Addiction centres successfully implement HiBoop’s assessment platform

Canadian Addiction Treatment Centres (CATC) has successfully implemented HiBoop’s digital assessment platform at three inpatient facilities. Full staff adoption was achieved within weeks rather than the months typically expected for healthcare technology deployments.

The implementation, which began as a pilot program in fall 2024, resulted in near-universal assessment completion rates and the CATC’s first comprehensive outcome data spanning six months of treatment programs.

The Victoria-based mental health technology company’s platform provides access to a growing library of over 40 validated assessment scales, enabling CATC to move beyond traditional relapse-rate metrics to comprehensive outcome measurement.

“We’ve moved from measuring success purely through relapse rates to capturing a complete picture of client recovery, including quality of life metrics and overall well-being,” said Melanie Matthews, director of clinical programs at CATC. “The platform has given us the ability to demonstrate program effectiveness with concrete data rather than anecdotal evidence.”

CATC, which operates virtual and outpatient clinics across Canada and inpatient treatment facilities in Ontario, has so far introduced HiBoop within its inpatient programs.

Leadership budgeted several weeks for staff training and system implementation. However, the intuitive design enabled immediate adoption by clinical staff. “Our team was using the system productively within days,” said Stacey Ferland, vice president of clinical operations. “In my 25 years in mental health, I’ve never seen technology adoption happen this quickly or this smoothly.”

The platform’s automated scoring eliminates the 15-20 minutes previously required for manual calculation during clinical sessions. Without specialized psychometrists on staff and only two psychologists serving the entire network, the democratization of assessment tools has proven particularly valuable.

During initial deployment, the platform identified previously undetected mood disorder symptoms in a client undergoing addiction treatment.

The automated screening enabled immediate psychiatric referral, potentially preventing weeks of delayed diagnosis.

“The early detection capabilities have proven invaluable,” Matthews noted. “Having automated flagging of clinical concerns ensures nothing is missed during busy intake periods.”

Previously, when paper was used, fewer than half of clients finished their assessments, with many abandoning them partway or refusing altogether.

Since introducing HiBoop, nearly every client now completes intake, midpoint, and discharge assessments, giving clinicians consistent, reliable data across the entire course of treatment.

An unexpected development emerged in how clients interact with the assessments. Rather than completing forms on their own as anticipated, clients are choosing to work through questions with their addiction counsellors, transforming administrative tasks into therapeutic opportunities.

“We expected clients would want privacy when completing assessments,” Ferland explained. “Instead, they’re using it as a rapport-building exercise with their counselors.”

The visual progress tracking has particularly resonated with clients. When presented with graphs showing decreasing severity scores over time, clients can see tangible evidence of their improvement. “Change can be so gradual that clients don’t notice it,” Matthews said. “But when they see their scores, they recognize they’re making real progress. It’s deeply motivating.”

HiBoop was founded in 2024 by technology entrepreneur Jason Morehouse following his own mental health diagnosis journey. Morehouse, who previously built Checkfront into a global tourism booking platform processing $1.5 billion in reservations annually, launched HiBoop after spending $80,000 on comprehensive mental health assessments that revealed previously undiagnosed ADHD, complex PTSD, and anxiety disorders.

“Not many people have 80 grand to figure out where their brain is at,” Morehouse said. “Our ultimate goal is making comprehensive assessment accessible to everyone who needs it.”

Matthews describes the vendor relationship as uniquely collaborative. “Every suggestion we’ve made has been implemented. It’s a true partnership model.” CATC’s input on gambling and shopping addiction assessments is already shaping upcoming features in the product roadmap.

The implementation comes as Canadian mental health providers face increasing pressure to demonstrate treatment efficacy through measurement-based care. CATC’s experience demonstrates that digital platforms can significantly reduce documentation time while improving outcome tracking capabilities.

For addiction treatment specifically, the shift from binary relapse metrics to comprehensive outcome measurement represents a fundamental change in how success is defined and demonstrated. CATC can now provide funders and stakeholders with data showing improvements across multiple dimensions of recovery, not just substance use cessation.

“Technology will play an increasingly important role in mental healthcare delivery,” Ferland said. “The key is ensuring it enhances rather than replaces the human element of care.”

Looking ahead, both organizations see the partnership as a model for digital transformation in mental healthcare. With six months of positive outcome data and 94 percent provider satisfaction rates, CATC plans to expand the platform’s use across additional programs while HiBoop prepares for its broader market launch.

The rapid implementation success challenges common assumptions about healthcare technology adoption timelines, demonstrating that with the right design and partnership approach, digital transformation can happen in weeks rather than months or years.

For more information about CATC, please visit https://canatc.ca. For more information about HiBoop, please visit https://hiboop.com.