Connection and community on offer with new app

FINDLAY — The Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) has launched the Companion app, a free tool developed by CHESS Health for families and friends supporting a loved one suffering from substance use disorder. The new app helps individuals navigate the emotional, logistical and mental challenges of supporting someone on their recovery journey by offering a variety of tools and digital resources. "This app was developed by CHESS Health to be able to provide education, support, awareness and tools so that the folks that are working with someone in recovery, whether it's a family member or a loved one cannot only support those in recovery, but also find support for themselves," said Director of Wellness & Education for ADAMHS Zach Thomas. "Sometimes they're also experiencing unique challenges and needs on how to navigate that journey with someone who's in recovery." The Companion app follows the local success of CHESS Health's Connections app, a tool for individuals suffering with SUD, launched by the board in 2022. Inspired by its success in Hancock County, the board added the Companion app in October 2024. Both apps are a part of Chess Health's evidence-based eRecovery solution, free and available to everyone in Hancock County. A primary tool in the app is access to a digital community, where users can text or chat with people going through similar situations. A library of resources is also available to users including a digital assortment of educational content, local and national support resources and tools providing point incentives for frequent engagement. "It's a way for them to connect digitally or virtually with other people that are also on a journey with someone in recovery," Thomas said. "If you really think of any sort of online or digital support system, this is really what that app is able to provide to our community." When creating an account, users choose their username — where they can opt to be completely anonymous. Only usernames are displayed in chat rooms and community forums. "You can be as forthright with your name or as anonymous as you would like," Thomas said. "That is the only identifier that is seen by both yourself and the digital community within in the app." One of the preferred aspects of the platform is the virtual peer support meetings and the one-on-one chat options, facilitated by a CHESS Health employee. "The one-on-one connection is what's really, really helpful," Thomas said. "It's someone on the other end that's able to communicate directly back-and-forth with you to provide support and encouragement with whatever struggles you may have at that particular moment." With its soft launch in October, engagement with the app has been gradual. Thomas said they are working to spread awareness on the new app, encouraging the community to take advantage of its resources. "When we introduced it to our committee members through our coalition on addiction, the response had been really positive," Thomas said. "I think it's going to take a little bit of time for people to log on and download it to really utilize everything that it can offer." CHESS Health and ADAMHS regularly monitors usage analytics and engagement trends to update the app in accordance with the community's needs. "With our feedback loop and our regular connections with CHESS Health, we can see if a feature needs to be upgraded or adjusted a little bit," Thomas said. "It can be really helpful." Listening to user feedback, the Connections app was recently updated to include an alcohol use screening — where users can take their own self assessments anonymously through the app. "One of our requests was if we can put that into the connections app so that people can go directly to that assessment tool," Thomas said. "That's one of the really nice things about our relationship with CHESS Health is that they listen to their customers and they modify and tailor it to what the community's needs are." While the Companion and Connections apps are separate from one another, they both operate under the same mission of expanding recovery tools to Hancock County residents. "The Connections app and the Companion app offer those 24/7 opportunities where people can continue to work on their recovery or support people in recovery, which is a true spirit of recovery assistance care," Thomas said. "It most certainly fits into the spirit and the philosophy that no matter where you are, whether it's 3 o'clock in the morning or 2 o'clock in the afternoon, you have your discretion and availability to build and support your recovery or someone else's recovery." Thomas said the app's overall mission is to operate as a component of ADAMHS' "Recovery-Oriented System of Care." "The essence of that is no matter where someone may be in their life's journey, there is an opportunity to achieve recovery. These apps are really helping to advance awareness, understanding and accessibility across the community," he said. For more information, visit yourpathtothealth.org.