2024 Walk For a HUG

Walk with us in our inaugural Walk For a HUG community event! The walk will take place Saturday, May 18^th, 2024 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Villa Linda Park.

Walk For a HUG includes a 5k walk or run, followed by family friendly activities. There will be local vendors, food trucks, live entertainment and much more!

Thanks to our generous supporters and event sponsors like YOU, 100% of fundraising efforts will be directed to help fund our high utilizer group services (HUGS) program here at CHRISTUS St. Vincent Hospital.

What is the HUGS program and who do they serve?

The HUGS program provides intensive, individualized, case management services to high utilizers of the emergency department. This program primarily works with individuals with co-occurring behavioral health and addiction issues, and those who are disproportionately affected by the social determinants of health.

Individual patients are engaged by Master’s level specialists who work with to assess for individual needs and develop care plans that will engage community resources. Many high utilizers have experienced chronic homelessness and behavioral health needs in our small community of Santa Fe for many years. Some have been identified as too difficult or high risk for services and require advocacy and support in order to re-engage with service providers in the community.

HUGS navigators work in collaboration with patients to connect with community resources and therapeutic services to help them access appropriate levels of care, and meet previously unaddressed needs or reach goals that have been historically unsuccessful.

HUGS services are trauma-informed, crisis prevention, therapeutic brief interventions aimed at connecting individuals to long-term community based services.   

The HUGS Program: Making a Difference