SOBERLINK Improves Alcohol Monitoring and Communication with Twilio SMS
Time to read: 2 minutes
May 30, 2013
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SOBERLINK is fighting an old old problem with new technology. They’re offering law enforcement and treatment centers a new way to stay in touch with patients, and monitor their alcohol consumption. Their alcohol monitoring tool, SL2, uses Twilio SMS to send test results to sponsors, family or friends.
We talked with Heather Fitzgerald, Marketing and Communications Manager at SOBERLINK, about how they’re using Twilio, working with law enforcement, and what’s next.
What was the inspiration for founding SOBERLINK?
The founder and first investors of the company have all been affected in one way or another by alcohol abuse. SOBERLINK was founded as a tool that would promote responsibility and accountability.
How are you using Twilio to power SL2?
We use Twilio for the automated features built into the supervising party’s cloud-based monitoring account. For example, the end-user will receive a text message reminding them to send in a scheduled sobriety test or that they have missed a test. We also use Twilio to alert the designated contacts of a non-compliant test.
Who’s using SOBERLINK?
Our main markets are criminal justice and treatment but we are also seeing the device used in workplace and family settings. We are working with some of the largest and most trusted treatment centers in the US, as well as national professional health programs and courts across the country.
How has feedback from your clients been?
The reception of SOBERLINK has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s really being seen as disruptive technology in every avenue of its use. Treatment centers can extend their reach through aftercare while clients are more supported in the transitional bridge. Parents undergoing child custody challenges due to history of alcohol dependence can either prove sobriety to the courts or rest assured that the child is in the hands of a sober parent. Families are finding SOBERLINK to be a way to help their loved ones help themselves, while providing concrete evidence of efforts. Even in the criminal justice arena where a DUI offense may be sentenced to SOBERLINK as punitive measure, the alcohol offender views SOBERLINK as a more accurate and humane alternative to the ankle bracelet.
To learn more about SOBERLINK, visit their website here.
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