How It Began
It all started in 2020, when Holon Health cofounders crossed paths.
As CEO of Averhealth, Jason (for the past 10 years) had taken the company to the next level – operating in over 30 states, serving over 500,000 clients. But as an innovative and “What if” kind of person, Jason was exploring better ways to expand services to address gaps at the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare.
Enter Traci, with 25 years of experience as a psychologist. As COO and Head of Clinical Affairs at Kaden Health, Traci was pioneering the use of telehealth to serve clients with Opiate Use Disorder. But amid a major organization shift that resulted in an acquisition, Traci decided to decline a full-time opportunity and became a free agent. Traci came on as a consultant to lead Averhealth clinically by developing a collaborative care program.
Holon Health Is Born
While working together on the collaborative care program, Jason and Traci found themselves asking the question, “Could these services stand on their own?”
They recognized issues like relapse, lack of timely access to care, and the need for personalized treatment plans. They explored evidence-based practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Contingency Management (CM), aiming to create a patient-centered approach.
This led to the creation of Holon Health, based on the idea of a “holon” – something that is both a whole and part of a larger whole.
Holon Health’s hypothesis was that clients at this intersection often lack primary care, misuse emergency services, and seek care as a last resort. They believed these clients would benefit from customized treatment plans, immediate access to care, support in navigating the healthcare system, and a combination of personal and digital support. This approach aimed to provide recognition for positive actions rather than just punishment for negative ones.
Today, Jason and Traci are using their combined superpowers to expand on what they started together, including pioneering entirely different models of care, specifically SFT and SFT-J. Using principles of positive psychology, Holon Health has reduced the stigma associated with justice-involved populations seeking treatment who want to focus on their futures instead of rehashing the past. This approach brings whole health to more people who have been reluctant to seek it.