CHESS Health

Most public health budgets are stretched thin, and stimulant use disorder in particular has no medication option to lean on.

Contingency management is one of the few interventions with strong evidence there, and it's fundable through channels many agencies already have: Medicaid waivers, SOR/TOR grants, opioid settlement dollars.

Read our latest blog 👇

Contingency Management for Substance Use Disorder Understand the science behind contingency management, how to implement it, funding options and how automation can make it easy.

What happens when a highly addictive substance is marketed as a harmless "social tonic" and becomes widely available at convenience stores across the country?

Accidentally Hooked on a Gas Station Drug It’s easy to start drinking Feel Free, sold as a ‘social tonic’ in over 30,000 stores, writes Josh Code. But it can be so hard to stop that withdrawal is ‘absolutely comparable’ to he**in, says someone who used both.

New national data shows that slightly more young people diagnosed with opioid use disorder are starting treatment with medications like buprenorphine and methadone. However, the increase was modest, and six-month retention rates, which were already low, may have declined.

Access to addiction meds for young people has improved — but retention hasn’t Only a small fraction of young people with opioid use disorder receive addiction medications, and few stay on them for long, a study finds.

What is the true cost of patient dropout?

The impact extends far beyond lost revenue. Early disengagement can create census instability, increase pressure on clinical and operational teams, and affect key quality and performance measures.

As behavioral healthcare continues to evolve, patient retention is no longer just a clinical objective. It's a strategic driver of organizational growth and sustainability.

Join NAATP, Hans Morefield, and Bridget Crumley on Oct. 14th at 2 pm for an exclusive member webinar exploring the data behind retention and the practical strategies providers are using to keep patients engaged in care longer.

🔒 Exclusive to NAATP members. Not a member? Join NAATP to access this webinar and other member-only education, resources, and networking opportunities.

Retention Is a Revenue Strategy: How Behavioral Health Providers Can Drive Growth Through Patient Engagement Patient retention is more than a clinical outcome. It is a key driver of financial sustainability, quality performance, and long-term organizational growth. The data makes the stakes clear across every level of care: roughly half of IOP patients never complete their program, national research shows....

As National Recovery Month comes to a close, CG's story reminds us that recovery doesn't end when treatment does and that one of the biggest threats to sustained recovery is loneliness. 💜

After more than 6 years in recovery, CG still engages with the Connections app "pretty much all day, every day," highlighting the ongoing need for connection, community, and support long after discharge.

Key engagement metrics from CG's experience:
✓ 509-day consecutive check-in streak demonstrates sustained engagement
✓ Daily peer interaction helps combat isolation, a common driver of relapse risk
✓ Virtual meeting attendance extends support beyond geographic barriers
✓ Community accountability creates opportunities for early intervention

Recovery flourishes in connection. As we reflect on National Recovery Month, CG's journey challenges us to think beyond the traditional 30/60/90-day treatment model.

Breaking the Isolation Trap: How CG Stays Connected in Recovery Over his life, isolation has fed CG's addiction, but he has found recovery through daily community connection.

Patient retention is the biggest driver of both outcomes and financial performance in MOUD programs.

Every patient retained beyond the 180-day HEDIS POD threshold is associated with a lower risk of relapse and overdose, while early dropout can mean lost continuity of care, reimbursement, and program capacity.

Our latest guide explores where retention breaks down in OUD pharmacotherapy and how digital recovery support, including automated contingency management and 24/7 peer engagement between visits, can help programs keep more patients engaged through this critical window.

📘 Read the guide!

Meeting HEDIS POD Requirements Digital recovery helps health plans improve POD measure performance by extending OUD medication adherence past the critical 180-day mark.

⏰ Last chance to vote!

Voting for the Behavioral Health Business Product of the Year Awards closes September 30.

We're honored that Rewards Engine has been nominated and thankful for everyone who has supported us so far.

If you haven't voted yet, we'd appreciate your support during the final week.

🗳️ Vote for us under the Patient Engagement, Access & Intake Technology category.

Product of the Year — BHB Vendors serving the behavioral health industry nominate their products, solutions and technologies. Behavioral Health Business (BHB) readers vote for their favorites in each category.

Many behavioral health organizations focus on admissions as the key to growth. But sustainable growth doesn't begin with acquisition. It begins with keeping patients engaged in care.

When patients disengage early, the consequences extend far beyond a single treatment episode. Retention impacts clinical outcomes, reimbursement, quality metrics, and the long-term health of your organization.

Join NAATP for this exclusive member webinar as we explore why patient retention has become one of the most effective and often overlooked growth strategies in behavioral healthcare.

This webinar is an exclusive benefit for NAATP members. Not a member yet? Join NAATP to access this and other members-only educational opportunities, resources, and industry insights.

Retention Is a Revenue Strategy: How Behavioral Health Providers Can Drive Growth Through Patient Engagement Patient retention is more than a clinical outcome. It is a key driver of financial sustainability, quality performance, and long-term organizational growth. The data makes the stakes clear across every level of care: roughly half of IOP patients never complete their program, national research shows....

Bringing care to people, rather than expecting people to find care, is transforming recovery support in rural communities.

Dr. Kristin Martin, Founder of Arkansas Mobile Opioid Recovery (ARMOR), will discuss how mobile care models are overcoming geographic barriers and expanding access to addiction treatment and recovery services across rural Arkansas.

Hear lessons learned and practical implementation insights during NACCHO's upcoming webinar on September 29.

Register Today!

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Webinar - Expanding Recovery Access in Rural Communities: How Digital Tools Are Transforming Support Across Tribal, Clinical, and Community Settings. After registering, you will receive a confirmation... Rural and tribal communities often face significant barriers to substance use recovery services, including workforce shortages, transportation challenges, stigma, and limited access to ongoing support. Emerging digital recovery tools are helping bridge these gaps by expanding access to peer support,...

At a time when online sports gambling has exploded in popularity - with the amount wagered reaching $167 billion last year, according to the American Gaming Association - there are growing concerns about the financial toll of all that betting.

Sports betting apps prod and entice fans as gambling exacts a growing financial toll Betting platforms FanDuel and DraftKings say tools are there to help addicted gamblers slow down.