Chat2Recovery (C2R) is an online, outpatient, substance abuse treatment center treating adults 21 years or older who wish to abstain from or reduce their use of mood-altering chemicals. To our knowledge, it is the first such program in New York State to provide addiction treatment almost exclusively by telecommunications including videoconferencing, e-mailing, and telephoning. Members have accessibility to recovery support wherever they are in the web-connected world, set their own treatment goals, maintain their anonymity to the fullest extent desired, and obtain affordable treatment.
Services Offered
Chat2Recovery is a 6-week, online program typically consisting of:
- twice-weekly, 90-minute group sessions (using first names only) facilitated by a credentialed and experienced counselor and conveniently scheduled to meet your personalized needs;
- videoconferenced, phone, or face-to-face (depending on your preference), 30-minute sessions with your primary counselor scheduled at the beginning of treatment, the middle of treatment, and prior to the conclusion of your 6-week program to develop and monitor your individualized treatment goals and progress;
- e-mail and phone access to your primary counselor;
- readings and written exercises on substance use disorders, mental health and recovery; and,
- emergency access to our professional counseling staff.
Extending Treatment
Members are free to extend their treatment programs beyond the initial 6-weeks of treatment to include any of our services such as group or individual sessions.
Abstinence or Moderation Goals
Members get to choose their own treatment goals including abstinence or moderation. (If moderation goals are not succeeding, an abstinence-based program will be proposed.)
Professional Staffing and Treatment
The treatment at C2R incorporates state-of-the-art, evidenced-based treatment practices. Licensed professional staff monitors your care from beginning to end. The professional staff assists, if needed, with placement to higher levels of care such as residential treatment. We hope you will become a member and feel confident that this experience will be a rewarding one for you.
Getting Started
The process begins by completing a no-cost, screening form. A professional counselor will then contact you within one business day to discuss your potential eligibility for the program and answer any general questions that you may have. If there is mutual agreement on continuing towards enrollment, you will be asked to review our informed consent and complete a comprehensive questionnaire used for developing your individualized treatment goals. You may complete this questionnaire at your own pace. An intake appointment will be arranged with one of our professional counseling staff. We recommend that this session be face-to-face, whenever possible, to ensure proper treatment placement. The intake session will last for approximately one hour to: complete a clinical assessment, explain the program in detail, present intake forms for signature, assign a primary counselor, and answer any of your questions. Following the intake session, an information technology (IT) meeting will be scheduled with our IT expert to review your technology equipment and prepare you for videoconferencing groups and individual sessions.
Program Costs
Please see our Pricing page.
Equipment Needed
- A computer that is less than 3 years old, Apple products, or mobile devices
- Online broadband connection (DSL, cable or faster)
- Telephone
- Headset for computer or speakers
- Webcam (if not built in to computer)
- Microphone (if not built in to computer)
This service is only currently available to those who are twenty-one (21) years of age or older.