Agents in Recovery

AI for recovery coaches and peer support specialists

Peer work is relationships. AI can take the scheduling, the paperwork, and the searching so you spend more time with people. It can't be the peer.

Who this is for

Independent recovery coaches, family recovery coaches, certified peer recovery specialists, and staff and volunteers at recovery community organizations (RCOs).

Your top challenges, and where AI can help

1. Scheduling a solo practice

The problem. Booking, rescheduling, and reminders take hours a week.

How an agent can help. A scheduling assistant handles it. Privacy-safe reminders never reveal what the appointment is for.

2. Notes and session prep

The problem. Remembering where you left off with every person is hard.

How an agent can help. Session prep from your own notes and family coaching notes help. In programs, documentation prompts help peer notes meet requirements.

3. Finding resources fast

The problem. Food, ID, housing, meetings: the list changes constantly.

How an agent can help. Peer resource lookup and the aftercare resource list builder search without naming the person.

4. Marketing a coaching practice

The problem. Website copy and posts compete with coaching time.

How an agent can help. Marketing drafts need no client information. Don't use anyone's story without written permission.

5. RCO reports, volunteers, and outreach

The problem. Grant reports and volunteer schedules fall on a small staff.

How an agent can help. Grant report drafting, volunteer scheduling, outreach content, and outreach reminders cover the routine work. Facilitator prep helps family groups.

Three starter steps

  1. Figure out whether HIPAA applies to you. If you work for or contract with a treatment center, assume it does and ask which tools are approved.
  2. Keep names and recovery details out of any AI tool that isn't covered by a BAA.
  3. Start with scheduling or resource lookups, which need little or no personal information.

Risks and guardrails for this role

  • HIPAA may or may not apply. HIPAA covers health plans, clearinghouses, and providers that conduct standard electronic transactions, plus their business associates, per HHS's covered entities page. A private-pay coach may not be covered. Protect privacy either way.
  • Referral fees. Don't accept anything of value for referring someone to a treatment center or recovery home. 18 U.S.C. § 220 names recovery homes and clinical treatment facilities.
  • Crisis. Any agent that talks to people must route crisis statements to a person immediately, including 911 and 988.
  • AI texts and calls. Reminder texts and AI calls need consent. The FCC confirmed in February 2024 that AI voices are artificial voices under the TCPA.

Every use case below keeps a person in charge of the decision. Agents gather, draft, sort, and remind. People approve.

Matching use cases (13)

Frequently asked questions

Does HIPAA apply to recovery coaches?

It depends. HIPAA applies to covered entities, including providers that conduct standard electronic transactions like insurance claims, and their business associates. A private-pay coach who never bills insurance may not be covered. A coach working for a treatment center likely handles protected information. Ask counsel.

Can a recovery coach accept referral fees from a treatment center?

Receiving remuneration for referring someone to a recovery home or clinical treatment facility can violate the federal Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (18 U.S.C. § 220). Refer based on what's right for the person.

Can AI help write RCO grant reports?

Yes, using aggregate numbers. It can format quarterly counts and draft narrative. Check for small counts that could identify someone before the report goes out.