Forge Health Partners With Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran Affairs and PsychArmor to Bring Opioid Use Disorder Education and Treatment to State’s Military Community

The company’s veteran- and active duty-specific substance use education and treatment are key resources in addressing the opioid crisis in the Keystone State

Forge Health today announced that its Forge VFR (Veterans & First Responders) program, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, and the nonprofit organization PsychArmor are partnering to provide free educational resources to veterans, active-duty military, and their families confronting opioid use disorder (OUD) in Pennsylvania. Opioid use is an ongoing national crisis, and in Pennsylvania alone, there have been more than 45,000¹ emergency room visits related to OUD since 2018.

Substance use can be a response to stress and trauma, and as such, it disproportionately affects the military and veteran communities. Forge VFR’s free resources help veterans, active-duty military, and their families better understand the signs and symptoms of opioid dependence, reduce the risk of overdose, and find local health care and treatment options to begin recovery.

Available at opioids.forgehealth.com, these free Forge VFR resources include both original material and short online courses developed by PsychArmor, a national nonprofit organization that provides education and training to improve the health and life outcomes of military-connected individuals. Courses for veterans, active-duty military, family members, and caregivers are included, and their availability is being publicized through online and streaming audio advertising.

For Eric Golnick, CEO of Forge VFR, this is an issue that hits close to home. “As a veteran who has lost close friends to opioid use disorder, I know how vital it is that the military community understands the risk factors associated with OUD and knows what resources are available to them,” Golnick said. “We are honored to partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran Affairs and PsychArmor to provide this life-saving education and treatment to veterans, families and caregivers throughout Pennsylvania.”

Founded in 2016, Forge Health is a mission-driven outpatient substance use and mental health treatment provider dedicated to delivering outstanding “one-stop-shop” care to individuals, families, and communities in need. The company is in-network with over 30 commercial and government health plans, and through growing population health partnerships with leading health plans and health systems, Forge now manages more than 270,000 members under its value-based partnership model.

Earlier this year, Forge released the results of a groundbreaking national payor-led clinical outcomes research study that showed that patients in its care maintained significant improvement in both medical utilization and overall health outcomes even a full 12 months after treatment for substance use and mental health had concluded. In July, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health invited company co-founders Eric Frieman, CEO of Forge Health, and Eric Golnick, CEO of the Forge VFR program, to provide expert testimony about obstacles to the effective use of community care resources in treating mental health and substance use among veterans.

Notes

¹Source: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania OpenData

About Forge Health

Forge Health is a mission-driven company delivering the highest quality, affordable, and effective value-based outpatient treatment for mental health, substance use, and associated trauma. A “one-stop-shop,” Forge is in-network with all major private and public insurers, delivering care when and where clients need it - virtually from the comfort, privacy, and convenience of home, or in-person at the company’s welcoming offices. The Forge VFR (Veterans & First Responders) program provides specialized treatment that addresses the unique culture, preferences, and values of veterans, active-duty military, first responders, emergency & health care workers, and their families. Created by veterans and first responders for veterans and first responders, it is designed to treat and heal addiction, mental health, trauma, and symptoms worsened by underlying issues like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

About PsychArmor

PsychArmor is a national nonprofit organization that provides education and training to improve the health and life outcomes of military-connected individuals. It creates data-driven and evidence-based virtual training courses that help to enhance the level of connection between civilians and military-connected people.

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