Politics & Government
89%: Telehealth “As Helpful as In-Person” Addiction Treatment
The report surveyed 1,914 clients of Family Guidance Centers receiving outpatient methadone services at its nine locations across Illinois.
(Glenview, IL) – A new survey of nearly 2,000 patients by a leading Cook County-based addiction treatment provider found that 88.7% of those receiving services via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic found telephone counseling to be just “as helpful as in-person, face-to-face sessions.”
The report,* which surveyed 1,914 clients of Family Guidance Centers receiving outpatient methadone services at its nine locations across Illinois, also found that 92.9% of patients had access to a useable cell phone and 92.6% had available minutes to use for counseling. These findings contradict the widely-held impression that low-income individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) are limited in their ability to participate in phone-based services.
“Telehealth has been a critical tool for our counselors to engage and support individuals in recovery,” said Ron Vlasaty, FGC Chief Operating Officer. “We are thrilled that patients have been able to use telehealth and that it is working for them. For many patients, telehealth addresses some of the barriers they faced in accessing care even prior to the pandemic.”
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Given the positive feedback, SUD and mental health providers, such as Family Guidance Centers, are seeking to secure lasting state regulatory and reimbursement policies to support the ongoing use of telehealth services beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to Vlasaty.
“Like other behavioral health providers, Family Guidance Centers is grateful to Governor JB Pritzker for implementing the temporary telehealth policy changes through an executive order, especially in the Medicaid program, that allow us to bill for services delivered via telehealth during the current public health crisis,” said Vlasaty. “We would like to see the legislature preserve the governor’s telehealth policies in law.”
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The survey covered the period June 14 – December 15, 2020.
*For a copy of the report, contact: Ron Vlasaty, Chief Operating Officer, (312) 371-8810 Rvlasaty@fgcinc.org.
