An addiction tech firm has been acquired by mental health and wellbeing provider LifeWorks.
Birmingham-based Breaking Free develops evidence-based behavioural health SaaS solutions for substance use intervention.
LifeWorks, an enterprise headquartered in Toronto, Canada, was founded in 1966 and provides comprehensive mental health, digital and in-person total wellbeing solutions.
The acquisition will make substance use solutions available to the more than 25,000 client organisations that already rely on LifeWorks’ services.
It is estimated that more than six million people in Canada, 20m in the United States and 10m in the United Kingdom have a substance use disorder – all with limited options to access affordable care.
The companies said Breaking Free will continue to deliver uninterrupted support to its own clients in Canada, the US and the UK, spanning public health agencies, treatment providers and correctional facilities.
Breaking Free’s solutions include a range of resources, behaviour change techniques and interventions that strengthen digital and in-person counselling, therapy, medication and other treatments. These can be used either independently by the patient or in conjunction with a mental health professional or their physician.
They also include digital therapy that enables recovery from dependence on alcohol and more than 70 drugs; self-guided digital treatment for substance-involved inmates in correctional facilities; public health interventions that address smoking, problem drinking and drug dependence on a population-wide scale; and extensive research and insights that demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of Breaking Free’s programs, with 36 peer-reviewed studies and five government accreditations.
“Joining LifeWorks is the logical next step in our vision for Breaking Free, given the complementary services that both companies provide to our clients and the opportunities presented to our employees,” said Dr Jonathan Ward, managing director, Breaking Free.
“We are excited to integrate with the clinical best practices, digital technology and worldwide presence of LifeWorks for the betterment of our clients.”