Virtual substance use disorder (SUD) provider Pelago is expanding its scope. The company unveiled its new Behavioral Health Platform at the Behavioral Health Tech conference in Nashville, broadening its offerings to include mental health care and behavioral addictions — think gambling, gaming, and binge eating — alongside its existing SUD services. The consolidated platform is available to employers and payers, with member access kicking off in November.

At the heart of the expansion is Sona, Pelago's AI clinical agent available via voice and text. Sona handles intake and triage for all members, routing higher-acuity cases directly to human clinicians while supporting lower-acuity users more independently. The AI draws from a repository of over 800,000 conversations and can generate CBT lessons, track progress, and tailor recommendations to a member's specific plan benefits.

By the Numbers:

• ~$12,000 in annual savings per SUD patient claimed by Pelago
• Nearly half of participants with clinical-range depression or anxiety scores improved by ≥5 points on PHQ9/GAD7 within ~one month
• Members reported 20–25% fewer poor mental health days per month
• Sona detects suicidal ideation in ~20% of patients vs. ~10% via standard PHQ9 screening

Why it matters: As behavioral health costs climb and clinician shortages persist, AI-assisted platforms like Pelago's offer a scalable, acuity-based alternative to traditional session-heavy care — potentially improving access while keeping costs in check.