6 low-cost apps to help employees with drug and alcohol addiction

September 7, 2021 5:30 AM

For employees struggling with drug or alcohol addictions, new innovations in telehealth benefits can be an accessible and affordable way to help them.

Substance use disorders continue to climb during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people struggle with high levels of stress and uncertainty that may push them toward dangerous habits. For those already dealing with drug and alcohol addictions, the loss of in-person support made it even more difficult for them to get the consistent help they need.

But seeking treatment for these issues is no longer relegated to expensive and long-term rehab programs. Telehealth has stepped in to provide care and support that’s accessible at all times. These apps and digital offerings also hope to lessen the stigma of addiction and provide employers with tools to help their employees seek the treatment they need.

Lyra Reset

Mental health benefit provider Lyra Health will offer a comprehensive alcohol use disorder treatment program in 2022. Lyra Reset will provide virtual therapy, group sessions, access to recovery experts and coaches and online education to those seeking recovery from alcohol abuse.

"Our newest offerings build on our existing specialty solutions to close a critical gap in mental healthcare, supporting a population that has historically been underserved,” Dr. Connie Chen, chief operating officer at Lyra Health, said in a release.

Lionrock Recovery

After seeking out addiction treatment for his family members, Lionrock founder and CEO Peter Loeb realized there was a better way to provide

substance use support.

Patients have access to virtual intensive outpatient programs that provide individual and group addiction treatment, along with addiction education resources and family counseling sessions.The program has partnered with several organizations as an employee benefit.

“It was really a question of harnessing the power of the internet to be able to bring treatment to where people were, and with the privacy and convenience that they need to get help,” Loeb says.

Quit Genius

Quit Genius provides digital cognitive behavioral therapy, telemedicine options and access to clinical care teams to prescribe medications proven to assist in addiction recovery. The app has partnered with health insurance company Cigna to provide employers with a telehealth option to offer in their employee benefit plans.

“There is no vaccine for mental health or addiction,” Sherwani says. “Addiction is a chronic disease, not a moral failing. Addressing it from a leadership perspective is incredibly important.”

LivingClear

Avidon Health

released LivingClear

, a multi-week cognitive behavior recovery program targeting substance use disorders. Avidon partners directly with companies and their HR departments to provide self-guided lessons participants can access on their own schedule. The program hopes to combat the stigma associated with addiction and recovery by making treatment as accessible as possible.

“When there’s a stigma it means you probably don't want to get help,” says Clark Lagemann, CEO of Avidon Health. “This was a really different way of thinking about how we engage with a subject that people don't want to talk about.”

Shatterproof

Shatterproof, a nonprofit organization founded to help people better understand the nature of addiction, created an educational platform for employers called Just Five. The lessons are five minutes long and encourage people to get professional help for themselves or others and destigmatize treatment. The program has been adopted by major employers like

General Electric

, JPMorgan Chase and McKinsey.

“One of the big reasons people don’t seek help is they are worried about their employer finding out about their addiction,” says Stephen D’Antonio, executive vice president of Shatterproof. “This program helps get the message across that their employers stand behind them and want to get them the help they need.

Cigna

Cigna offers many programs to help its clients and customers overcome and prevent opioid addiction, including comprehensive pain management and narcotics therapy management programs, pharmacy coverage oversight, and designated centers of excellence for substance use.

“Employers, as the decision makers of health plan design, have the unique ability to educate and build support systems for employees, particularly those at-risk,” said Cigna’s Dr. Doug Nemecek, chief medical officer for behavioral health. “This not only improves the health of employees, it improves the culture and overall well-being at the organization.”