Rochester, NY, March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CHESS Health, the leading provider of evidence-based digital health solutions addressing substance use disorder (SUD), today announced the addition of a Rewards module to its clinically proven eRecovery solution. The new module enables CHESS Health’s partners to reinforce positive behavioral changes by offering incentives for individuals in SUD treatment as they reach critical goals, such as abstinence from drugs and alcohol, the completion of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) training, and adherence to overall treatment plans. This practice, often referred to as contingency management (CM), has been shown to positively impact SUD treatment outcomes.

“Addiction is incredibly difficult,” said Hans Morefield, Chief Executive Officer, CHESS Health. “We need to utilize every evidence-based tool available to help more individuals with SUD continue through treatment and maintain lasting recovery. Consistently reinforcing positive behavior is an important component of this journey, and the new Rewards module in our eRecovery solution gives our partners the power to provide this additional layer of motivation and support.”

Contingency management (CM) is considered to be one of the most effective behavioral interventions for initiating and maintaining abstinence from most types of commonly used drugs and alcohol. While multiple studies indicate its success, there remain barriers to executing these Rewards programs, including the challenges associated with orchestrating the distribution of rewards. Such issues have negatively impacted the uptake of this practice by physicians and healthcare providers.

CHESS Health’s new Rewards module will allow its partners―which include healthcare providers, health plans, community organizations, and state and local government―to define their own criteria for rewards, and determine specific rewards as well as delivery methods. The module automates any Rewards program, from enrollment to reward payments to financial tracking. Partners are able to measure program impact on patient behavior, retention in treatment, sobriety streaks, and other clinical outcomes. The new module is available through the CHESS Health Connections mobile app or as a standalone option.

“CHESS Health’s Connections app has become an essential recovery support app for our clients between therapy sessions,” said Jill Gamez, Executive Director of Arbor Place, an SUD provider in Menomonie, Wisconsin. “The new Rewards module enables staff to focus on providing services to our clients, and not the cumbersome tasks of manually managing and administering the elements of a contingency management program.”

The Rewards module is one component within CHESS Health’s eRecovery solution, which features the Connections app―a mobile app that meets individuals with SUD where they are by providing moderated peer support and on-demand CBT programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In various clinical studies, using the app correlated with a 40 to 50% reduction in key relapse risk factors, a 20% increase in the duration of treatment, a 30 to 40% decrease in dropout rates from intensive outpatient programs, and a 30 to 50% greater abstinence compared to the control group after a six- to 12-month follow-up.

"Ongoing connection and support are critical to long-term recovery from SUD,” explained Morefield. “Individuals participating in weekly therapy sessions must wait 167 hours from one session to the next. Our eRecovery solution helps individuals to reduce and manage risk moments―such as triggers, cravings, anxiety, and negative thinking―between visits to avoid return to use and remain in treatment longer. The new Rewards module is an important addition to our eRecovery offerings.”

CHESS Health will host an informative webinar titled Contingency Management: The Basics and Beyond on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 1:00 pm EST. The webinar will feature a panel of experts discussing trends, best practices, receptivity among various populations, potential impact, and more. To register, please visit https://chess-health.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0T72zt6cQrer9Ix4Ltd_PA. There is no cost to attend.

More than 40 million Americans live with substance use disorder. The relapse rate for individuals in recovery is between 40 to 60%. CHESS Health’s eRecovery solution―providing ongoing support for individuals during treatment and in recovery, is part of a more comprehensive digital platform that includes ePrevention―screening for individuals at risk for SUD to help prevent its onset, and eIntervention―a closed-loop referral system to connect those at risk with essential services. With this suite of offerings, CHESS Health aims to help more individuals enter treatment for substance use disorder, improve patient retention in treatment, reduce the risk of relapse, and lower the overall cost of care.

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About CHESS Health

CHESS Health is the leading provider of evidence-based digital health solutions addressing the individual and societal crisis of substance use disorder (SUD). Solutions are offered in partnership with healthcare providers, community organizations, state and local government, and health plans. The CHESS Health platform spans the entire lifecycle of SUD management―from prevention and intervention to treatment and recovery―and is proven to achieve higher abstinence rates, reduce the risk of relapse and lower the overall cost of care. Through CHESS Health’s current partnerships, statewide initiatives have been implemented across New Mexico, Oklahoma and West Virginia. For more information, visit chess.health.

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