World’s First Online Addiction Startup Launches Mobile Clinic To Fight Opioid Epidemic
Ann Arbor, MI and Oakland, CA (PRWEB) July 12, 2017 -- Workit Health, a Michigan and California startup, officially launches a mobile clinic program to provide medication-assisted treatment and personalized addiction care. The mobile clinic will start in Michigan, where there are more annual opioid prescriptions than people. The company also announced that it has closed $2.8M seed round led by Montage Ventures, Lux Capital, and RRE, and was awarded a prestigious innovation grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a cutting edge “thrive-meter” to further personalize addiction recovery through biometrics, as well as user and coach data.
Workit Health currently offers three treatment plans: Workit Core, Workit Coach, and Workit Clinic. Through a customized, evidence-based therapy program, coach support, and when appropriate, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), individuals in the Workit Care program are able to reduce their addictive behaviors through a holistic, whole-person approach, ensuring long-term recovery. Over 80 percent of Workit Core members have reported a higher quality of life and a reduction of addictive behaviors after completing the self-paced program.
Workit Clinic is a direct response to the opioid epidemic that’s sweeping the nation. Both Workit Health co-founders, Lisa McLaughlin and Robin McIntosh, experienced the lack of convenient, proven, and affordable treatment options in the addiction recovery field firsthand. "One of the biggest challenges in overcoming addiction is a lack of customized solutions that ensure long-term success," said McLaughlin, Workit Health’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO. "We’re going where the need is, specifically creating a better solution to help people recover from opioid use. We want to give people the skills and support they need to fully heal, going beyond just medication or therapy.”
Instead of spending hours every month in professional care settings or paying thousands of dollars for private therapy sessions, Workit Health provides members with one-on-one support from dedicated addiction coaches, as well as user-friendly, interactive content and exercises. The interactive curriculum continually adapts to each individual member’s evolving needs and feedback in realtime. For members in the Workit Clinic program, they will also get a dedicated prescribing physician, medication management, and a dedicated Workit Care team. “We started with the mission of meeting people where they are in their addictions,” adds Robin McIntosh, Workit Health’s Co-founder and Co-CEO. “Our program blends the best of addiction treatment, technology, and human-centered design to bring a compelling, compassionate experience. The mobile clinic is our solution to not only help individuals start healing, but also lead community efforts in combatting this opioid epidemic.”
Over 2 million Americans are dependent on opioids, and over 95 million Americans used prescription painkillers in the past year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death. Studies have shown that addiction treatment outcomes are much better on medication-assisted treatment; it significantly decreases the risk of relapses and overdoses. More than 90 percent people struggling with addiction are not receiving adequate treatment, often because existing treatment options are not proven to be effective, do not ensure long-term recovery, or do not align with their health goals.
In addition to medication-assisted treatment, Workit Health’s program is based on leading evidence-based therapies, including Motivational Interviewing (MI), Relapse Prevention Therapy (RPT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Dr. Diane Hallinen leads the medical care team at the Workit Clinic after being a lead MAT provider in Genesee County working with safety net populations. A team of scientific advisors fuels Workit’s Care Engine, many of whom are leading addiction authorities in the US including the immediate past president of the California Society of Addiction Medicine, Dr. Itai Danovitch, and Dr. John Greden (Executive Director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center, the Rachel Upjohn Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences in the Department of Psychiatry). Workit advisors oversee the curriculum, ensuring gold-standard therapeutic interventions. These are incorporated according to each user’s individual goals and needs, aided by the use of machine learning algorithms.
Thousands of users have gone through the Workit program. One recent graduate of the program, now in Workit’s maintenance program called “Onward,” reflects on his experience:
“I have so much to thank Workit for — I think the best thing about Workit was learning to keep track of my goals. Also, the program and my coach taught me that if I am taking care of myself, I can better control my thoughts and behaviors. My life is so different because of this program, and I use what I learned every day.”
Currently, Workit Health’s flagship clinic is opening in Michigan, but will be available in more states in the upcoming months. Workit Core and Workit Coach programs are available anywhere, anytime.
To learn more about Workit Health, or sign up for one of the programs, visit http://www.workithealth.com.
About Workit Health
Workit Health is an addiction healthcare company that offers affordable and effective treatment programs for addiction recovery and prevention. Founded in 2014 with a mission to provide better addiction treatment options for anyone struggling with substance abuse, Workit Health’s programs guide individuals through a self-paced curriculum of interactive lessons, dedicated support from addiction coaches, and when necessary, medication-assisted treatment. By providing access to tailored treatment programs, Workit Health is making addiction treatment and recovery easy for the millions of people who need help.
Learn more about Workit Health or get started at workithealth.com.
Gloria Zhu, Workit Health, Inc., https://www.workithealth.com/, +1 4159060161, [email protected]
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