Spotlight: Windmill Wellness Uses Measurement-Based Care to Drive Better Outcomes
At Windmill Wellness Ranch, data isn’t just a reporting requirement—it’s a core part of how clinical decisions are made, how treatment is refined, and how long-term recovery is supported. In a recent presentation, Windmill’s leadership team shared how they’ve built a high-performing, outcomes-driven treatment model using a structured, measurement-based care approach powered by Trac9.
Click here to download and read the complete Windmill Wellness presentation.
Who Is Windmill Wellness
Windmill Wellness is a co-occurring mental health and addiction treatment center located in the Texas Hill Country, serving clients across a full continuum of care—from detox and residential treatment to outpatient services. Founded in 2017 by Shannon Malish, LCSW-S, Windmill was built to address systemic gaps in behavioral healthcare and move beyond “band-aid” fixes by focusing on trauma-informed, whole-person healing: mind, body, and spirit.
Despite being a relatively small program, Windmill has achieved impressive results:
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Over 2,000 clients served
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Strong patient and employee Net Promoter Scores
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High alumni engagement and referral rates
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Recognition from multiple industry and workplace awards
Most importantly, Windmill patients consistently outperform national benchmarks across key recovery indicators, including overall recovery improvement, symptom reduction, and resilience building during treatment.
The Three Pillars of Windmill’s Success
Windmill attributes its outcomes to three core pillars:
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Data-Driven Care
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A Consistent Treatment Model
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Whole-Person, Holistic Healing
At the center of the data-driven approach is a structured outcomes measurement framework that gives clinicians real-time insight into patient progress across both clinical risk factors and protective resilience factors.
What Gets Measured
The program uses nine clinically validated assessments to track progress across two critical domains:
Pathology (Risk) Factors:
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Stress
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Verbal Craving
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Visual Craving
Resilience (Protective) Factors:
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Quality of Life
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Spirituality
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Optimism
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Commitment to Sobriety
This balanced view allows clinicians to see not only what symptoms are improving, but also how patients are building the internal strengths that support long-term recovery.
How Data Is Used in Day-to-Day Care
Windmill didn’t adopt measurement-based care as a passive reporting tool—it was fully embedded into daily operations:
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Weekly patient assessments
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Twice-weekly therapy sessions informed by data trends
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Weekly multidisciplinary treatment council meetings, bringing together clinicians, nurses, recovery coaches, psychologists, and operations staff to review assessments, discuss risks, and evaluate readiness for changes in level of care
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Monthly leadership quality meetings to evaluate system-wide trends
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Quarterly board-level reviews focused on long-term outcomes and strategic improvements
Clinicians are expected to review data weekly—both on their own and with their clients—and to integrate quantitative goals directly into treatment planning.
Why This Approach Was Chosen
Windmill set clear requirements for any measurement system it would adopt:
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Evidence-based assessments
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Access to expert support and training
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Data that is usable for both clinicians and leadership
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A platform designed for continuous improvement
The goal was not to turn clinicians into statisticians, but to give them practical, clinically meaningful insights that improve care in real time.
Making Implementation Work
To ensure success, Windmill focused heavily on feasibility and adoption:
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Tablets were provided to make assessments easy and accessible for clients
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Staff onboarding was updated to include structured training and mock exercises
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Ongoing trainings were built into the organization’s rhythm
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Clear standards were set for data review and clinical use
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Clients were educated early on about why the assessments matter and how they support recovery
This emphasis on both staff and client buy-in helped make measurement-based care part of the culture, not just another administrative task.
Measurable Impact: During and After Treatment
The outcomes have been compelling:
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During treatment, Windmill patients show greater improvements than national averages in recovery progress, symptom reduction, and resilience building.
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After discharge, patients demonstrate:
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Higher alcohol abstinence rates
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Lower rates of drug use
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Greater overall life satisfaction
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Long-term monitoring shows that patients are not only improving during treatment, but also maintaining those gains after they leave, reinforcing the value of consistent measurement and follow-up.
Why Therapist Review Matters
One of the most important findings shared in the presentation is the strong link between how often clinicians review patient data and patient outcomes. Higher rates of clinician review are associated with:
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Greater improvements in overall recovery scores
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Significantly reduced relapse risk
In fact, the impact of consistent clinical review compares favorably with well-known medical interventions in terms of relative risk reduction—highlighting just how powerful structured measurement and feedback can be in behavioral healthcare.
The Big Picture
Windmill’s experience shows that measurement-based care, when implemented thoughtfully, strengthens clinical judgment rather than replacing it. By embedding structured outcomes data into clinical workflows, leadership oversight, and long-term strategy, Windmill has created a system where progress is visible, treatment is continuously refined, and patients are better supported on their path to lasting recovery.
Click here to download and read the complete Windmill Wellness presentation.
