Since drug and alcohol addiction became a focus of health professionals, one fact remains: About half of addicts and alcoholics relapse after treatment.
Between 40 and 60 percent of addicts and alcoholics suffer a relapse after completing treatment, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The question is why?
Although many treatment facilities succeed in treating patients effectively while in direct care. Most miss the mark on following up with patients after leaving treatment, sometimes shamefully giving the patient a page of do’s and don’ts as they walk out the door.
“They’re lucky if they get a pat on the back and here they go off in the world to manage [recovery] by themselves,” Dr. Brian Wind, JourneyPure’s Chief of Clinical Operations, said at the Innovations in Behavioral Healthcare Conference in June.
Wind believes that the industries’ old aftercare model isn’t providing patients with sustainability and support. Patients need guidance and connection through continued care, especially within their first year after leaving treatment. Furthermore, it should be the duty of the treatment center to provide continuing care without raising the cost of treatment.
JourneyPure has begun leading this innovation and revolutionizing the new continued-care model by implementing the JourneyPure Coaching mobile app for patients to stay connected with recovery coaches using a simple formula.
“Connectivity plus accountability equals long-term success in recovery,” Wind says. “If I stay connected to my recovery coach after I get out of treatment and accountable to him or her, that creates a situation to which I’m set up for long-term success in recovery.”
Beginning Day 1 of entering treatment, patients begin interacting with the app. Coaches receive each patient’s electronic log and use that information to help monitor and guide them daily using a wellness model comprised of the three pillars of health – exercise, nutrition, and sleep. The app also features an internal-messaging system where recovery coaches directly speak with each patient.
“We’re staying connected with people – integrated with people in the continuing-care phase,” Wind said. “When they’re having problems, they’re still connected with their coach, trusting their coach and liking their coach. We find they come back to us.”
Since the app’s creation, 94 percent of JourneyPure patients remain connected to a recovery coach. Additionally, 55 to 65 percent of past patients remain substance free, where the industry average success rate is sadly at 25 percent.
Wind says that disparity between the number of patients who are still substance free versus the number who are still connected to the app is telling.
“Our recovery coaches are still in touch with folks who are not sober,” Wind says. “They’re still in touch with folks who have left against our medical advice. They’re still on our app remaining connected.”
That connection – the sense of belonging – is what Wind and JourneyPure are ensuring for patients, hoping that they will live and enjoy life once and for all.
“The entire goal of all of this all along was to help people get and stay sober. Period.” Wind confided. “I’ve always adhered to the idea that this tool will do that.”
From the JourneyPure team where we get to explore a wide variety of substance abuse- and mental health-related topics. With years of experience working alongside those suffering from substance abuse and mental health issues, we bring important messages with unparalleled knowledge of addiction, mental health problems, and the issues they cause.