Steve Martorano 
The Behavioral Corner is produced in partnership with Retreat Behavioral Health -- where healing happens.

The Behavioral Corner 
Hi, and welcome. I'm Steve Martorano, and this is the Behavioral Corner; you're invited to hang with us as we've discussed the ways we live today, the choices we make, the things we do, and how they affect our health and well-being. So you're on the corner, the Behavioral Corner. Please hang around a while.

Steve Martorano 
Hi, everybody, welcome to the Behavioral Corner. Brand new year. Unbelievable how old I am. But welcome. What we do here on the Behavioral Corner is we talk about everything, because everything is what affects our behavioral health. We are partnered with our great underwriting partner Retreat Behavioral Health. They not only provide the underwriting for this program, but they also are a great source of information. Their people are experts in the field of substance abuse and mental health treatment. And very often we call upon their folks to come in. And again, we say this, we've been saying it for years, we're not here to do a commercial. We know Retreat's very good. Their reputation is well known. But it's not an infomercial, it's informational. So I want to remind you that you'll know you'll hear more about Retreat's services a little later in the program. So that's what we do. If you, if you just find either Behavioral Corner, we have a library of terrific guests we've done over the years, a broad range of topics, that exist now on our website, behavioralcorner.com. I would urge you if you have the time to go check it out. You'll probably can find an interview that you might find interesting. If you do, we really appreciate you hitting that subscription button. That would be very, very helpful for us. Anyway, let me tell you what we're doing today, we got a little of a kind of nuanced program for you today a little off our beaten path when talking about substance abuse treatment or mental health services. And that is we're gonna take a look at the marketing of the services. The substance abuse treatment and mental health treatment is a complicated, complex, and sensitive area. In general, there's still a stigma attached to both those conditions. So people are often reluctant and confused and maybe aren't in the best position to make decisions about what they need and how they should get it. So we're gonna take a look at the marketing of it, not so much to get a tutorial and marketing but to become better informed. So that we make better choices, if and when we need the services, so to that end, I'd like to welcome Matt O'Reilly Matt's first time on the program. We welcome him to the Behavioral Corner. Hi, Matt, thanks for joining us.

Matt O'Reilly 
Thanks for having me.

Steve Martorano 
And Matt is with Retreat Behavioral Health's marketing department. I'm sort of springing this on you. I should have, I should have given him a little bit of heads up. I mean, in my view, and I've been I've been in broadcasting and communication for, you know, 200 years, I believe we are in now the golden age of marketing across the board. I think advertising is obviously still the engine that drives a lot of this stuff. But marketing is really a powerful tool, businesses and services and all kinds of people use to get their message across. And it is different than advertising. Matt, can you simply describe the difference in your mind anyway, between advertising and marketing?

Matt O'Reilly 
Well, marketing is typically attached to an actual service that's kind of consistently happening. Whether it's, you know, forward-facing marketing, where you have an individual that's out. Whether it's in the community, on a tradeshow floor, really talking about the services, or whatever it is that you're providing. Where advertising is really simply almost like, like a pay-to-play, like, I'm gonna pay that my advertisement on a billboard I'm going to pay to have, and they both fall into the marketing umbrella. You know, but advertising is really kind of just okay, I'm gonna put this here, and it's gonna do its job -- where marketing is more of like an ever-evolving thing.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, well, how I understand it, I have sort of a layman's appreciation of this is that advertising, ultimately is a call to action by this go here. That sort of thing. And marketing is the story behind why you should do that...

Matt O'Reilly 
Very true.

Steve Martorano 
...without saying and by the way, you got to do this, right. It's the story. It's, it's what this is all about. So we really are grateful for your time. You have over 10 years of experience in several different aspects of marketing, most recently, the behavioral health area. So you're the guy to talk to. So let's begin with some of the things you do in order to tell the story of what Retreat does. You know, what is your first order of business here? What is the...what is the story, you're telling people when you market Retreat?

Matt O'Reilly 
The story that you tell people is really just kind of like the history of Retreat, you know? It started, you know, Lancaster in 2011, you know, and really kind of became like the premier and best option in the state of Pennsylvania, for anybody suffering from substance use disorder. And as it has evolved in, you know, create, you know, keep creating more services and really kind of like blossomed to where, you know, now they can, you know, we can help individuals with mental health, as well as substance use disorder. You know, that's really kind of just telling the story, right, and talking about the different services that are provided, talking about, like, the ease of admissions, you know, in really becoming like the key point of contact, for whoever it is, that's looking to put somebody into treatment. Really kind of building relationships with everybody and saying, Hey, listen, like Yeah, while we provide these phenomenal services, you know, we are very relationship driven. We like to, you know, really work hand in hand with all of our different community partners, as opposed to just hey, you know, send us people for treatment.

Steve Martorano 
Tell us some of the relationships that are necessary for you to build. I mean, I would imagine, what's the audience for this message? Who are you trying to build these relationships with?

Matt O'Reilly 
That's very vast, right? Because, you know, sometimes we're working with hospitals. Sometimes we're working with emergency rooms, right? Where the relationship that you're building is really one of okay, hey, listen, you know, we take these insurances, we take it all, you know, we're in network with commercial insurances. However, when you call, we're answering on the second ring, right? Because a lot of times when you're working with an emergency room, the key is, is to getting individuals out as quickly as possible. Because the emergency rooms have such an high influx of individuals coming in that needs services, that typically, you know when it comes to substance abuse or mental health, they really just want to get that individual out of the emergency room, and into the proper level of care for them. You know, so when it comes to that, like, that's really like, you know, the key point and for them, but when it comes to dealing with like, say, an outpatient provider, who has a significant history of working with the individual that they're dealing with. They want to call someone that they know is going to trust, or that they can trust, that actually cares about the individual, and like, take stock in that individual's life. You know, and really, like buys in and really like, you know, comes down and like meets that individual on their level, and, but then also can communicate properly with the clinician. So then, you know, everybody can remain on the same page. You know, that's, it's really, it's funny, it really depends on what your audience is, when it comes to what story it is, you're telling how you're communicating, you know, because individual some, you know, different people care about different things.

Steve Martorano 
Indeed. Yeah. I would also imagine that you're right, your audience is not made up of one individual group, but several different groups who are sort of stakeholders in getting people healthy. Again, the community at large must be a focus of your marketing efforts, so that they understand what you do.

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely, absolutely. And, you know, and part of what we do is, you know, we like to always give back to the community. You know, that's a real big thing that Retreat does, particularly here in Lancaster County. You know, we participate in all the different community events that are, you know, involved in recovery. You know, and we always kind of, like put back into, but we're always out, like in the community, really kind of talking about the story of the Retreat talking about our success stories, you know, because a lot of individuals come into the retreat, and then find recovery through different recovery community organizations, 12 Step fellowships, Celebrate Recovery, all the different avenues of recovery, you know, we really kind of like, you know, help push people into those long term recovery solutions. You know, but really kind of like letting everybody know, like, hey, like, we're here, you know, we're here, were successful, we have really helped the 1000s of people in this county, you know, and really kind of like just telling that story.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, the days I think when substance abuse in particular, and mental health facilities as well just plopped themselves in the middle of some town, or location, and opened the doors for business probably still goes on, but it's not the wisest way to approach these things. We see it now in the harm reduction movement. The great resistance there is in neighborhoods, who go wait a minute. Who are these people? Why are they bringing these types of folks into our community? So I know that Retreat spends a lot of time building bridges in the community becoming good neighbors, just never occurred to me that it might be something you had to do. That's what you have to do. It's interesting This is a huge business. This is a large, large service that Retreat is in. I looked at some numbers overnight. It's obviously a multi-billion-dollar operation going on here. But the numbers I see, of all the people who have some sort of substance abuse, or mental health disorder, a tiny percentage get help. Are you marketing to them too?

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely, absolutely. And that's really kind of the key is like get a gauging those individuals, when they're willing to come into treatment or willing to get help is such a small and narrow window, that when that window occurs, being that individual that can make everything happen as quickly and as efficiently as possible, is really the key to getting that individual the help that they need. You know?

Steve Martorano 
I'm always shocked by the number of...the percentage of people who are not getting the help they need. It's close to 90% of the people who have some sort of disorder don't get any help. What are some of the barriers to them getting your message about treatment?

Matt O'Reilly 
Well, and you have to think, right? When individuals start, you know, abusing substances, or just start using substances, and they just start out, it's typically they're doing something to have fun. They're partying with their friends, you know, they're never going into a thinking that like, Oh, hey, one day, I'm going to need to go to treatment. One day, this is going to be a problem where it's going to be destroying my life. Right? And what happens is, it just evolves in like, happens, you know, whether quickly slowly, but it happens over time. But throughout that timeframe, the individual is never like, oh, I need help, until they actually need help. You know, so unless somebody is informed ahead of time, they don't really know, you know, so really, it's about educating the youth, educating the educators, you know, letting like the different, you know, you know, community bodies know, like, hey, you know, this is what we do, this is how we do it. This is what we have to offer, and we're available. And here's my direct cell phone number, so you can get in contact with me, whenever even if you have a question, I'm going to answer the phone, and I'm going to do my best to answer that question.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, timing, we're gonna get into the timing factor. You mentioned you've alluded to it a couple of times, but we'll get a little more specific about that. You've marketed in different areas in your career, you know, that there is a time factor here, that does not exist in other marketing efforts, you can...you could be marketing widgets, and leave whatever marketing effort you just made, and hope that in the next month or so, the message will have gotten through. You don't have that time luxury with people who need treatment, right?

Matt O'Reilly 
No. No, you do not because time is of the essence. You know, and I can't tell you how many horror stories that I've heard, you know, from particularly from like, say, emergency rooms or crisis centers, where they reached out to a facility, and it's taking too long to get that individual into treatment. And they've said, you know, what, forget it, this isn't for me, I'm gonna go back to doing what I'm doing. And they leave, and they disappear. And then you see the person's obituary in the newspaper, that's the most defeating thing that I think that we deal with on a daily basis to where, you know, it just screams Time is of the essence when that individual is ready to come into treatment. Like we, you need to have, you know, an expedited thorough admissions process, you know, and you need to answer your phone. That's really the key.

Steve Martorano 
You keep mentioning that it's so...it seems so trivial, but it is absolutely critical. If you find yourself into a voice prompt, where, you know, push one for this, you're already...

Matt O'Reilly 
I hang up when I'm calling my insurance company

Steve Martorano 
Exactly.

Matt O'Reilly 
Like when I get the automated message. I don't what to talk to a machine.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah.

Matt O'Reilly 
I need to speak with someone, particularly someone that understands my situation, that can thoroughly walk me through to get my solution and to make it happen as quickly as possible. That's just the age that we're into today. You know, it doesn't matter whether it's substance abuse or anything that you're marketing, right, like that's the solution to success.

Steve Martorano 
So part of the message, obviously, is, there are many places you can go. Here's our story about why you should take a look at Retreat. You mentioned a couple of hours more than a couple of items that distinguish Retreat...in your marketing approach, what are kind of the highlights that you tell your audience about why Retreat is good at what they do?

Matt O'Reilly 
You know, so just from like the financial aspect, you know, being in network with all commercial insurance providers, accepting, you know, veterans benefits, TRICARE like that is really huge. You know, because a lot of times, individuals are hesitant to go into treatment because they don't want to go into treatment and get out with like a huge, ridiculous bill. Right? Where you know, a lot of out-of-network and network facilities will, I mean, you know, it's just, it is what it is, you know, people have to pay for services. The services aren't free. But the real key in regards to the Retreat is the ease of admissions, as well as the vast programming that we have where everything is individualized. Right, so everybody that comes to the door gets treated as an individual, and we treat the individual. Right, we don't have like an etched-in-stone set programming for everybody to mold themselves into, right? What I love to talk about is how I'd be Retreat's programming molds itself around the individuals. You know, which is really kind of like the opposite of what you would think, right? Like, everybody comes in, and you're gonna do ABCD and E, and then you're gonna be okay. Where the reality is, everybody comes in the Retreat does ABCD and E and molds itself to the individual, and treats that person as an individual.

Steve Martorano 
We currently it occurs to me that one of the distinctions in your marketing efforts for what your marketing is this notion that you've got to tell people very quickly that one size does not fit all. And the message is we're prepared to make sure we get the one that fits you. Otherwise, this is a waste of our time. Do you market directly to insurance companies so that you can have a better relationship that benefits the end user?

Matt O'Reilly 
So I personally do not. And I am sure that we have somebody internally that does. You know, because I know that's a big piece in the foundation of the Retreat, and working with all the insurance companies, you know, which happens through I guess, really kind of like the becoming a network process.

Steve Martorano 
Explained that. What do you...

Matt O'Reilly 
You know, when you, I guess, become licensed, right? You bill insurance, typically, everything is out of network because you don't have a contract. So I think the contractual will phase with each insurance company, you know, you have to show them, like your charts, (and) really kind of, you know, explain to them who you are, what it is you do and have proof that shows them like, hey, like we've worked with X amount of individuals that have your policy, and this is the data behind it.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, that's very key. I would guess. It's not the first. It's certainly in the top five barriers for people. Well, the financial aspect of this is my insurance cover this. How much does it cover? And I guess one of the key messages that a marketer would say to somebody is, look, these are insurance companies, they're these are hard, hard-headed, dollar and cents, folks, they're not throwing money around. So one of the things that a consumer would want to know is, well, what is my insurance status? It must be reasonable. Tell me about stigma. I mentioned that way at the beginning. There is a stigma attached to not only substance abuse issues, but certainly, mental health is still stigmatized. People don't like to talk about it. As a marketer, do you have to sometimes overcome that stigma? That's...that's there?

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely. And it's funny because I mean, I've gone into so many places where, you know, individuals are really hesitant to even discuss, you know, substance abuse or mental health, particularly mental health. I think, you know, in today's day and age, mental health has a greater stigma than substance.

Steve Martorano 
And I agree. Yeah.

Matt O'Reilly 
I think that recovery in regard to substance use has become very destigmatized. You know, you see a lot of celebrities, actors, musicians, really pushing it forward and talking about it. You know, and really, it's becoming like, you know, a regular thing, you know, like, my, I have a 12-year-old daughter, who's, you know, who's in middle school. And her and her friends are very aware of recovery. And, you know, and they talk about it. Like, oh, no, I'm drug-free, and they're 12 years old, but it's great. That's like the mentality of the youth right now.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah.

Matt O'Reilly 
That's cool. But when it comes to mental health, like, Yeah, absolutely. We're running into the barriers, you know, where people...people don't like talking about it's a very personal thing. Mental health affects each individual very differently. You know, like, yeah, they're definitely like, you know, diagnosis in things that everybody has, but I think that it affects everybody differently.

Steve Martorano 
My guest is Matt O'Riley. He is with Retreat Behavioral Health's marketing department. We have reached out to Matt, who has a lot of experience in marketing, to tell us what that job is all about and how the message gets to the right audience. So that if you're sitting somewhere wondering where the hell do I go to get help? At least you'll be better informed. I mean, this is a peek behind the curtain to tell you the truth. Matt...Matt's not going to show up on your door knocking on the door saying hey, you got any problems to let me tell you about Retreat Behavioral Health. So you know, we thought we would give you this very sort of macro view. This is a very complex area, but you'll get an idea about how to pick a good facility. Matt also has a unique perspective, and he is in a long-term successful recovery. Over 10 years sober now, right?

Matt O'Reilly 
Yes.

Steve Martorano 
I want to take a moment, just ahead, to have you talk a little bit about your experience and how that informs your marketing. But before we get to that, has there been a bigger impact on what you do than social media... social media must really, almost dominate how you market the Retreat? Is that right?

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely. I think social media, you've heard it forever, how like social media is, you know, the marketing of the future, the wave of the future...well, the future is now. It's here. You know, if you have a company and you're not marketing on social media, you're behind the times. You know, where the Retreat like, yeah, we are big on social media, you know, we...we post a lot of love our community engagement on there, which is huge, right? Letting individuals know where we're going to be what it is, and what's going on. How this event went? You know, here are some services. Here's how we can help you. You know, it's really about like reaching as many people as possible in a very simplistic form.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, in, in the marketing aspect of this, I look at a lot of websites...look at a lot of Instagram, and read a lot of blogs from facilities that provide mental health services. And, you know, very often, they are really fancy billboards. But in, you know, the better cases, let's be honest, I mean, I know, it sounds like I'm blowing smoke my partner's there, But Retreat's website has a different function. It is informational. Some of these websites are really loaded with plenty of information. Is that a...is that a marketing focus for you guys, that your website tells a story that people can understand and become better informed?

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely. I think that the more information that you can put on there, the easier it is to find it. You know, navigation is huge when it comes to websites, you know, because I've been on websites where it's been impossible to find the information that I'm looking for, and it might be on the website. You know, we're really having a website where it's very simple, very thorough, you know, easy to navigate to find whatever information it is that you're looking for, but also has a personal field. Right? Because people like to know that they're dealing with people, and they're not just dealing with a company. You know, like, that's huge. You know, but yeah, I really love the way that, you know, our website isn't like the simplicity of it, but also the thoroughness, you know? I actually use it as a marketing piece myself as a marketing tool. You know, I'll be in a hospital, and I'll be talking to someone in a, you know, in a hospital bed, and they'll say, Well, what's the facility like? Pull out your cell phone. Take a look at our website. You can take a virtual tour of the entire facility and the grounds, like, you know, it's almost like you're flying around in it, and you're there. You know, so it's a great marketing tool as well.

Steve Martorano 
Do most people find out about your marketing message through social media -- through the internet? Is that where the overwhelming attention is?

Matt O'Reilly 
We definitely have a significant amount. I don't know if it is, you know, the top amount I have. I'd have to actually take a look at the numbers to give you, you know, a concrete answer. You know, but Retreat does have a significant marketing team that is out in the community on a consistent basis.

Steve Martorano 
You don't, Matt, as you know, there are 1000s...tens of thousands of facilities that provide substance abuse treatment and mental health in the country now. 50,000, maybe. How important and to what extent is his marketing tied up in branding? Is that...is that part of what you do? You know, in other words, getting your brand out there?

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely. You know, making sure that individuals understand that when they see the Retreat logo, or you know, they see the Retreat name, they understand the people behind the Retreat is what's key. Because while there are 50,000 treatment centers, there's only one Retreat with a team like Retreat's team,

Steve Martorano 
You know that the history of particular substance abuse treatment facilities has not been sterling. Now, to say the least, there. There have been, and there remain bad players.

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely.

Steve Martorano 
So part of your marketing, it's got to be...you've got to be aware that people have that preconceived notion. Let's talk about your experience now because it goes, I think, directly to the message of what your marketing is about. You have experience with substance abuse issues. You're sober now for 10 years. Tell us a little bit about your background now and how it informs your marketing since you've been there and done that. When did your troubles with substance abuse begin?

Matt O'Reilly 
So my troubles with substances began probably like seventh grade. You know, I was very young. And it really just started off with partying and having fun. But it quickly became...it quickly consumed my life. Right? So when it comes to my...my sobriety date is November 9. 2009. So we actually just celebrated 13 years in November.

Steve Martorano 
Oh, congratulations. That's great.

Matt O'Reilly 
Thank you. And what I like to talk about is the time leading up to the point where I made the decision to surrender and get sober for, you know, for good, right? There is a 10-year timeframe where I was...I wanted it, but I didn't really want it. And I was in and out of the treatment -- I like to say that I did what's called the Pennsylvania tour, right? Where I was constantly in and out of treatment facilities for about 10 years. I mean, there was a 10-year timeframe where I was probably in about three to four facilities throughout the year, throughout a calendar year.

Steve Martorano 
Different facilities?

Matt O'Reilly 
Different facilities. Just in and out. In and out. In and out. You know, wanting a new way of life but not really getting an understanding of the new way of life. Right? Not really being pushed into like the total continuum of care, right? Where I would go into a place for 30,60, 90 days, and then I would go out, and I'd be right back to where it was I began. You know, and everything, you know, I mean, old habits die hard, right?

Steve Martorano 
Indeed.

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely. So what happened the last time, and this is what I talked about, a lot of times when I'm speaking to the individual that's actually seeking help, right, as I talked about my own personal experience in seeking the help, right, and in finding the help and what actually finally worked for me. Because I like to tell people to listen. If I can get sober, anybody can get over it. Right? So what I have talked about is that the last time that I came into treatment, I was finally broken and willing to do whatever it was that was suggested or directed, right, which included the detox, the residential level of care, moving, transitioning in the partial, going into intensive outpatient, moving from intensive outpatient to outpatient, to really like completing and graduating a program. Right, all the while maintaining working in, you know, what works for me was a 12-step fellowship. You know, but going through the whole transition and finally being broken enough and willing to do what was told actually worked. Right? And when I found out which is, you know, in which we, you know, is very commonly known today that the longer an individual is engaged in some level of care, some form of treatment, the higher rate the successes.

Steve Martorano 
Yep. Is it safe to assume that as a marketer, who's been there, as I said, and done all this and speak from experience, that your message -- if one sees a marketing message that even suggests that the process you just described is quick -- that's probably a false marketing message.

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely.

Steve Martorano 
Right? I mean, I use the example of I've done this for years. This is not a Sandra Bullock movie, where you go in for 28-day treatment and not only get sober but fall in love with, you know, either one of the patients or one of the doctors. You know, that's...for the longest time people thought, well, I'll just drop my son or daughter off here and in a month, they'll be fine. And that would be a marketing message that should send up a flare immediately. That's not the way it works.

Matt O'Reilly 
Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, it is it, and the reality is, it's a lifelong process. You know, and here I am with 13 years, and still, I'm like, maybe I need to go to therapy, right? Because there's still like some underlying stuff that's going on that like, hey, you know, maybe maybe I should go talk to somebody who has a better perspective, or a different perspective than mine. Because I know that a lot of times, it's my own thought process that gets in the way, you know, and really understanding that it's not just a 28-day program.

Steve Martorano 
Yeah, yeah.

Matt O'Reilly 
You know, that typically is not there's gonna work by itself.

Steve Martorano 
Well, listen, we could talk about this forever. I think, first of all, I think marketing in general, is fascinating. You may be weary of all these messages that you see, and you're getting bombarded with a lot of information. But it makes the world go round. And if you're careful and wise and conscientious, you can get a lot of good information for watching marketing in action. And you'll notice the good stuff from the phony stuff I can think of quickly...pretty quickly. Matt O'Reilly, thanks so much for joining us. I love your library. It's beautiful. Thank you. I'm gonna have one built just like that in my house. Matt, of course, joins us from Retreat Behavioral Health, our underwriter partner. We appreciate his time, his experience. and his little tutorial here we got, and it was a good one on marketing something as sensitive, complex, and important as getting the help you need with substance abuse and mental health issues. Matt, I hope to run into you someday soon.

Matt O'Reilly 
Definitely. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.

Steve Martorano 
Take care. Our pleasure. And thank you, guys, for your time as well. Don't forget the Behavior Corner. It's wherever you find your better podcasts or even the bad podcasts. We're probably on those platforms as well. But when you find us stick around, there are lots of shows that we have on the shelf, and we hope you will subscribe. See you next time on the Behavioral Corner. Bye bye.

Retreat Behavioral Health 
Retreat Behavioral Health has proudly been serving the community for over ten years. Here at Retreat, we believe in the power of connection and quality care. We offer comprehensive, holistic, and compassionate treatment from industry-leading experts. Call 855-802-6600 or visit us at www.retreatbehavioralhealth.com to begin your journey today. 

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