Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center provide community-based mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) services across a multi-county region. Their continuum includes office-based therapy, psychiatry, school-based counseling embedded in more than 120 schools, residential and outpatient treatment, medication assisted treatment (MAT), and supportive housing. The MH/SUD service line serves more than 12,000 children, adolescents, adults, and families annually. Their goal is to increase access to behavioral health services and to bring healing, help, and hope to those who might otherwise face barriers to care.

In 2024, after attending a national mental health conference, the CEO and CPO of the service line recognized that artificial intelligence (AI) was not a passing trend but a powerful tool capable of transforming the delivery of mental health services. They understood that when used responsibly, AI could reduce documentation burden, strengthen clinical consistency, expand access, and generate meaningful data to improve outcomes. At the same time, it became clear to them that organizations slow to adopt would lose strategic ground as competitors leveraged these tools to increase efficiency and scale. Rather than remain reactive, Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center committed to disciplined, governance-driven adoption that positioned their service line at the forefront of responsible innovation in behavioral health in their region.

In early 2025, Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center implemented Qualifacts iQ Clinical Documentation across their EHR platforms, CareLogic and InSync, to modernize documentation workflows and reduce administrative burden for clinicians. Embedded directly and securely within the EHR’s, the AI-powered, encounter-based documentation tool supports real-time note capture and structured content generation, allowing providers to remain fully engaged with clients while strengthening accuracy and consistency. This implementation was designed not only to accelerate note completion, but also to reinforce documentation integrity, regulatory compliance, and revenue cycle performance across residential, outpatient, and community-based.

The Challenge: Documentation Overload

Before implementing Qualifacts iQ, clinicians completed documentation manually, resulting in a growing volume of open encounters that created sustained operational pressure. Many staff were working beyond standard hours to remain current, and clinical attention during sessions was often divided as providers focused on capturing sufficient detail to reconstruct encounters later. This documentation burden not only contributed to workforce strain and risk of burnout, but also disrupted revenue cycle performance, delaying claims submission and reimbursement from insurers and grant funders. Over time, it became clear that documentation inefficiency was both a clinical and financial vulnerability that required structural correction.

The Solution: Qualifacts iQ Clinical Documentation

Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center chose Qualifacts iQ to reduce documentation time, lower the number of open encounters, and relieve clinician burnout—while keeping client data safeguarded within the EHR.

• Secure Client Information: Keeping client information safe in one system was a primary factor in choosing Qualifacts iQ over external tools. Chris Seigel, Chief Program Officer for Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center noted, “One of the biggest reasons we chose Qualifacts iQ was the assurance that our client data stayed inside our existing EHR environment. With external AI tools, we couldn’t guarantee that level of safeguarding. Having security built in—from day one—made all the difference.”
• Fast, Simple Adoption: “Implementing Qualifacts iQ was surprisingly easy. The integration was seamless—our clinicians simply downloaded the extension, and they were ready to go. The rollout was smooth, the training was straightforward, and the tool fit naturally into our EHR workflows. It felt less like introducing a new technology and more like adding a missing piece we didn’t know we needed,” shared Seigel.
• Change Management Done Right: Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center’s senior leadership formed an AI steering committee, shared daily Q&As and tips with the service line teams, and consistently positioned Qualifacts iQ as a supportive tool—optional at first, with most clinicians eagerly opting in.

The Impact: Faster Documentation, Better Presence, Healthier Cash Flow

Since go-live, Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center report meaningful improvements across clinical and operational outcomes:

• 37% reduction in clinical documentation time
• Fewer open encounters: ~20 per day outside the 24-hour parameter (with continued focus on decreasing further)
• Improved revenue flow: Faster notes support timely reimbursement and protect team-based rate capture
• Better client experience: Providers are more present during sessions; clients notice increased attention. Additionally, very few clients opted out of the AI service, with one stating, “If it helps my therapist help me, I am all for it.”
• Work–life balance: Seigel noted, “By week two, one clinician left on a Friday with no outstanding documentation for the first time since she began working for the service line—a quality-of-life milestone.”

“We’re not seeing pushback from clients. Providers are more present in-session because they know Qualifacts iQ will capture what’s said,” shared Sharon Spruell, CEO of Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center.

Looking Ahead: Scaling AI Thoughtfully and Safely

Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center plan to continue leveraging Qualifacts iQ across its EHRs with an emphasis on transparency and safeguards. “Our clinicians who use Qualifacts iQ are experiencing reduced stress, better work–life balance, and more meaningful time with clients. That’s something we want for our entire team. As resources allow, we hope to bring more licenses on board so all our clinicians can benefit from the efficiencies and support that Qualifacts iQ provides,” Spruell shared.

Looking ahead, Catholic Charities ministries Saint Louis Counseling and Queen of Peace Center will continue adopting AI in ways that preserve the highest levels of security and confidentiality, ensuring every innovation strengthens both clinical care and the protection of client data. Their ongoing partnership with Qualifacts will play a central role as they scale secure, responsible AI tools across the organization.