Addiction Policy Forum: Smartphone App (Envoy) Launch to Support Family Members Impacted by Addiction

Addiction Policy Forum partnering with CHESS Health to offer Envoy App, Latest Addition to CHESS Platform

North Bethesda, Maryland, April 29, 2020 – Today, the national organization Addiction Policy Forum, in partnership with CHESS Health, launched a smartphone application called Envoy to help family members impacted by addiction. The Envoy app provides meaningful engagement through virtual support group meetings, chat groups and educational content, for family members struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD) and families who have lost a loved one. The app is available for free to the general public on the Addiction Policy Forum’s website at http://www.addictionpolicy.org and through its social media channels.

Family involvement and influence can be essential to supporting a loved one’s entry and successful engagement in taking lifesaving steps toward recovery. In fact, science shows that family members influence the development and the course of a loved one’s substance use disorder (SUD) for the better when they have resources and services, and for the worse when they don’t. Additionally, family involvement in treatment and services is increasingly associated with decreased rates of relapse, promotions in health and wellbeing, abstinence, and treatment engagement.

The Envoy app is the newest component of the CHESS Health Platform, which includes the Connections App for individuals with substance use disorder as well as the eIntervention, eTherapy, and eRecovery solutions for providers, governments, and health plans.

The Envoy app features include:

Information and Connections to Addiction Resources

Family members and caregivers can watch a series of educational videos on subjects related to the disease of addiction, different treatment options, how to help a loved one find treatment, and the need for family members to get their own help. In addition, family members and patients can locate local mutual aid support group meetings, family counseling centers and treatment centers when necessary.

Family Support and a Group Chats

Family members may join, anonymously, online, moderated discussion groups to receive support from those with shared experience and to connect people locally or nationally. In a safe forum, family members can get key questions answered from experts and peers and can open up regarding their experiences with addiction in their families.

Video testimonials

Family members gain access to a library of testimonial videos from other families sharing similar struggles, providing strength and hope.

To learn more about this app, please visit the following link: https://www.addictionpolicy.org/envoy-app.

“Addiction is a family disease; it impacts the entire family. Our new app will help both families with a loved one struggling with addiction and families who have experienced a loss,” said Jessica Hulsey, founder of the Addiction Policy Forum. “We can leverage technology to rapidly improve the support and resources to help families across the country”

“We know that with every SUD patient, there is a loving network of people rooting for them, playing a vital role in the introduction to treatment and supporting their long-term recovery. Building on the technology we provide for patients and providers, we created the Envoy app to help families in this role and to support their own needs,” said Hans Morefield, chief executive officer of CHESS Health. “We are proud to offer this mobile technology, especially now, and grateful the Addiction Policy Forum will get into the hands of families nationwide.”

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About Addiction Policy Forum

Addiction Policy Forum is a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating addiction as a major health problem. Our national headquarters are located in Washington, DC with resources and services in every state. More information on our mission and projects is available at our website, https://www.addictionpolicy.org.

About CHESS Health

CHESS Health is the developer of the leading, evidence-based technology platform for the addiction management life cycle. The platform facilitates digital handoffs for getting more patients into treatment (eIntervention), improves outcomes through digital CBT (eTherapy), and supports treatment adherence and reduces relapse (eRecovery). CHESS Health has received recognition from the SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), the Journal of Substance Abuse and the Surgeon General. For more information, visit www.chess.health.