{"News":[{"NewsId":26,"Title":"Teen Challenge Steps Up","Summary":"Shawn Blankenship has seen it all in 25 years of working with people with substance use disorders. ","ImageUrl":"https:\/\/media.soberpeer.com\/public\/Images\/ShawnB-circle.jpg","HtmlContent":"

Shawn Blankenship has seen it all in 25 years of working with people with substance use disorders. A former counselor, he’s also managed two Teen Challenge organizations in Oklahoma, overseen a substance use disorder program in Aruba and held a wide variety of other positions in the continuum of care. In 2019, he worked as a consultant to oversee Sober Peer’s initial deploy-ment that treated more than 1,000 people during its first year.<\/p>\n\n

Based in Columbus, Georgia, Shawn is now the project manager for Global Teen Challenge’s initia-tive to install Sober Peer into all its locations worldwide. So far, he has completed deployments in 50 Teen Challenge Centers and aims to complete another 40 by year end. Here he discusses how Sober Peer is transforming treatment for clients with substance use disorder.<\/p>\n\n

\nWhy Is Sober Peer a Game Changer?<\/strong>
\nIts technology enables us to find the cause of a person’s substance use quicker than traditional counseling. In a traditional counseling program, it takes time for a person to trust their counselor. They are sitting face-to-face and often can’t even admit they have a drug or alcohol problem.<\/p>\n\n

Sober Peer starts by requiring each person in treatment to answer questions on a computer or smartphone. Instead of “yes” or “no” answers, the person has a range of choices. If they “slightly agree” to a question, that may be a sign there’s an issue that needs to be addressed. We’re more apt to crack open the door, understand a person’s issues and begin treatment.
\nOn average, instead of taking 90 days to discover the cause of a person’s substance use issues, it will take half that time, maybe less, with Sober Peer. And, patients like taking the surveys. They know they are being heard and can play a role in their treatment.<\/p>\n\n

How Does Sober Peer Improve Patient Accountability?<\/strong>
\nOne of the biggest obstacles to care is holding each person accountable. Sober Peer monitors each person and provides a score for their behavior. It makes each person more accountable and forces them to be more honest.
\nHere’s a good example: I’ve had patients with major drug or alcohol issues suffer overdoses three or four times. But when the answers on their surveys don’t match up with their behavior, we can confront them. We know they haven’t come to grips with their problems. By monitoring their behavior, you can hold them accountable and guide them toward recovery.
\nI’ve talked to people that have relapsed after 12 months and needed to go back into care. They said if they had Sober Peer, and the information it provides, they may have found their issues earlier and may not have relapsed.<\/p>\n\n

How Will Sober Peer Help Sustain Recovery? <\/strong>
\nAftercare is the most difficult part of any substance use treatment. After a person leaves a treatment program, there is often no one there to help them.
\nThe app enables anyone to receive support from a counselor or friends and stay connected. That’s the most important part of recovery. They can fall back into bad habits because of isolation, and it’s easy to make one mistake and feel shame. The app provides a connection to a community. And, don’t think Facebook is the answer. They need a place where people just like them can talk about recovery.<\/p>\n\n

Sober Peer’s trigger warning system lets a patient map trouble spots and get notified if they are tempted to visit these places. These spots include places they bought or used drugs, drank with friends or did other things related to their addiction. The patient’s counselor also gets notified, allowing either of them to chat via text or to call each other. This prevents relapses and empowers the patient to seek help at the exact moment they need it. It also gives them confidence to know a visit to the wrong place doesn’t have to turn into a mistake they will regret later.<\/p>\n","DatePublished":"2020-06-10","LikeCount":10835,"DisLikeCount":0,"IsPublished":true}]}