When telehealth expanded rapidly during the pandemic, skeptics worried that remote treatment couldn’t match the outcomes of in-person care. Several years of data later, the answer has surprised a lot of people — including some researchers. Here’s what the evidence actually says about telehealth for addiction treatment, and how Lionheart uses it in practice.
What the Research Shows
The evidence base for telehealth in substance use treatment has grown substantially since 2020. Key findings from peer-reviewed research include:
- Comparable outcomes: Multiple studies comparing telehealth IOP to in-person IOP have found no significant difference in treatment completion rates, days of abstinence, or clinical outcomes at 3- and 6-month follow-ups
- Higher engagement rates: Some studies have found that telehealth patients actually attend more sessions, because barriers like transportation, childcare, and work schedules are reduced
- Equivalent therapeutic alliance: The quality of the relationship between client and counselor — the single strongest predictor of outcomes in addiction treatment — is not meaningfully diminished by video
- Better access for rural populations: Telehealth has dramatically expanded access for people in areas with limited treatment options, including much of greater Minnesota
2023 SAMHSA finding: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration concluded that telehealth-delivered substance use treatment produces outcomes comparable to in-person treatment across multiple modalities — including individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management.
Where Telehealth Works Best
Telehealth is not universally appropriate for all clients or all situations. Here’s where it tends to be most effective:
- Outpatient levels of care (OP and IOP) — where medical monitoring is not required
- Clients with stable housing and a private space for sessions
- People who face significant transportation barriers
- Step-down from higher levels of care, where the therapeutic relationship is already established
- Clients managing work, school, or childcare alongside treatment
- People in rural or underserved areas without local treatment options
Where In-Person Has Advantages
Honesty matters here. Telehealth is not always the best option, and we don’t position it as one. In-person treatment tends to be preferable when:
- A client is in early recovery with high relapse risk and benefits from being physically present with a clinical team
- There is no private space available for telehealth sessions
- Technology access or comfort is a significant barrier
- The therapeutic work involves nonverbal communication that is harder to read on video
- A client expresses a strong personal preference for in-person connection
This is why Lionheart’s approach isn’t telehealth-only or in-person-only. It’s both — and the right mix is determined by you and your clinical team together.
The Lionheart Connect Approach
Lionheart Connect is our telehealth access program — designed around a specific problem we kept seeing: people who wanted treatment but couldn’t access it because of technology barriers, transportation, or geography.
Here’s what makes our approach different from simply handing someone a Zoom link:
Lionheart Connect — two ways to access
Lionheart Connect is available in two formats depending on what works best for you:
- Pre-configured tablet: If you don’t have a device or reliable internet, we provide a pre-configured tablet ready to use — with your Zoom session link, client portal access, and support resources already set up. No technical knowledge required.
- Lionheart Connect Web App: If you prefer to use your own phone, tablet, or computer, the Lionheart Connect web app gives you the same streamlined access — Zoom, client portal, recovery resources, and support — through your own device. Same experience, no lockdown.
The goal is the same either way: remove as many steps as possible between you and your session.
Hybrid group room
Our Hastings office has a purpose-built hybrid group room with 360-degree cameras and full-room audio pickup. Remote participants aren’t an afterthought — they’re a full part of the group. You can see every in-person member, hear every voice, and participate in the whiteboard and group exercises in real time.
Continuity of care
One of the most underappreciated benefits of telehealth is what it enables between sessions and during disruptions. Sick day? Join from home. Traveling for work? Join from your hotel. Mental health day where leaving the house feels impossible? Join from your couch. The care continues.
The goal isn’t telehealth for its own sake. The goal is making sure that the barrier between a person and their treatment is as small as possible. Telehealth is one powerful tool toward that end — and when it’s the right fit, the evidence shows it works.
Is Telehealth Right for You?
The best way to find out is a conversation. Our clinical team can help you think through your situation — your home environment, your technology access, your schedule, your clinical needs — and recommend the right combination of in-person and telehealth participation.
If technology is a concern, that’s exactly what Lionheart Connect is designed to solve. You don’t need to figure it out alone.
Call us at 651-456-8411 or send us a message — we’re happy to walk through your options before you make any commitment.