Moving slow to move fast

Q1 2024 Reflection?

When you start a business, everyone tells you to get mentally prepared for the ups and downs. Some days you’ll ride high closing a big or important deal. Other days it will feel like no one will ever buy what you’re selling. What few talk about are the cycles of business and how to prepare for that flow. Now that we’re almost four years into Commonly Well, enough time has passed to where I’ve experienced the acute undulation and the cyclical movements of our business and the market.?

The Nobel Prize winning behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman introduced us to System 1 and System 2 thinking. Kahneman passed away this past week but his explanation of how our brains work has been comforting, knowing that it is okay to slow down, especially when and if you need to make important decisions. Our System 2 brain may be a little messier, but it’s slower and more often leads to making better decisions. ?

A few months ago, we reached an inflection point. We had been testing a generative AI prototype for translating complex assessment data. We invested a lot of time in this process, hiring an experienced CTO, creating an expert advisory panel, and engaging our customers as beta testers. Despite the speed of AI coming into the market, we committed to doing this slowly and diligently because data security and privacy are paramount. This process forced us to reckon with our own destiny (cue overly dramatic music). If we really wanted to harness all the learnings from our customers and build what we know is needed to move the needle on outcomes, quality, and performance in addiction and recovery care, we would need to build our own technology from the ground up.?

In January, we made that decision. ?

Underway is the development of a next-generation AI-powered recovery intelligence and practice management application. A few key concepts are driving the design and user experience choices we are making. ?

1. “Does what we do work?” This question plagues all of behavioral health. The phrase “evidence-based” is thrown around a lot but very few show their data or evidence receipts. We want to show you, in real-time, whether or not what you do is having the effect you think it is. If it’s not, we can use technology to guide you to why and what to change.?

1. Data minimalism. When was the last time you went through your own intake process? What are we doing to patients? We know that addiction is a condition that takes cycles of care and recovery attempts, but our systems aren’t sensitive to this reality. We ask individuals for the same information over and over. We get funding from different sources and each source requires more information. We make the hell of addiction more hellish. What’s the least amount of data needed from a patient to accomplish the needs of billing, care management, and performance measurement? And how do we eliminate duplication? We’re giving great focus to these issues. ?

1. AI and data literacy. Addiction and recovery are complex and the data captured are equally, if not more complex. Even if we execute a data minimalist approach, we stil have mountains of information that isn’t being used to serve the needs of the patient. We will be introducing the use of generative AI to make sense of all this data, and with the help of our AI assistant, “Kirby”, you will be able to explore the data and have it explained to you. ?

These are exciting times. Artificial intelligence is going to remake how we deliver care. I believe that when developed properly, human-to-human engagement will improve. Technology will move the background, but it will undoubtedly make us better caregivers. ?

Our team is shaping up. I’m proud to have known and worked with some incredibly brilliant people in a variety of capacities. A couple have been working with us on a contract basis?but are joining in full-time roles. Johanna M. Dolan is our new Head of Customer Success. And Justin Smith, Ph.D. is still Chief Technology Officer but has joined us full-time. Both are owners and partners in the company and vital to seeing our vision become reality.?

We also look forward to welcoming Steve Millette in April to lead our growth strategy. Steve knows the field deeply and understands what operators and providers need to be effective in a performance-driven future. He and I have been collaborators through Commonly Well’s use of the Gloo platform.?

I’m excited to be rounding out our core team as we close out the first quarter of 2024. ?

Expanding recovery intelligence. We are thrilled to be working with some new providers and organizations, including:?

• Davids Courage Based in Indiana, David’s Courage is a long-term, faith-based recovery program that combines a safe living environment and partnership with appropriate treatment.?
• Fidelity Behavioral Health A new provider based in Denver focusing on individuals navigating the competency restoration process. Chris Conn and team are establishing compassionate and holistic continuum of care for an often overlooked and vulnerable population. ?
• New Bridge Cleveland People deserve the opportunity to find a purpose and flourish. New Bridge does that through focused education and workforce development with an attention to improved resilience and well-being.?
• Purple Mountain Recovery . No one should ever feel unsafe or lost in the gaps of services and support. Based in Colorado Springs, Purple Mountain provides a supportive environment for the LGBTQIA+ community to navigate and thrive in recovery. ?