Dan Couvrette the publisher of DivorceMag.com and Family Lawyer Magazine talked to Matthew Serel about his addiction recovery, toxicology monitoring, and support program called You Are Accountable – YouAreAccountable.com
Dan: Matthew give me some information about your background and explain why you saw the need to create YouAreAccountable.com
Matthew: Keeping it short and sweet, I’m a healthcare technology entrepreneur and I’m also a recovering addict and alcoholic. I have been sober since October 14th, 2013!
Accountable was born based on my experience finding recovery from addiction. Both I, and Accountable’s co-founder AJ Diaz, LMSW felt that rehab gave us the space to stabilizable. However, 30-90 days of treatment wasn’t going to undo years of maladaptive coping skills, or help us rebuild trust with our families.
Accountable provides online peer support, random toxicology screening, and a technology platform that holds individuals accountable to their recovery, while also helping them rebuild trust with their family, and coordinate care with their healthcare providers.
Give me a brief overview to explain what YouAreAccountable.com is and how it works.
Accountable is a peer support, random drug, and alcohol testing, and technology platform to help individuals, providers, and families. Accountable’s technology provides an environment that helps families heal and provides a safety net of support. Our mission is to support individuals as they transition from therapeutic care into a fulfilling, and self-determined life. In particular, we offer the following comprehensive services:
- We randomly drug and alcohol test over video chat using saliva or breathalyzer-based tests.
- We reinforce the skills built during addiction treatment through our phased skill-building program, in coordination with the individuals’ addiction recovery treatment providers, and guided by our goal library.
- We provide transparency into an individual’s recovery through our portal. Family and providers can see the recovering individual’s goals, correspondence with us including survey and text message data, and toxicology test results. This reduces splitting, which in turn creates an environment where trust can be rebuilt.
- We provide a Recovery Community through our Facebook group and Accountable Recovery Meetings for all present and past Accountable Members.
In addition, everyone on the Accountable team is in long-term recovery from addiction, and truly understands what it means to be in early recovery.
How is YouAreAccountable.com being helpful to those who are facing substance use issues while going through a divorce?
Unfortunately, addiction doesn’t just impact the addicted individual, but the entire family unit. As a result, many times addiction, divorce, and child custody issues go hand in hand.
Accountable’s services help the recovering individual continue their path of recovery in a dignified manner and provides peace of mind that the recovering individual is either continuing on the path of sobriety, or if they have relapsed, everyone will become aware.
In general, Accountable:
- Let the recovering individuals take ownership of their recovery, their recovery goals, and build a recovery lifestyle.
- Provides a healthy, boundaried environment for the recovering individual to share progress with loved ones without feeling policed. This is especially helpful in custody situations.
- Creates an environment that fosters collaboration between therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, alumni coordinators, recovery coaches, family, and the recovering individual.
- Provides powerful, continued support with very little ongoing time commitment for the recovering individual.
I can see this being so helpful, but what if someone is resistant to being “monitored”?
I totally understand their resistance, and that is the point!
Everyone who works at Accountable is in long-term recovery from addiction. We don’t approach our services as “probation officers” that are looking to catch you.
The monitoring portion is there to keep you safe, and as a tool for you to rebuild trust. Our goal-setting and care coordination framework is designed to help you build a strong foundation in your recovery, and help you get the maximum benefit from your treating clinicians.
Our overarching goal is always to help our members find the long-term recovery we’ve been blessed with.
Matt, thank you for your time, I think your program is a great idea and I encourage people to visit your website to learn more about it – visit YouAreAccountable.com
30-90 days of treatment was not going to undo years of maladaptive coping skills, or help us rebuild trust with our families.