Our evidence-based programs are the culmination of years of rigorous research, more than $4 million dollars of National Institutes of Health grants, multiple randomized clinical trials, and peer-reviewed publications that document outcomes.
EVIDENCE
We’re committed to giving you solutions that work. Our research has been peer reviewed and published in leading scientific journals. Our protocols for alcohol have been evaluated in randomized clinical trials that were supported by grants from NIAAA/NIH.
RESPONSIVE DESIGN
We engineered CheckUp & Choices to dynamically adapt to, and function well on, any screen size: smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. All you need is an internet connection. We take care of everything else.
EFFECTIVENESS
We’re committed to giving you solutions that work. Our research has been peer reviewed and published in leadiOur randomized clinical trials have found significant reductions in drinking alcohol and alcohol-related problems. Self-reported outcomes as corroborated by significant others supports results consistent with improved outcomes through 12-month follow-ups.
PERSONALIZED
Alcohol and drug problems—and their causes—vary from person to person. And evidence-based interventions are tailored to the individual. CheckUp & Choices dynamically adapts its presentation based on the needs of the subscriber.
EXPERIENCE
CheckUp & Choices has been designing, developing and distributing digital interventions for substance misuse since the early days of the Internet (2001) and via Windows programs before that. Our in-house research team has over 35 years of combined experience in helping people with alcohol and drug problems.
INTERACTIVE
Changing long standing habits takes time, sustained effort and concentration. It helps to have reminders, trackers, counters, and notifications. CheckUp & Choices incorporates these tools, giving you a continuous and customized support system that’s always under your control. It’s what we call guided self-change.
INNOVATION
We closely follow, and in many cases lead, the latest developments in this exciting space, applying innovation where appropriate to deliver better results.
ANALYTICAL
The patterns in the data help to accurately identify the problems, understand the causes, suggest the best solutions, and monitor progress towards goals. Knowing what to keep track of, and then doing it, is difficult—especially with alcohol and drugs. We make it easy for you to keep track of your drinking, your urges and cravings, and your mood and to understand the interactions between them.
TECHNOLOGY
To maximize impact, we deliver our science via the internet across multiple, accessible platforms.
Want More Science?
Read Our PublicationsSCIENTIFIC LEADERS
Reid Hester Ph.D.
Reid is a pioneer in the field of digital interventions for substance misuse and is Co-Founder of CheckUp & Choices. He oversees current research projects and ensures the scientific accuracy of all product-related materials. Reid has been developing digital interventions for people with alcohol and drug problems for over 30 years and has cumulatively published more than 60 papers, books, and book chapters. He is a leader in his field, receiving multiple honors from his colleagues. Reid believes that helping individuals recover from substance misuse can have a significant positive impact on them, their families and their communities. This led Reid to found CheckUp & Choices, creating an avenue to disseminate evidence-based interventions to those who need them. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Washington State University and is a Research Associate Professor in the Psychology Department of The University of New Mexico.
View Dr. Hester’s Vita
Robert B. Huebner Ph.D.
Bob played a leadership role in treatment and recovery research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) for over two decades. During his tenure, Bob focused on expanding research initiatives to improve behavioral treatments and health services around alcohol use disorder. In addition, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and has published widely on alcohol treatment and health services research. Bob did his undergraduate work in Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate School. He is a licensed psychologist in the District of Columbia. Bob is deeply committed to the idea that treatment for alcohol use disorders should be accessible, attractive, effective, reasonably priced, and tailored to individual needs and preferences. Bob serves as a science advisor for CheckUp & Choices.
Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM
Richard was Chair and Professor of Community Health Sciences at Boston University (BU) School of Public Health, Professor of Medicine at BU School of Medicine, and multiple principal investigator (MPI) of the BU Clinical Translational Science Institute. He was on our Board of Professional Advisors when he passed away in 2021. We will miss him.
He was a general internist primary care physician, and an addiction medicine specialist at the Grayken Center on Addiction and the Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, at Boston Medical Center. He Chaired the Treatment and Services review committee for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, was associate editor of JAMA, and Editor in Chief of Journal of Addiction Medicine, Section Editor and sole author of key chapters in UpToDate on unhealthy substance use, editor of the ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine textbook, founding Editor Emeritus of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, former editor of the BMJ’s Evidence-Based Medicine, and author of about 350 publications. He was President of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) and President of the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE). Major awards include Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Boston Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Leaders Award, Best Doctors in America®, AMERSA’s W. Anderson Spickard, Jr. Excellence in Mentorship Award, the R. Brinkley Smithers Distinguished Scientist Award (ASAM), and the Research Society on Alcoholism Distinguished Researcher Award.
Sheri Pruitt Ph.D.
Sheri is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of experience developing and implementing pioneering programs that produce behavior change. Sheri guided all behavioral science efforts for patients, employees, and providers during her 16-year tenure as the Director of Behavioral Science Integration at Kaiser Permanente. Earlier in her career, she worked as a scientist for the World Health Organization where she developed award-winning, global models of care for chronic conditions and published two books. Sheri has maintained a private consulting practice throughout her career and is now focused exclusively on helping organizations meet their goals through the behavioral change of patients, providers, employees, customers, and leaders. Sheri received her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico and currently serves as a scientific and implementation advisor to CheckUp & Choices.
The science and technology used within this program was designed to help those who may have problems with alcohol and drugs. Understanding the reason people struggle with moderation and instead indulge in excess is essential to finding true balance. We’ve already enhanced our lives in dozens of ways thanks to technology, even if we do not realize it.
Does tracking your time and distance on a run make you faster? Physically, no, but we still track our efforts every time we go for a run. That’s because psychologically it does make a difference. It works the same way when trying to change your relationship with alcohol or drugs. Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are, what your limits are, what drives your cravings, and when you are at risk of diving back into your problems with alcohol and other substances, gives you an advantage in this ongoing endeavor.
Just as that running tracker only works if you go for a run, CheckUp & Choices only works if you put in the effort. This program does not interfere with your life, and does not keep you from your daily work or interests. It shows you how to improve your efforts in the areas you are struggling with, how to make real gains in your life, and how to rethink your problems with alcohol and drugs.
Interested in learning how the program can benefit you immediately? Request a demo today and see how fast real change can be made.