Saint Francis Ministries has partnered with CHESS Health to add another tool to SFM’s substance use recovery programming. Termed the “Connections” app, the effort is funded through a $200,000 Kansas Fights Addiction grant, supported by the Kansas Opioid Settlement. The hope is to expand access to innovative recovery solutions across the state for Saint Francis Outpatient clients.
According to Residential and Outpatient Vice President Darrin Sewell, the Connections app is an evidence-based digital platform designed to support individuals in recovery through a comprehensive suite of tools. These include 24/7 access to certified peer recovery specialists, moderated discussion forums, virtual peer-led support meetings (called “Alongsides”), digital cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) modules, daily check-ins, journaling, and a rich resource library. It also incorporates contingency management tools that reward healthy behavior and a simplified interface to reduce cognitive overload for new users.
One of the app’s core strengths is its ability to connect providers with clients in real time,” said Sewell. “Through CHESS Health’s eRecovery Dashboard, treatment teams at Saint Francis Ministries can monitor engagement, send secure messages, schedule appointments, and adjust care plans based on real-time data. This integration allows for early intervention, improves treatment retention, and supports personalized recovery paths.”
Equally important, the app fosters a strong sense of community among users, helping reduce the isolation that often accompanies substance use. Participants engage in daily discussions, attend themed virtual support groups, and celebrate recovery milestones together. One user shared, “Before the Connections app, I felt like I was alone. Now I’m in a place where people understand what I’m going through. We’re not just clients—we’re a family here.”
Available in both English and Spanish (“Conexiones”), the Connections app supports culturally diverse communities, ensuring broader accessibility. It has been shown to improve key recovery outcomes, including a 20 percent increase in treatment duration, a 30–50 percent improvement in abstinence, and a 40–50 percent reduction in relapse risk factors.
Connections is a free app for individuals with substance use disorder and common co-occurring mental health conditions and can be found at the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Saint Francis and the Soule Family – working together in mission
We often discuss the importance of community partners in providing healing and hope to children and families. Most often, these community partners share the Saint Francis vision and support our work through grants and other financial contributions that enable us to provide the best possible care to those we serve.
Guided by our mission to provide healing and hope to children and families, we work diligently to support, sustain, and empower families so they can care for their children in the best way possible. Saint Francis knows that strong families make kids’ lives better and our communities connected and vibrant.
Yet, our success has never been entirely our own. We have always shared it with our friends, supporters, and community partners. One such friend and partner is the Soule Family Foundation.
Because of the Soule Family Foundation, SFM has been able to provide material support and make renovations to our programs and facilities at Salina West, Bridgeway, and the Buckner campus. Here are the highlights:
Salina West – Kansas
Equine Therapy has been part of Saint Francis since nearly the beginning. Thanks to the Soule Family Foundation, we’ve purchased a new truck, horse trailer, tack, and other materials necessary to ensure the health, safety, and success of children and horses alike.
Exercise, physical fitness, and leisurely gameplay are also essential to healing and well-being. That’s why Salina West has a gymnasium and ropes course to help youth grow in confidence and begin to heal from trauma. Thanks to the Soule Family Foundation, we’re renovating the Salina West gymnasium, so kids in care can support their physical health in a safe and inviting facility for years to come.
According to Darrin Sewell, Vice President of Residential and Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, the gym renovations will be completed in six to eight weeks.
Buckner Campus – Texas
With help from the Soule Family Foundation, Saint Francis purchased the former Buckner International campus in Lubbock and made renovations and improvements to the facilities. This support has enabled us to position staff and administrative offices in one location to enhance operational efficiency. Renamed the Brentwood Campus, the property highlights Saint Francis’ presence within the community and our commitment to Lubbock. In April, SFM hosted a gathering of local friends and partners in the newly renovated
community room on the Buckner campus. Attendees included the acting mayor of Lubbock and the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas.
Bridgeway – Mississippi
Every program and service provided by Saint Francis Ministries is born from a fundamental belief in the inherent dignity and worth of each person in our care. This is perhaps most evident at Bridgeway, our residential and supportive employment program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Picayune, Mississippi.
Thanks to support from the Soule Family Foundation, Saint Francis has purchased an ADA and wheelchair accessible van and made all the shower spaces ADA accessible for residents. Material upgrades have also been made to the roof and HVAC system.
Each project represents just how valuable community partners like the Soule Family Foundation are to our work. It’s important for each of us to thank our partners – and there are many – who join us in our efforts to bring healing to kids, strengthen families, and build community.
We expressed our appreciation to the Soule Family Foundation with a video that CEO William J. Clark shared during a recent gathering in Colorado. Clark also spoke during the event, linking the Saint Francis vision to the Foundation’s impact.
Watch the video here:
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