Rochester, NY, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virtual care has made addiction treatment easier to start, but patients treated at home often have no waiting room, no group and no recovery community down the street. CHESS Health, a leading provider of evidence-based digital behavioral health solutions backed by peer support, today announced a partnership with Ria Health, the nationwide telehealth provider of alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment, to close that gap. Every Ria Health patient now has 24/7 access to Connections, CHESS Health's recovery support app, which pairs live peer support, a moderated recovery community and crisis response with daily check-ins, personalized content and care team tools that keep patients engaged any time of day or night, wherever they live.
Ria Health's care is fully virtual: medical care, coaching and medication support delivered from home, with goals that range from cutting back to quitting entirely. Connections adds the human connection and continuous support that in-person programs build around patients, delivered the same way Ria's care is: on the patient's phone, whenever they need it.
"Ria Health is showing what modern alcohol treatment looks like: accessible, stigma-free and built around the person," said Hans Morefield, CEO of CHESS Health. "With Connections, their patients have a community of peers and tools to lean on in the moments that matter most, and their care teams can extend support well beyond the clinical visit."
Stigma, geography and scheduling remain significant barriers for people with AUD. In 2024, just 7.5% of adults with past-year AUD received treatment. Ria Health selected Connections to keep patients engaged between visits, strengthen retention and support lasting behavior change.
"Recovery doesn't happen on a schedule," said Sarah Doyle, LCSW, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Ria Health. "The hardest moments often come late at night, on a weekend, or over a holiday, when no clinic is open. Many of our patients don't have an in-person recovery community nearby, and some aren't ready to walk into one. Connections gives them a place to turn for real human support the moment they need it."
The partnership also gives Ria Health's care teams visibility between sessions. "Our clinicians can see how patients are doing between sessions and step in sooner, without adding administrative burden," Doyle said. "It lets our team spend their time on what matters most: delivering high-quality care."
The partnership shows how Connections fits a virtual care model. Telehealth providers can offer their patients a recovery community without building one, and their clinicians gain visibility between visits without adding staff. Part of CHESS Health's eRecovery solution, Connections includes 24/7 peer support and crisis response, moderated discussion forums and virtual support meetings, daily check-ins, educational and motivational content, and care management tools that connect patients with their care teams.
About CHESS Health
CHESS Health is a leading provider of effective, turnkey, evidence-based digital behavioral health solutions backed by peer support. These tools empower providers, health plans, and public sector organizations to address the substance use disorder crisis by enhancing prevention, facilitating care coordination, and improving adherence to care plans and treatment retention, ultimately resulting in better health outcomes. For more information, visit www.chess.health.
About Ria Health
Ria Health, based in San Francisco, CA, is a team of medical professionals, technology experts, and start-up veterans, dedicated to removing stigma and making a positive change in how addiction is treated. Its program combines science-backed methods with new technology to deliver care wherever members are, and it has helped almost 23k people moderate or quit drinking.
Meg Miller CHESS Health 4144699702 mmiller@chess.health
