CHESS Health

03/13/2026

Every patient who drops out costs your program between $2,325 and $21,404 in lost revenue - and 30% of SUD patients do.

We just published a breakdown of exactly how OTPs and StUD programs can turn retention into a revenue strategy: maximizing bundled payments, increasing fee-for-service density, and using digital tools to do it without adding staff.

Worth a 5-minute read!

Retention drives revenue, quality scores, and outcomes. Why recovery engagement is the strategy OTP and StUD programs can't ignore.

03/12/2026

March is Self-Harm Awareness Month - a time to deepen understanding, reduce stigma, and extend compassion.

At CHESS Health, we know that self-harm and substance use disorder ( ) can intersect, and that recovery requires accessible, judgment‑free support. Our mission is to help individuals build healthier coping strategies, stay connected to care, and move toward long‑term healing.

Let’s continue to raise awareness, listen without judgment, and ensure people feel seen, supported, and never alone. 💙

03/11/2026

A study of more than 600,000 veterans followed for up to three years found that those who started taking a GLP-1 drug for diabetes were about 15% to 20% less likely to misuse substances ranging from alcohol to opioids.

A large study found that people taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for diabetes were less likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorder.

03/09/2026

If growing census is on your radar for 2026, the reality is that 90% of people who need SUD treatment aren't getting it because they're afraid of judgment.

Digital recovery support tools can help you reach these people without them ever having to fear stigma.

The cost of mental health stigma creates a cascading effect that touches every aspect of society and must be addressed.

03/08/2026

Happy ! Today and everyday, we celebrate the achievements of women.

03/06/2026

“There’s going to be a lot more health challenges and even deaths, because we need science in order to help people get healthy.”

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

03/05/2026

It is with deep sadness, and profound gratitude, that we share the passing of Dave Gustafson, PhD.

Dave believed something simple and radical: no one should suffer twice. Not from their illness, and not from the broken systems meant to help them heal.

From that conviction, Dave saw technology not as a replacement for human connection, but as a bridge to it. He understood that recovery doesn't happen only in a clinic or a counselor's office. It happens on day 1 in treatment or day 400 in recovery. It can happen in the middle of a workday or at 2am. The need for ongoing support and community continues throughout someone's life.

As founder of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS), he dedicated his career to closing that gap. His work included developing and proving the evidence of the A-CHESS app, which he then commercialized as co-founder of CHESS Health as the Connections App that today is used by thousands of people living with substance use disorder. Integrated as part of their treatment plan, Connections provides recovery engagement and support for individuals through sustained connection to their provider, peers, and an online community of support - meeting people where they are and keeping them engaged in their recovery.

We are grateful for his tireless vision, his humanity, and his belief that the right technology, in the right hands, can change and save lives.

In Dave's name, we are honored to carry that mission forward 💙

03/04/2026

Interested in boosting SUD program compliance? Learn how one MAT program achieved a 30% increase. Register now!

Learn how one MAT provider used opioid settlement funding to implement contingency management, and achieved 90% patient retention.

03/03/2026

Federal data show that 1 in 10 Americans (ages 12+) had an in the past year and over 40% of drinkers reported binge drinking in the past month, yet only one-third of adults view alcohol addiction as a “crisis,” compared to over half who see opioids as such.

Alcohol deaths increased gradually before the pandemic, jumped in 2020 and 2021, and have fallen somewhat since then. Even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019, the year before the pandemic.

03/02/2026

We’re proud to join our partners at Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for this year’s Navigating Mental Health and Substance Abuse Conference March 2-4!

Our team will be onsite showcasing the evidence-based recovery support tools available to staff and tribal members through our partnership. For a nation covering over 11,000 square miles of rural terrain, 24/7 digital access has been critical to meeting people where they are and improving outcomes.

Interested in learning more about how we work with tribal nations: https://www.chess.health/case-studies/expanding-recovery-support-in-tribal-communities/

02/27/2026

"Despite progress, a range of more recent federal policy actions may affect future trends, including federal budget cuts, federal staffing reductions, and cuts to federal grants that support state and local programs."

Opioid overdose deaths fell sharply from 2023 to 2024 (79,358 to 54,045), driven largely by decreases in fentanyl-involved deaths. Even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019, the year before opioid deaths increased sharply during the pandemic.

02/26/2026

The proportion of college graduates taking anxiety medications grew by about 4.1 percentage points from 2019 through 2024, a much higher increase than was found in other groups.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the broadening use of anxiety medications, claiming they’re harmful. Doctors and researchers say the MAHA movement is misrepresenting drugs that have been proved to safely treat chronic anxiety and point to broader social changes to explain their increased use.