As the rates of
More than 5 million people under the age of 18 have a substance use disorder, and 90% will not receive treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For parents, the psychological and financial burden of caring for their children can take a toll on their work: 75% of parents have missed at least one day of work per month due to concerns around their
Pelago, which was formerly known as Quit Genius, has expanded their resources to include adolescent care for tobacco, opioid and alcohol misuse disorders. Early intervention is key to preventing addictions from continuing into adulthood, and for restoring well-being for the whole family, says Dr. Yusuf Sherwani, CEO and co-founder of Pelago.
"About two-thirds of employees told us that some kind of support around substance use management would be helpful, but not just for themselves," Sherwani says. "It had to have family support in order for that to be maximally helpful."
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While the
"We're finding that it's having a pretty significant impact on productivity in the workplace," Sherwani says. "The costs start to spiral, and we're hearing from employers directly that, yes, it's certainly a problem with employees, but it's almost a bigger problem amongst dependents, including adult dependents and teens and adolescents as well."
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Pelago is addressing these needs through their substance use management program, which focuses on harm reduction through a coordinated care program that can be accessed virtually. The program treats adolescents age 15 to 17 for tobacco and alcohol substance use, while opioid use disorder treatment starts at age 16-years-old.
Not only does this combat the stigma of seeking out expensive in-patient rehab services, but it also addresses the underlying mental health issues that often go hand-in-hand.
"About half of individuals with an addiction are going to have multiple addictions. So if someone is vaping, has that led to other types of substance use as well?" Sherwani says. "We have highly trained providers and counselors that can prescribe medication like Suboxone, and we're treating mild and moderate mental health conditions."
If more intensive care is needed, Pelago's providers will coordinate with outside providers to find
"Putting your child into rehab is considered to be an 'everything else has failed' approach, and can be extreme," he says. "The vast majority of teens don't need that and they don't want that. The goal is harm reduction and abstinence."
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Employers need to consider the whole family when building their benefits and considering the types of care they should provide, Sherwani says. Addiction treatment is one area where employers are recognizing they need to invest in solutions, but there are still many barriers to overcome.
"How can we support not just employees, but also their families, so that employees can then be productive assets for the company?" he says. "I think there's a good reason to feel optimistic, but we aren't where we want to be, which is why we're trying to push the boundaries and provide alternatives."
