Kris’ remarkable clinical and life experience, innate kindness and sensitivity, and administrative powers. 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT FREEDOM INSTITUTE, AND HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY HERE?

I started with Veritus as a nurse recovery coach. I have been a nurse for 33 years this year and have spent 19 of those years in recovery from alcohol and opioid use disorders. I lost almost everything (my job, my nursing license, my freedom) and after four months of incarceration, I decided I wanted to do whatever was necessary to stay in recovery. Thankfully I have not returned to use since that time.

After a few years I sought to rejoin the nursing profession and applied for reinstatement of my nursing license. I was granted a restricted license and joined a five-year monitoring program. It was an intense program, but I completed it and have my full licensure again. I was extremely grateful to that program for allowing me to be a nurse again but I was overwhelmed as I went through it. There was no support offered outside of the traditional 12-step and therapy approaches (they didn’t have any experience with the monitoring program however).

In 2015, I published a book about my journey, An Unlikely Addict. A few years before, my therapist had encouraged me to write down my story. I was having a hard time dealing with all I had gone through, and through writing, I was able to share it and could begin to work through it. That book was how the crew at Veritus found me and asked me to join their team to work with nurses going through many of the things I had gone through. What a blessing to be able to use the messy part of my life to make things better for another nurse. I jumped at the chance.

As I got to know the Veritus and Freedom Institute team, I took on more responsibility and when Veritus merged with Freedom Institute I stayed on and started doing admissions. When Silver Hill and Freedom Institute partnered last year, I stayed on as the Senior Admissions Coordinator.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR ROLE AS SENIOR ADMISSIONS COORDINATOR, WHAT YOU DO, AND HOW YOU APPROACH YOUR WORK?

I have the privilege of being the first person at Freedom Institute that most clients talk with. Many are overwhelmed with the circumstances they find themselves in, and I talk to them about the services we offer and try to give them hope. I connect them with the right clinician to do their intake assessment and I see them through the process until they are admitted to one of our programs.

I then hand them off to their individual clinician. I stay in contact as they progress through treatment, calling after a few weeks to check in, and sending a follow up survey once they complete. I want them to know I am there every step of the way, and that they can reach out to me if they need to.

HOW DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A NURSE INFORM YOUR ROLE IN ADMISSIONS AS WELL AS IN OTHER WAYS AT FREEDOM INSTITUTE?

In particular, my recovery helps me connect with the clients with great empathy. Even though most don’t know that I am in recovery, clients seem to have a sense of connection with me that helps them to open up and feel safe. If I encounter a client who is having a hard time sharing, maybe they have a lot of shame or fear, I may share with them that I am in recovery too and that I understand. It isn’t often, but when I do, I can almost hear them release a breath and relax. Either way, I try to extend to each client the respect we all deserve, to let them know they have come to the right place, and we will do all we can to help them.

I complete a phone screening, using my nursing assessment skills, to ensure each client is safe. Safe to themselves and not in need of detox, and to determine where they may fit in our program. I make sure they understand they are a partner with us in their treatment and we are here to find the best path with them.

WHEN AND WHY DID YOU FOUND THE WISCONSIN PEER ALLIANCE FOR NURSES AND CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES?

Through my work with Veritus, I learned that New York has a peer support program for nurses with substance use issues. It is called SPAN, Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses. I thought to myself, we need that in Wisconsin (which is where I live and work).

So, in September 2021 I launched WisPAN, Wisconsin Peer Alliance for Nurses. We started by offering peer support for nurses with substance use issues. Peer support is really just one person with lived experience talking with someone who may be newer to the experience. We have nurses in recovery sharing with nurses who may just be starting their recovery journey. It is so meaningful to use our recovery stories to support others and to let them know they too can overcome the difficulties they are facing. When they hear from those who have made it through, and returned to safe nursing practice, it gives them hope that they can do it too. They realize their life is not over, their career can be regained, and that they have support through the entire process. It is exactly what I needed when I went through my struggles all those years ago.

We have 2-3 virtual peer support meetings per week, depending on the week. Virtual means nurses from any state can join us, and they do. Early this year we launched an additional arm to WisPAN, peer support for nurse mental wellness. Realizing that substance use issues often start with some form of mental unwellness, we thought it would be good to offer peer support to all nurses. Wouldn’t it be great if nurses got the help they needed early on and never went down the path of problematic substance use? Whether a student nurse, long time nurse, retired nurse, all are welcome. We support each other to get through burnout, stress, hardships, short staffing, and all other issues faced by nurses. Together we can share resources, coping skills, and be there for each other in a way others, who aren’t nurses, can’t.

See Kristin here representing WisPAN on 23WIFR.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE NEW YORK CITY — WISCONSIN COMMUTE? :)

I love that I get to work in both states, most of the time from WI. It’s the best of both worlds and my respective work with both Freedom Institute and WisPAN enriches and informs each other. For me, it’s ideal.

IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, FREEDOM INSTITUTE HAS EXPANDED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO REFLECT HARM REDUCTION PRINCIPLES. HOW DOES THIS WORK FROM AN ADMISSIONS PERSPECTIVE?

It is so refreshing to be able to offer additional services beyond our traditional Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP). If a client isn’t right for IOP, instead of referring them elsewhere, we can recommend another service at Freedom. Maybe they want to work with one of our clinicians individually, or perhaps they would do well in an outpatient group. We have so many different options for clients that they can find what works for them right here at Freedom.