Addiction & Recovery 9.14.25 - Flipbook - Page 8
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A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Sunday, September 14, 2025
Addiction Recovery Programs
Evolve with Technology
From virtual support groups to personalized treatment plans,
technology engages recovery patients and staff
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
T
he good, old-fashioned
group therapy, with its human side, a caring touch
and the language of tough
love is moving forward as technology lures its members. Just as you
have vowed to make a lifetime commitment to recovery, technology is
moving forward to meet you where
you are with a commitment to making your journey a little lighter.
Basic technology has enhanced
programs through virtual support
groups, virtual reality and now AIled technologies. In the wake of the
pandemic, virtual support groups
grew in popularity. While the physical touch and the ability to read
body language or facial expression
is still missing, the virtual meetings
give the community a good outlet – an opportunity to have some
interaction. It is also a resource for
forums that focus on particular subjects and can be accessed by all.
Virtual reality therapies have
brought traditional role-playing scenarios used in a recovery program
to a whole new level. By creating
situations that are likely behavior
triggers for patients, virtual reality
technology gives them a controlled
environment to pre-plan their reactions. Patients are less stressed and
more comfortable when they know
how to respond in a given situation.
AI-powered systems work to collect
and analyze data that helps to pre-
dict – or at least forewarn – a relapse.
The prevalence of AI technology is being felt at both the administrative level and the patient level.
They’ve seen the result of various
levels of technology. Ashley Addiction Treatment in Harford County
says it is primarily using AI for supporting documentation for record
that can generate session summaries
from clinician notes. “This shift will
mean more time with patients and
less time in front of a computer,”
says Jennifer Aguglia, LCSW-C, vice
president of clinical services at Ashley Addiction Treatment.
“Counselors are also starting to
use AI to develop engaging group
therapy activities,” she continues.
“For example, a clinician can input a clinical method and topic, and
AI suggests new approaches to facilitate an activity or discussion. This
keeps sessions fresh, creative and
clinically grounded.”
The addiction recovery sector
is a burgeoning market for AI. As
drug abuse grows, it will cause a
growth and a need for recovery
solutions. Currently, drug abuse –
including crime, health care and lost
work productivity – costs the U.S.
a whopping $830 billion per year.
This spills over into other areas like
mental illness, broadening the market for recovery needs. According
to the National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA), contributing to that
amount is the rise in opioid misuse,
