At CHESS Health, we know that lasting recovery doesn’t just change lives—it transforms them. Our digital recovery solutions support and simplify the work of health plans, healthcare providers, and public agencies while driving improved outcomes. While clinical studies and outcomes data validate the effectiveness of our approach, what is fundamentally critical is how our solutions are embraced and used by those we serve. Without genuine engagement from the individuals we aim to support—without them seeing real value in using the tool—even the most clinically proven solution would fail to deliver its promise. The most compelling validation comes from the people who choose to engage with the app and who find real value in that choice.
Through our Voices of Recovery program, we reached out to active Connections app members to learn more about how it supports them in their efforts to change their lives. Many people shared their challenging histories with substance use, how they learned about the app, the incredible support networks on the app that keep them strong, and how good it feels when their experiences can help others. Their stories reveal the tough times, pain, and heartbreak that once defined their lives before they entered recovery, and the hope, friendship, and renewed sense of purpose they discovered in recovery.
Even those initially hesitant to try a recovery support app quickly find themselves logging on every day to check in, participating in the supportive online community, and attending virtual support meetings. A sense of belonging replaces feelings of stigma and isolation. Members welcome newcomers and reach out if someone who typically participates goes quiet. The community celebrates successes and offers support through challenging moments.
Take ChrisG, who found himself drawn back to drinking and drugs as his children got older. After his sister pressed him to get into treatment in 2019, he’s now more than six years into recovery and uses the Connections app daily. “I love the camaraderie. I love the friends that I’ve made,” he said. The app helps him fight back against the isolation that addiction thrives on, providing a place to find belonging and understanding through daily check-ins, community responses, and virtual meetings. He recently achieved a 509-day check-in streak.
For others, like Healer, who faced fourteen years of drug use before getting serious about recovery in 2015, the app became a lifeline during life’s unexpected challenges. When she lost both her job and her father three years ago—circumstances that might have derailed her recovery in the past—she turned to the Connections community instead. “I know I have to work on my recovery every day,” she said.
These stories of resilience and daily commitment are deeply personal, yet remarkably universal. Mech, who struggled with addiction for decades and served multiple prison sentences, now starts each morning with the Connections community after discovering the app through his counselor. “I like to start my day interacting with people like me and spreading a little positivity,” he said, approaching his second year of recovery.
Similarly, Cici1986, whose heavy drinking led to legal troubles and a serious car accident, downloaded the app straight from her inpatient program and hasn’t missed a day since. “It gives me a sense of ‘Oh, look at me go!’” she said, describing the pride she feels watching her daily check-in streak grow to almost 200 days.
These Voices of Recovery showcase what transforms clinical evidence into lived reality: members who see genuine value in their daily engagement with the app continue to show up, day after day. One of our Connections participants, MeemawS, shared a particularly tragic story about losing contact with her adult daughter after her daughter discovered her drug use. Today, just months into recovery, the Connections app community is holding her up, helping her stay strong through this painful chapter in her family. Knowing she’s not alone has made all the difference. “I’m sure it’s saved my life,” she said.
We’re honored to share these powerful stories of resilience and hope—with full permission from each individual who spoke with us. Through the support of Connections, its 24/7 community of peers, and valuable recovery resources, these Voices of Recovery demonstrate that when people find real value in a recovery tool, sustained recovery isn’t just possible—it becomes a daily reality they actively choose.
