Intermountain West Pines Behavioral Hospital Continues Legacy of Care, Serving Denver-area Residents

Intermountain West Pines Behavioral Hospital (formerly Health) has served the Denver area and its residents needing behavioral health services for more than 30 years. Many patients have benefited from expert care and support through its in-patient programs, partial hospitalization, and outpatient programs over the years. It has changed lives and given hope to those in need.

“We love being able to provide women with the opportunity to have the support and education they deserve while healing from Substance Use and learning to be a mother,” said Michelle Deuto BSN, RN, RNC, Recovery Nurse Advocate at Intermountain Health. “We are so grateful to be part of their journey and see their strength and joy.”

One such patient is Loren Wollet, who was given the support she needed to overcome a life of drug addiction that tore her family apart. Wollet came to West Pines while she was pregnant with her second daughter. She had already lost custody of her first child due to her drug use during pregnancy.

“Because of the pain and trauma of losing my daughter, I ended up taking opioids again,” Wollet said. Still, she recognized that her next baby and her marriage were at risk unless she faced her addiction.

Wollet checked into West Pines’ 10-day medically supervised detox program in September 2021. “It was four days before my birthday and it was a really tough time because I was pregnant and withdrawing,” she said.

While Wollet was in detox, she was offered a 14-day residential program. There, she participated in art groups, therapy sessions and more. At the time, she was homeless. Her nurse found a bed for her at Aspen Miracle Center, a home for pregnant women in recovery. She went from West Pines to Aspen, where she stayed for 83 days.

Wollet has remained sober since the day she checked in to West Pines. After giving birth to her second daughter in January 2022, she stayed on MAT (medication-assisted treatment) therapy to help curtail her drug cravings and is slowly tapering off them. Her daughter was born healthy and experienced no withdrawal symptoms. She now lives with her husband and daughter in an apartment.

Wollet is grateful for the many facets of support she received throughout her recovery. “The people at West Pines genuinely wanted to help and did everything in their power to make sure I beat my addiction. Life has completely changed this past year and a half, and we are so blessed.”

Wollet completed the training and certification to become a Mandatory Reporter for the Department of Human Services, which runs Child Protective Services. She is required by law to report any child abuse or neglect she witnesses. She now attends Lutheran’s Circle of Parents program weekly and remains close with Michelle     Deuto, the West Pines recovery nurse advocate who helped her turn her life around.

Recently, Wollet and her husband talked with the doctors and nurses about the stigma surrounding pregnant women with substance use disorders. She spoke on a panel in hopes of trying to get them to change the language with which they speak about the disease. They bravely shared their stories and answered questions and after, stopped by West Pines to introduce their daughter.

Wollet shares her story to bring hope to other people struggling with substance use disorder and to inspire others to fight for themselves and get clean. She would like people to know that recovery is possible and that if she can do it while homeless and pregnant, and be successful, anyone can.

“Recovery is a struggle worth fighting every day to stay clean,” Wollet said. “My reward for getting and staying clean is being present for every smile, every laugh, and every milestone my daughter achieves. She is my superhero and my motivation to live a clean and sober life.”

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., www.intermountainhealth.org is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.