MAP Health Management and Young People in Recovery Launch Comprehensive, Long-Term Recovery Support Program

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MAP Health Management and Young People in Recovery (YPR) today announced the launch of a comprehensive, long-term substance use disorder recovery support program aimed at helping individuals successfully recover from addiction to opioids and other substances. Addiction is a chronic brain disease that often lacks chronic care support. The opioid epidemic grabs news headlines daily and has come into a national spotlight due to the devastation to individuals, their families, and communities. On Thursday, October 26^th, President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency and stated that "more people are dying from drug overdoses today than from gun homicides and motor vehicles combined."

Per a recent analysis from Blue Cross Blue Shield¹, "The opioid addiction epidemic is one of America's foremost health crises. According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids (including prescription opioids and heroin) kill more than 33,000 people annually, which is more than any year on record and more than at the peak of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic.² Opioid abuse/overdose is considered a leading cause of shortened life expectancy in the U.S."³

The MAP and YPR Recovery Support Program allows face-to-face and remote, tech-enabled addiction recovery support programs to be delivered throughout the nation. The program will largely be driven by certified peer recovery support specialists, individuals with lived experience in long-term recovery from addiction, a model that has demonstrated clinical and financial efficacy in various studies. Persons diagnosed with drug disorders are roughly twice as likely to also suffer from mood and anxiety disorders⁴, therefore the program will also conduct frequent mental health assessments and coordinate with primary care and behavioral health providers when needed.

Since being founded in 2011, MAP has conducted hundreds of thousands of peer recovery support engagements and developed deep experience in working with those addicted to opioids and other substances. A sample of MAP's data wherein MAP provided peer recovery support services to over 3,000 individuals seeking recovery from opioid use disorder shows that two-thirds of the population was male and over half of them were also on medication for co-occurring behavioral health disorders.

The demand for peer recovery support is growing amongst health insurers and providers alike, and MAP has developed distribution and financial models that aim to bring effective recovery support programs to those who need them nationwide.

The bundling of MAP's remote recovery support and YPR's in-person, community-driven approach enables Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers to provide better access to long-term treatment and recovery resources for their members seeking recovery from substance use disorders. MAP is collaborating with insurers across the nation to ensure that people struggling with opioid and other substance use disorders are gaining access to longer-term recovery supports to reduce treatment readmissions and lower associated healthcare costs.

YPR, a national recovery support and advocacy organization, provides communities with recovery support resources through the development of chapters and programs focused on increasing access to stable housing, education, and employment. YPR also has a track record of being committed to improving the quality of, and access to, clinical outcomes data.

After years of successful advocacy efforts, YPR realized an opportunity to provide supplemental support to individuals undergoing treatment for substance use disorder as well as during their aftercare. My Recovery is E.P.I.C., the first of a suite of YPR-branded, proprietary curriculums, is founded on the principles of being Engaged, Peer-driven, Integrated, and Community-oriented. The program is offered during the course of inpatient treatment and continues with recovery support upon discharge, followed by the opportunity to participate in any of YPR's 50+ chapters across the country. YPR also offers additional programs that serve aspiring certified peers, as well as those who have been involved with the juvenile and/or criminal justice systems.

About MAP Health Management, LLC

MAP delivers technology-enabled solutions, including telehealth and other remote engagement devices and applications, that improve clinical and financial outcomes for chronic behavioral health disorders such as Substance Use Disorder. MAP's robust ecosystem of solutions empowers treatment providers, health insurance companies, health systems, and patients with the right data at the right time to improve clinical and financial outcomes. For more information, visit https://www.thisismap.com.

About YPR

YPR is a national grassroots organization focused on peer-to-peer services for young people in, or seeking, recovery. YPR aims to improve access to treatment, education, employment and housing that sustains young people in their recovery. By creating a national volunteer network of young people in recovery, their families and friends, YPR empowers young people to get involved in their communities by providing them with the tools and support that will allow them to take charge of their futures.

For additional information, go to www.youngpeopleinrecovery.org. To learn more about YPR's life skills curriculums for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, please contact [email protected].

Sources:

1. Blue Cross Blue Shield Analysis - https://www.bcbs.com/the-health-of-america/reports/americas-opioid-epidemic-and-its-effect-on-the-nations-commercially-insured
2. Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 16 December 2016.
3. http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/12/08/504667607/life-expectancy-in-u-s-drops-for-first-time-in-decades-report-finds
4. https://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/rrcomorbidity.pdf

CONTACT:
Jared Smith
512-982-1624
[email protected]

SOURCE MAP Health Management, LLC

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