Intrepid Phoenix Ventures Announces Collaboration with the Indiana University School of Social Work on a Department of Defense SBIR Phase I Grant

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MISHAWAKA, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 12, 2025--

Intrepid Phoenix Ventures, Inc., an Indiana-based corporation headquartered in Mishawaka, is pleased to announce it has been awarded a Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR Phase I Grant through the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO).

The grant supports a pioneering research and development initiative titled: “Generative AI for Addiction Recovery: Enhancing Personalized Engagement, Outcomes, and Predictive Relapse Prevention.”

This data-intensive project is a collaboration between Intrepid Phoenix Ventures and the Indiana University School of Social Work (IUSSW). The primary goal is to develop a generative AI-powered recovery support tool that provides personalized recovery track management for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD).

This initiative represents a transformative opportunity to apply generative AI to enhance core behavioral health functions—such as analysis, planning, and decision-making. Recent advances in AI have shown promise in peer support platforms, patient-facing chatbots, and predictive behavioral modeling. Building on these developments, the project will design an AI-embedded recovery tool that works in partnership with individuals at risk and their clinicians. The tool will support individuals experiencing mental health challenges, SUD, or co-occurring disorders by facilitating user engagement, aiding clinician decision-making, and enabling continuous monitoring and evaluation of therapeutic strategies.

The system will monitor recovery progress over time, providing clinicians with feedback loops to refine interventions and enhance accountability in care delivery. This approach not only empowers individuals in their recovery journeys but also strengthens the precision and responsiveness of the broader behavioral health system.

The research team is also committed to addressing the ethical and practical challenges associated with deploying AI in mental health and SUD contexts—particularly those related to data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for human oversight. To ensure safety and alignment with person-centered care principles, the project is grounded in a human-in-the-loop framework, ensuring that AI-generated insights remain contextually appropriate and ethically sound.

Phase I of the study will focus on three primary aims:

1. Synthesizing recovery growth patterns and addiction phenotypes to inform personalized recovery pathways.
2. Analyzing key features of generative AI in precision medicine and their applicability to behavioral health decision-making.
3. Developing strategies to translate collective AI functions into individualized recovery management tools for future scalability.

The outcomes of Phase I will lay the foundation for Phase II development and Phase III commercialization of the enhanced recovery support tool, with potential contracts involving DoD entities and private sector treatment providers serving the military and veterans.

“We are extremely excited about our relationship with the Indiana University School of Social Work and the CDAO grant award!” said Larry Smith, Founder and CEO. “Our project with the University will develop the next version of our SUD recovery software platform, which includes Generative AI, predictive analytics, and evidence-based treatments to enhance the quality and effectiveness of recovery support for individuals and families affected by SUD, especially for our active military and veterans.”

About Intrepid Phoenix Ventures, Inc.

Intrepid Phoenix Ventures, Inc. is a Business-to-Business Software as a Service Company headquartered in Mishawaka, Indiana, which seeks to reverse the devastating social and economic effects of substance use disorder. The company’s AI-powered software application of the same name connects patients, families, personal support networks, and clinicians to proactively keep individuals on track in their journey of recovery.

Website: https://intrepidphoenix.app

About Indiana University School of Social Work

Indiana University School of Social Work is nationally recognized for preparing social workers to serve diverse populations and for advancing innovative research that addresses critical behavioral health challenges. With campuses across Indiana and strong community partnerships, IUSSW is committed to training the next generation of practitioners, conducting cutting-edge research, and developing evidence-based solutions that reduce disparities and improve outcomes in mental health and substance use care.

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CONTACT: Larry Smith, Founder, CEO

Intrepid Phoenix Ventures, Inc.

Email:[email protected]

KEYWORD: INDIANA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER DEFENSE CONTRACTS TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY SOCIAL SERVICES EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MENTAL HEALTH WOMEN DEFENSE MEN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE VETERANS SOFTWARE CONSUMER HEALTH

SOURCE: Intrepid Phoenix Ventures, Inc.

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PUB: 09/12/2025 07:02 AM/DISC: 09/12/2025 07:01 AM

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