CHESS Health, Crouse Health Partner To Address Substance Use Disorders (SUD)

CHESSHealth, Crouse Health Partner To Address Substance Use Disorders (SUD) SAMHSA Grant Brings Technology to Drug Court Efforts to Prevent Drug Abuse Relapse CHESS Health, a leading provider of addiction and relapse prevention technology company, is working with Crouse Health, a Syracuse-based health system, on a grant aimed at transforming the lives of area citizens who are struggling with substance use disorder. The grant, funded by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), brings Syracuse Community Treatment Court, a problem solving court, and Crouse together to help those with SUD recover and remain in recovery. The grant, which became effective September 30th, 2017, funds two Certified Peer Recovery Advocates, who, together with Crouse clinical staff, will use CHESS Health’s relapse prevention technology to help recovering addicts remain in recovery and prevent a return to drug use leveraging movable technology to maintain connection between peer specialists and those struggling with addiction. The A-CHESS platform and Connections App is smart phone-based mobile technology that connects users to support professionals, delivers alerts about ‘danger zones’ and provides encouragement through recovery material and personalized motivations. “Since 2010, we’ve seen a huge shift in our substance abuse treatment admission numbers from alcohol to heroin and other opioids— it challenges our clinical staff in ways we couldn’t have imagined,” says Monika Taylor director of health services at Crouse Health. “The A-CHESS platform supports continuous connection, a critical factor in staying on the path to recovery.” Taylor emphasizes that many of their SUD patients also present with other illnesses, such as Hepatitis C, diabetes, COPD, and asthma. While Crouse is enabled to address the behavioral and medical issues involved, CHESS Health supports connection between the health system and the drug court. The evidence-based technology, together with peer advocates who are empowered to intervene, help to chart a path forward for those plagued by SUD. About CHESS Health CHESS Health creates innovative solutions designed at the intersection of science, technology and recovery. Founded by nationally recognized substance abuse researcher Dr. Dave Gustafson, CHESS developed ACHESS, the leading evidence-based relapse prevention technology. By integrating A-CHESS into treatment plans, clinicians, case managers and coaches can best support those in recovery with access to predictive relapse analytics, condition-specific content and access to live support, reducing relapse by 50 percent while decreasing costs and saving lives. Founded in 2014, CHESS Health has quickly positioned itself as a leader in the mHealth space, receiving recognition from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), the Journal of Substance Abuse and the Surgeon General. To learn more about CHESS Health and the A-CHESS platform, visit www.chess.health. About Crouse Health Crouse Health, with over 3,100 employees, is one of Central New York’s largest employers. The system serves more than 24,000 inpatients, 82,000 emergency services patients and more than 150,000 outpatients a year from a 16-county area in Central and Northern New York. Crouse has been the region’s leading provider ofsubstance abuse treatment services since 1962, and offers a full range of inpatient and outpatient treatment and recovery services.