Lyra Health, a mental health company, announced Monday that it is expanding its substance use disorder services to support those struggling with cannabis, stimulants, opioids and nicotine.
Burlingame, California-based Lyra Health sells to employers and health plans and offers self-guided programs, mental health coaching, therapy and medication management. Patients can receive their care in person, via video or through text messaging.
The company’s new substance use disorder services build on its existing program for alcohol use disorder called Lyra Renew. Lyra’s providers can offer patients virtual therapy, digital lessons and tools and medication to combat cravings. Patients also gain access to progress tracking, group support and a care team that includes therapists, peer recovery specialists and physicians. If patients need a higher level of care, the company can connect them to outpatient programs, residential treatment and inpatient care.
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Lyra Health also launched a program specifically for nicotine addiction called Nicotine Quitline. Through this program, patients receive a quit plan, coping strategies to manage cravings and educational resources. This comes as more than 16 million Americans live with a disease caused by smoking.
The company created these expanded substance use disorder services because of an immense need, according Dr. Smita Das, vice president of psychiatry and clinical care at Lyra Health. More than 23 million full-time employees are affected by substance use disorder, and it is important to treat substance use alongside co-occurring mental health conditions.
“Unfortunately, individuals and their families face significant challenges in finding care for [substance use disorders],” Das said in an email. “People with substance use disorders are often getting care too late or receiving inadequate care, bouncing between programs and unable to connect with the right outpatient care. The impact of addiction for employers is also profound. The financial burden of high health care spending, prolonged absenteeism, decreased productivity, and heightened safety risks are said to cost employers $81 billion annually.”
The Lyra Renew program is meant to help patients across a “spectrum of needs,” whether that’s someone looking to reduce their substance usage or someone who requires care for a severe addiction, Das noted. The company is able to track patients’ progress within the app, like if they decreased the number of drinks consumed each week or had fewer days using cannabis.
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In expanding its substance use disorder services, the company aims to help its members “come in for care sooner rather than later, and to be matched with the right level of evidence-based care for their needs,” Das said.
“Along with seeing members achieve their goals as it relates to their own individual journeys with substance use, we hope that there is a broader understanding and awareness of SUDs among employers and within the industry,” Das stated. “Unlike other health conditions, people with SUDs often receive treatment when it’s too late, such as rehabilitation programs and ER hospitalizations, but Lyra Renew is intended to help a member across a full spectrum of needs – from preventative to those in recovery.”
Several other companies also provide substance use disorder support, including Pelago, Eleanor Health and Ophelia, though these companies don’t provide broader mental health services.
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