What We Learned in a Year of Dedicated Addiction Treatment

It’s been a year of dedicated substance use disorder programming at Charlie Health. Here’s how our virtual addiction treatment works and what we’ve learned so far.

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With 48.4 million people ages 12 and older in the U.S. battling a substance use disorder (SUD), one thing is clear: effective treatment is needed. However, only about one in five of these people are actually getting SUD treatment. That’s why Charlie Health set out to treat SUD as a primary condition, offering dedicated, fully virtual addiction programs for both adults and teens. 

Read on to learn about how Charlie Health’s virtual IOP works to treat SUD, as well as what we’ve learned in our first year of the addiction-specific program.

Charlie Health’s substance use disorder treatment philosophy

Our program doesn’t just treat substance use symptoms; it dives deeper to address the underlying causes, treating both the SUD and the underlying mental health condition or conditions, says Nicole Lonano, M.S., a Charlie Health Group Facilitator. 

This is incredibly important, since nearly half of the people with a serious mental health condition also have a substance use disorder. Only a small fraction of these people get the treatment for both co-occurring conditions, which means most people aren’t set up for long-term healing.

How does Charlie Health’s addiction programming work?

Our virtual IOP for SUD consists of 10+ hours of treatment per week. Clients are generally in our virtual IOP for 6 to 12 weeks. The client’s individual therapist can help determine the ideal duration of treatment based on progress and goals. Every week, treatment might include:

• Processing group (sharing what you’ve been through with peers and hearing their stories, too)
• Skills-building group (learning skills to break harmful habits and patterns)
• Experiential group (alternative approaches to treatment, like art, movement, or mindfulness)
• Family therapy (an optional treatment to help improve family communication and support at home)
• Psych check-in (working with a psychiatric provider if you are receiving medication-assisted treatment, or MAT)
• Individual therapy (working with your dedicated therapist to discuss your challenges and progress)

Additionally, care is personalized from the get-go. “Charlie Health’s approach is unique because we begin discussing treatment goals very early in the process, during the biopsychosocial assessment prior to formal admission,” says Rebecca Holland, PMHNP-BC, a Charlie Health Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. “This allows us to align care planning with each individual patient’s personal goals from the outset.” 

From here, the team can help determine whether our harm reduction track or abstinence-based treatment track is a better fit, as well as how to build out clients’ schedules based on their needs. Of course, there will also be a plan for how to address the underlying mental health conditions. 

5 key takeaways from the first year of SUD primary

After a year of treating substance use disorder as a primary condition, a few key themes have emerged. Here’s what our clinicians have to say.

1. People still face barriers to care

“One of the biggest things we’ve learned over the past year is just how many individuals are actively seeking SUD-specific treatment and continue to face the same barriers to access as individuals seeking any other form of mental health care, particularly in rural or underserved areas,” says Holland. 

Thankfully, virtual IOPs like Charlie Health are lessening these barriers. This increased accessibility can be especially impactful for people who may not otherwise be able to access treatment.

“Our goal has consistently remained enabling treatment opportunities for as many patients as we safely and effectively can, meeting individuals where they are in their recovery journey and creating pathways to sustainable engagement in care,” Holland says.

2. Practicing skills in real life is invaluable

The IOP format allows people to get intensive treatment while still going about their daily lives, which enables them to practice their new coping strategies as challenges arise. Clients are able to learn to cope with real-world experiences while actively healing from substance use, Lonano says. “The clients are able to process and relate to what they have going on in real life while they are healing,” she adds. “This helps clients identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to better identify triggers and apply the coping skills in real life.”

Then, clients can return to their groups or individual therapists to process what worked, what didn’t, and how to adjust their coping strategies moving forward. This can strengthen clients’ skill-building, allowing them to create long-term behavior changes that stick. 

3. Collaboration is key

“A major focus this year has been strengthening collaboration across departments to ensure patients are connected to the level of care and medical support they need, even in situations where additional stabilization or external resources may initially be required before safe participation in virtual treatment,” Holland says. This collaborative approach helps ensure that clients aren’t navigating recovery alone and have the most effective treatment possible. 

4. Continuing education is essential

To provide the highest-quality, most up-to-date care, Charlie Health has also prioritized ongoing learning and development across clinicians. “We have also invested significant effort into continuing education across all Charlie Health departments surrounding SUD-specific treatment approaches, stigma reduction, and harm reduction principles in order to better support patients throughout the organization,” Holland says.

5. Abstinence-based care doesn’t have to be the only option

Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, Charlie Health meets clients where they are and tailors treatment to their individual goals.

“We’ve continued expanding our ability to support as wide a range of recovery goals and treatment philosophies as possible,” Holland says. “This includes both harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches, while always maintaining medical safety as the top priority.”

By offering multiple pathways to recovery, clients are more likely to feel supported and stay engaged in treatment. 

Charlie Health’s virtual IOP delivers real results

Client outcome data proves that our program is driving results. Here are some key findings: 

• 61% of adults and 71% of teens who started treatment using alcohol had stopped by discharge
• 88% of adult SUD clients and 94% of teen SUD clients who reported moderate to severe depression at intake saw improvements in depression symptoms at discharge
• 85% of adult SUD clients and 94% of teen SUD clients who reported moderate to severe anxiety at intake saw improvements in anxiety symptoms at discharge
• 62% of teens who started treatment using drugs had stopped at discharge
• 74% of all SUD clients reported a decrease in drinking at discharge
• 58% of all SUD clients reported a decrease in substance use at discharge
• 87% of all SUD clients reported a meaningful reduction in self-harm tendencies
• 69% of all SUD clients reported a meaningful reduction in suicidal thoughts

How Charlie Health can help

If you (or a loved one) is ready to seek care for substance use disorder, Charlie Health can help. We treat a wide range of substance use disorders, including (but not limited to):

• Alcohol use disorder
• Marijuana use disorder
• Opioid use disorder
• Methamphetamine use disorder
• And more

We also treat behavioral addictions (AKA process addictions), such as gaming addiction, internet addiction, and other behavioral addictions.

Our innovative treatment model combines clinical expertise, group connection, and measurement-based care to support long-term healing. With the right support, you can manage your mental health. Fill out the form below to start healing today.