Thriveworks and Ophelia Partner to Bridge Mental Health Gaps in Opioid Addiction Treatment

LYNCHBURG, Va., July 15, 2024 — Thriveworks, a leading provider of online and in-person mental health services, today announced a partnership with Ophelia, a next-generation opioid addiction treatment provider, to bolster the mental health care continuum with step-down and step-up therapeutic care options to support long-term opioid use disorder (OUD) recovery. Thriveworks patients may be referred directly to Ophelia’s OUD services if their clinician identifies a need for specialized care. In turn, Ophelia clients can step-down into long-term maintenance care with Thriveworks’ therapy and psychiatry services, which include family and couples therapy. 

The more than two million U.S. adults who have OUD also show higher rates of psychiatric disorders than the general population, such as major depressive disorder. This dual-diagnosis patient population is prone to using multiple substances and less likely to acknowledge their condition; as a result, the gap between diagnosis and treatment can take decades. When patients do try to find help, they run into overwhelming barriers. Access to specialized providers is limited, and many OUD and mental health care options do not accept health insurance and have expensive out-of-pocket costs.

Thriveworks and Ophelia are collectively dedicated to lowering barriers to care to accelerate the time to treatment. Thriveworks offers virtual and in-person therapy and psychiatry services, with sessions available for new clients within 3-5 days. When patients report or show signs of opioid addiction, they will be referred to Ophelia’s evidence-based OUD treatment services, known as Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), which involves the use of both medications and addiction counseling. Conversely, when Ophelia patients need greater mental health care beyond OUD treatment, providers will refer them to Thriveworks for therapy and psychiatry services.

“Patients with OUD often have underlying mental health disorders that require long-term support after they complete opioid addiction treatment,” said Zack Gray, founder and CEO of Ophelia. “The referral pathway to and from Thriveworks strengthens our care continuum so that patients receive quality, affordable care at the right time no matter where they are in their health journey.”

Both providers are in network with major commercial insurance companies and have identified large regional payers with which they have established referral partnerships to provide in-network, coordinated care. Thriveworks works closely with Medicare plans. Ophelia also works closely with Medicaid and Medicare plans, with roughly 70% of its patients covered by Medicaid due to the disproportionate need within this population.

“Addressing the gaps in our care ecosystem has to be a priority for all of us working in behavioral health,” said Dr. Dan Frogel, CEO of Thriveworks. “We know that medication for opioid addiction treatment saves lives, but only one in five adults with OUD receive it. We’re proud to partner with Ophelia to ensure our clients can easily access and receive the appropriate level of care at every phase of their OUD recovery.”