Monday, January 22, 2024, 12:40 p.m
Since January 1, 2024, Baden-Württemberg has been supporting the nationwide online advice platform DigiSucht together with other federal states, thus ensuring its continued operation.
Digital offerings have also become an integral part of addiction counseling. That is why the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Integration has been financing the nationwide online advice platform DigiSucht together with other federal states since January 1, 2024. The commitment of the states follows seamlessly on from the development and model phase of the platform funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and ensures its continued operation.
“Through the joint efforts of several countries, we have succeeded in securing the future of DigiSucht. The offer has proven itself and established itself. The platform offers addicts and their relatives low-threshold direct access to advice and help. If DigiSucht had to be ended, an essential aid instrument would have been lost,” said Minister Manne Lucha on Thursday (January 18) in Stuttgart.
DigiSucht complements on-site advice
DigiSucht supplements the range of local addiction counseling centers supported by the state in all urban and rural districts with nationwide digital access. The professional and free advisory service is available via the web address suchtberatung.digital on all common devices such as smartphones, tablets or PCs. An app or separate software is not required.
DigiSucht is aimed at people at risk of addiction and those suffering from addiction and their relatives – regardless of whether it is about problematic alcohol consumption, excessive gambling or computer games, the consumption of cannabis or other substances. Parents of children and young people at risk of addiction can also find support here. All those seeking advice can contact qualified addiction counselors in their region with their concerns in a protected and anonymous setting on the DigiSucht platform.
You can submit your concerns via email or book an appointment for a direct exchange via video chat or text messenger. The digital tools and exercises available on the platform (e.g. consumption diary, motivation scale) support a desired change in behavior.
The State Office for Addiction Issues in Baden-Württemberg was commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs to support the Baden-Württemberg addiction counseling centers in integrating them into the online offering and to take over quality assurance.
Background information
The conception and technical implementation as well as the model operation of the DigiSucht platform were funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) until the end of 2023. Experts from addiction counseling centers, state offices for addiction issues and the German Central Office for Addiction Issues (DHS) were particularly involved in the development. The administration and organization of DigiSucht at the state level is carried out by state coordination offices designated by the responsible state ministries.
The delphi Society for Research, Consulting and Project Development mbH in Berlin is responsible for the implementation of the DigiSucht project. The technical development and support of the platform is carried out by Virtual Identity AG. Technically, DigiSucht is based on open source software from the German Caritas Association (DCV), which has been used successfully for cross-topic online advice for several years and whose development was also funded by the federal government.