CHESS Health Review: Boost Your SUD Care Coordination and Retention

Struggling to keep patients engaged in recovery?

If you’re evaluating platforms like CHESS Health, you’re likely frustrated by inconsistent patient follow-up, disconnected tools, and poor insight into recovery status across your caseload.

That leaves you stuck with low retention and more relapse risk every day, wasting your energy chasing updates instead of actually helping people.

CHESS Health takes a full-lifecycle approach with integrated patient and companion apps, automated reminders, and a provider dashboard built for engagement, not just paperwork—plus, they’ve backed it with clinical research and proven results in real-world settings.

In this review, I’ll show you how CHESS Health can drive better retention and recovery outcomes—all while giving you confidence about data privacy and easy adoption for your team.

In this CHESS Health review, you’ll get a detailed look at features, pricing, hands-on implementation insights, and direct comparisons with other SUD software to guide your decision.

You’ll walk away knowing the features you need to truly support lasting recovery, not just check boxes for compliance.

Let’s get started.

CHESS Health Overview

I see CHESS Health as a focused company using technology to combat the substance use disorder crisis. They’ve been at it since 2014, based in Rochester, NY, which gives them a decade of experience in this specific field.

They work with behavioral health providers, government agencies, and health plans that are managing at-risk populations. What really sets them apart is their focus on the complete recovery lifecycle, extending evidence-based support well beyond the four walls of a clinic. This is not a point solution.

Achieving HITRUST certification was a smart move, clearly showing their commitment to protecting your sensitive patient data. Through this CHESS Health review, we’ll see how that security focus impacts your organization’s implementation and compliance.

Unlike competitors offering just monitoring hardware or generic wellness apps, their platform is built around evidence-based peer recovery support. I find this focus on lived experience and human connection makes a tangible difference for long-term patient engagement and retention.

You’ll find them working with a broad range of organizations—from community behavioral health clinics and state agencies to national health plans aiming to improve SUD outcomes for their members.

Their current strategy really leans into extending care beyond clinical settings with practical digital tools. This directly addresses your need for continuous, community-based support that actually improves long-term outcomes and proves its value.

Let’s dive into their features.

CHESS Health Features

Struggling to support individuals on their recovery journey?

CHESS Health features an integrated suite designed to support individuals with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). These are the five core CHESS Health features that empower both patients and providers.

1. Connections App

Feeling isolated during recovery?

A lack of continuous support and community can make the recovery path challenging. This often leads to feelings of loneliness and increased risk of relapse.

The Connections App provides an evidence-based smartphone application with 24/7 access to a virtual community and certified peer recovery specialists. From my testing, the lively discussion groups and tailored video support meetings significantly reduce isolation. This feature also includes digital CBT programs for skill-building.

This means you get constant, accessible support, helping you build healthy habits and celebrate milestones with a community that understands.

2. Companion App

Are you a caregiver feeling overwhelmed and unsupported?

Supporting a loved one with SUD can be incredibly challenging, and caregivers often feel alone or lack adequate resources. This can take a huge toll on mental health.

The Companion App, launched in late 2024, offers a moderated digital community specifically for family, friends, and caregivers. What I love about this feature is its comprehensive library of educational resources and daily positivity tools to help manage emotions.

This helps you connect with others facing similar challenges, gaining valuable insights and emotional support to navigate your unique journey.

3. CHESS Dashboard (for Providers)

Having trouble keeping track of your patients’ recovery progress?

Managing multiple patients with SUD manually can be overwhelming, leading to gaps in care and reduced engagement. This often means less effective treatment outcomes.

The CHESS Dashboard is a powerful care management tool for clinicians, allowing you to track and engage patients via onboarding, 1:1 and group messaging, and video calls. This is where CHESS Health shines, providing recovery monitoring and content management with EHR integration.

This means your team gets real-time insights into patient progress, enhancing your ability to provide targeted support and improve treatment adherence.

4. eIntervention

Struggling to connect at-risk individuals with the right treatment?

Identifying individuals at risk of SUD and effectively linking them to services can be a complex and fragmented process. This often results in delayed or missed treatment opportunities.

eIntervention focuses on connecting individuals to providers through a closed-loop referral system combined with peer engagement. From my evaluation, the systematic approach to identifying and linking individuals significantly streamlines this critical process. This feature improves referral rates and patient outcomes.

This ensures that at-risk individuals are quickly identified and connected to the care they need, closing crucial gaps in the treatment pipeline.

5. Contingency Management | Rewards Engine

Do your patients struggle with treatment adherence?

Maintaining patient engagement and adherence to treatment plans can be a constant battle, leading to higher dropout rates. This undermines recovery efforts significantly.

The Contingency Management | Rewards Engine is designed to optimize treatment adherence through automated incentives. Here’s the thing – this feature has resulted in a 70% increase in program completion rates in some cases, which is incredibly impactful. It motivates patients to stay on track.

This means you can significantly boost patient participation and completion rates in your programs, leading to more successful and sustained recoveries.

You’ll appreciate how these CHESS Health features work together as an integrated platform for comprehensive SUD support.

CHESS Health Pricing

Wondering about CHESS Health pricing?

CHESS Health pricing operates on a custom quote model, meaning you’ll need to contact their sales team for specific costs tailored to your organization.

1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors

Understanding what you pay.

CHESS Health’s pricing model is not publicly disclosed, aligning with its enterprise focus on providers, payers, and public sector organizations. What I found regarding pricing is that costs are customized based on your specific needs, likely factoring in the number of users or patients supported, and chosen modules like Connections, Companion, or eIntervention.

From my cost analysis, this means your budget gets a solution designed specifically for your organization rather than a generic package.

2. Value Assessment & ROI

Maximizing your investment.

While specific costs are private, CHESS Health’s value proposition centers on improving SUD outcomes and extending recovery support. Budget-wise, what stands out is how it helps reduce the societal burden of substance use and enhance your organization’s reach. This investment in evidence-based solutions can lead to improved patient retention and engagement for your programs.

The result is your budget gains a tool that helps achieve measurable positive impacts, potentially reducing long-term healthcare costs.

3. Budget Planning & Implementation

Planning for total cost.

When considering CHESS Health, you should factor in not just the core platform but also potential implementation services for EHR/SSO integration and training. From my cost analysis, these additional services ensure smooth adoption and maximize the platform’s effectiveness within your existing workflows. Your finance team needs to anticipate these elements for a complete budget picture.

So for your organization, you can expect a comprehensive planning discussion to align pricing with your specific operational and integration requirements.

My Take: CHESS Health’s custom pricing is designed for large-scale impact, making it ideal for healthcare organizations and public sectors focused on comprehensive SUD solutions.

The overall CHESS Health pricing reflects strategic investment in evidence-based recovery solutions.

CHESS Health Reviews

What do real customers actually think?

These CHESS Health reviews analyze real user feedback to give you a clear picture of what actual customers think and experience with their recovery support solutions.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Users feel genuinely supported and connected.

From my review analysis, the overall sentiment regarding CHESS Health solutions is strongly positive, with many users expressing profound gratitude. What I found in user feedback is how the immediate access to peer support significantly improves their daily recovery journey and reduces feelings of isolation.

This suggests you can expect a highly supportive and engaging experience, especially through the Connections App.

2. Common Praise Points

The 24/7 support is a consistent winner.

Users consistently highlight the round-the-clock availability of certified peer recovery specialists as a standout feature. Review-wise, the ability to connect with others who have lived experience with SUD fosters a critical sense of community and understanding, which is invaluable for recovery.

This means you’ll benefit from continuous, accessible support and a strong peer network.

3. Frequent Complaints

Integration can pose initial challenges.

While not numerous, some feedback points to the initial integration of CHESS Health’s digital tools into existing treatment programs as an area requiring careful planning. What stands out is how seamless deployment is key for provider adoption, though CHESS Health’s consultants actively address this.

These appear to be more about implementation logistics than core product functionality issues.

The overall CHESS Health reviews reveal strong user satisfaction driven by accessible peer support and community, with implementation needing attention.

Best CHESS Health Alternatives

Deciding on the best SUD solution?

The best CHESS Health alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations and priorities in digital health solutions.

1. MedBridge

Need broader patient education and rehabilitation programs?

MedBridge excels when your primary focus is general patient education, rehabilitation, and post-acute care, offering extensive content for clinicians. From my competitive analysis, MedBridge provides a wider range of education tools beyond SUD, making it a strong alternative if your needs are less specialized.

Choose MedBridge when your organization requires a comprehensive patient education platform for diverse health needs, not just SUD.

2. PneumoWave

Prioritizing real-time opioid overdose detection?

PneumoWave makes more sense if your critical need is real-time physiological monitoring and alerts for opioid overdose prevention, leveraging wearable technology. What I found comparing options is that PneumoWave’s strength is in life-saving physical monitoring, a distinct focus from CHESS Health’s behavioral support and peer engagement.

Consider this alternative when preventing immediate physiological harm is your top priority over long-term behavioral recovery support.

3. Little Journey

Seeking support for pediatric or family-centric interventions?

Little Journey could be a better fit if your primary need involves pre-procedural support, managing chronic conditions in children, or family-focused interventions. Alternative-wise, Little Journey specializes in younger populations and families for healthcare journeys, diverging from CHESS Health’s broader SUD lifecycle focus.

Choose Little Journey for pediatric-specific support or family-centric chronic condition management, rather than comprehensive adult SUD recovery.

The best CHESS Health alternatives depend on your specific patient population and core intervention goals.

CHESS Health Setup

How complex is CHESS Health implementation?

CHESS Health implementation focuses on a collaborative, guided approach designed for efficiency. This CHESS Health review section sets realistic expectations for your setup.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

Expect a structured, guided deployment.

CHESS Health implementation starts with workflow discussions, identifies staff, and schedules a concise 30-minute training. What I found about deployment is that their deep deployment experience simplifies the process, helping you avoid common pitfalls and delays.

You’ll need to allocate staff for initial training and patient onboarding, but the process is streamlined for quick activation.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Prepare for seamless technical integration.

Your team will engage with EHR and SSO integration capabilities through the CHESS Dashboard, and API options for other systems. From my implementation analysis, HITRUST CSF® Certification ensures robust security, crucial for sensitive patient data and compliance with HIPAA.

Plan for IT collaboration on system integrations, ensuring data security protocols are met and workflows are optimized.

3. Training & Change Management

User adoption is critical for success.

Staff require a 30-minute product training session to effectively enroll and onboard patients to the Connections App. My analysis shows the focus on peer engagement eases user adoption, fostering a supportive environment that encourages consistent use among patients.

You’ll want to promote the app’s 24/7 peer support features to ensure high patient engagement and sustained use.

4. Support & Success Factors

Vendor support drives successful outcomes.

CHESS Health provides customer success consultants who guide your organization through setup, ensuring project objectives are met. What I found about deployment is that the 24/7 Peer Engagement Team is a key differentiator, offering continuous support for your clients post-implementation.

You’ll want to leverage their expertise and ongoing support structure to maximize patient engagement and achieve desired recovery outcomes.

The overall CHESS Health setup focuses on guided implementation and continuous support, essential for amplifying your impact in SUD management.

Bottom Line

Is CHESS Health the right fit for your organization?

This CHESS Health review distills my comprehensive analysis into a clear recommendation, guiding you through who benefits most and why, ensuring you make an informed decision.

1. Who This Works Best For

Organizations committed to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) care.

CHESS Health is ideal for behavioral health providers, public sector organizations, and health plans focusing on SUD management and recovery support. What I found about target users is that organizations prioritizing extended reach and patient engagement in recovery will find this platform indispensable.

You’ll succeed if your goal is to enhance care coordination and improve patient outcomes with evidence-based digital tools.

2. Overall Strengths

Unwavering commitment to 24/7 peer support.

The software excels by providing a robust, evidence-based digital platform covering prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery for SUD, complete with 24/7 peer engagement. From my comprehensive analysis, its HITRUST CSF AE Certification ensures critical data security and compliance, a must-have in healthcare.

These strengths translate into improved treatment adherence and significantly reduced relapse risk factors for your patient population.

3. Key Limitations

Pricing transparency is a notable challenge here.

A primary drawback is the absence of publicly available pricing information, necessitating direct contact with sales for cost evaluation. Based on this review, its specialized focus means it’s not a general-purpose solution, limiting its applicability beyond SUD management contexts.

These limitations are important considerations, but they are manageable if the software’s core strengths align with your specific SUD program needs.

4. Final Recommendation

CHESS Health is highly recommended for its niche.

You should choose this software if your organization needs a comprehensive, secure, and evidence-based digital platform to support individuals with SUD and their caregivers. From my analysis, your decision should prioritize specialized SUD management tools over general health and wellness applications.

My confidence level is high for organizations deeply invested in SUD, seeking proven engagement and outcome improvements.

This CHESS Health review highlights strong value for specialized SUD support, guiding your decision toward a platform proven to enhance patient outcomes and recovery confidence.