Brightside Health, the provider of a mental care delivery platform, has launched a new service focusing on helping those struggling with substance use disorder through a new acquisition deal.
According to the latest announcement, Brightside Health has extended its services to virtual intensive outpatient programs (IOP) for people with substance use disorder (SUD) through the acquisition of Lionrock Recovery—a pioneer in online substance abuse counselling platform founded in 2010.
The acquisition enables Bright Health to offer a comprehensive telemental health treatment for diverse mental health conditions that are devastating to individuals and families. The platform targets individuals experiencing anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, and alcohol, as well as substance use disorder, which are some of the most common mental health conditions prevalent in the United States.
News Service to Targets Substance Use Disorder
Substance abuse disorder is one of the leading mental health conditions impacting individuals across the United States. According to a 2022 survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 17% of the respondents older than 12 reported SUD. This trend began many years back with the increasing number of people reporting SUD.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SUD was one of the cases that resulted in overcrowding at the emergency department due to 39% more SUD cases reported between 2018 and 2021.
Acknowledging the catastrophic impact of substance use on communities, payers, families, and health systems, Brad Kittredge, Co-Founder and CEO of Brightside Health, noted that the acquisition of Lionrock Recovery will help the company to extend its services into SUD and beyond with the same dedication as it has done with mental health.
brightside Health will offer the newly added IOP services through structured and time-intensive treatment to help address more severe mental health conditions, including SUD.
According to the announcement, IOP patients will attend scheduled group and individual therapy sessions, and get psychiatric treatment. Additionally, the patients will participate in evidence-backed lessons, access lab testing and medication, and access peer support communities for improved outcomes.
Virtual IOP can be more cost-effective and less disruptive than traditional residential treatment and inpatient programs.