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Take Our Online Methadone Assessment

Posted on February 27, 2011 | Comments Off on Take Our Online Methadone Assessment

methadone36bMethadone.US is now offering a free online methadone assessment. The assessment is meant to help site visitors review treatment interventions that may be appropriate for them based on their self-reported level of opioid dependency.

If you are a family, friend, or professional visiting the site, please feel free to refer those with an opioid addiction, and invite them to complete the assessment online. It takes very little time, is free, and visitors do not have to reveal their identity. The methadone assessment scores users' responses and then offers results & recommendations immediately following completion of the assessment.

Methadone.US aims to connect opioid addicted individuals with local treatment resources that can help them change their lives. Online assessments are useful tools for increasing a person's awareness of options. Choice, in addiction recovery, is a powerful and beneficial component of positive change. Thanks for visiting Methadone.US!

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Methadone, Methadone Assessment, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment

Review Your Methadone Clinic Handbook

Posted on February 24, 2011 | Comments Off on Review Your Methadone Clinic Handbook

methadone32Each methadone program outlines important policies and procedures that their clients need to be familiar with as they enter methadone treatment. By necessity, methadone clinics operate with a considerable number of program rules pertaining to the clinic's operation and their clients' participation. These rules and procedures must be well-organized and readily available to all clients.

Most clinics publish a client handbook that is organized into topics & categories covering the essentials a client should know about program operation, client rights & privileges, important methadone cautions, advancing through the methadone treatment phase system, and numerous other issues.

If you are a new client, please do take time to review any orientation packet or program handbook that your methadone home clinic provides you. Becoming familiar with the procedures for each department (medical, clinical, billing) will help you become more comfortable with treatment and also reduce the chance of any future problems.

For example, new clients sometimes do not understand that arriving late (after dispensing has finished for the day) may likely result in not receiving one's methadone dose. This often results in feelings of worry and anxiety that can interfere with the rest of your day. So be sure to know when dispensing is over and don't wait until the last minute to arrive at your clinic for dosing.

Your counselor, or the dispensing nurse, should be able to get you a copy of the client handbook if you don't have it or have misplaced your original. Having a program handbook nearby is especially helpful when you are at home or don't have immediate access to program staff for answering sudden questions.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment

Methadone Clinic Availability Follows Population

Posted on February 19, 2011 | Comments Off on Methadone Clinic Availability Follows Population

methadone31Methadone clinic availability seems to follow states with high population numbers or with a substantial population growth curve. The most populated states, in order, are: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Accordingly, these six states also have the highest concentration of methadone clinics although New York has more clinics than Texas, and both Illinois and Pennsylvania provide more clinics than does Florida (even though Florida's population exceeds both states).

On the lower end of methadone clinic availability in the United States are South Dakota (population 819,261), North Dakota (pop. 646,086), and Wyoming (pop. 548,870). None of these states currently have a methadone clinic in operation. One might surmise that their state tax revenue is comparatively lower than most other states. Whether this is a contributing factor to the absence of methadone treatment is an interesting question. Also, might these states have a lower percentage of opioid addiction relative to states with larger metropolitan cities?

Somewhat oddly, Mississippi (the 31st ranked state with nearly 3 million residents) has only one methadone maintenance clinic in the entire state. Alaska (with only 697,228 residents) has two methadone clinics, one in each of its two largest cities: Anchorage and Fairbanks.

A trend has emerged in the past decade in which methadone treatment availability is spreading across America. Many smaller, rural towns now have a local methadone clinic to help those with an opioid addiction. No doubt, more clinics are needed, and will be built. Methadone treatment is like most any other valuable medical service in that it improves quality of life. And this is important … everywhere.

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Posted in Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, New York Methadone Clinics

Methadone Treatment and Recovery Require Scheduling

Posted on February 18, 2011 | Comments Off on Methadone Treatment and Recovery Require Scheduling

methadonecalendarAdmission to a methadone clinic is initially prompted by an individual's daily struggle with opioid withdrawal symptoms and the desire to avoid being sick. To address this problem, new clients arrive each day to receive their medication. The first 1 – 3 months are referred to as the induction period, and center around increasing a client's methadone dosage until the client's opioid withdrawal is effectively eliminated. Regular daily visits to the clinic are critical to this process.

Being a client in a methadone program requires careful attention to program guidelines and expectations. Clients must dose within a specified time frame, keep appointments for counseling, and provide a urine specimen upon request for random drug testing. There are payments for treatment services, and other considerations like participating in pill counts with the nurse, occasional lab work, and "call backs" for take home accountability, etc. 

Some clients find it helpful to keep a personal calendar so as to schedule their activities in advance. Planning ahead & becoming better organized is a highly useful recovery tool. Get into the practice of writing things down. This will lead to more success in meeting daily responsibilities. Not to mention the positive effect of reducing one's stress level. 

The addictive lifestyle often breeds a number of "bad habits". A goal of treatment is to gradually replace bad habits with healthy practices! Time management & scheduling are indeed healthy practices that yield great benefits for recovering individuals. Getting by with minimal effort is a common bad habit that often becomes characteristic of an addictive lifestyle and an addictive mindset. This will need to change … sooner or later.

The old cliche suggests "we get out of it what we put into it." Think about this a bit. Maybe keeping a personal calendar is a good idea for you & a solid investment in managing your recovery. Operating with a schedule in mind doesn't have to be limiting, or a nuisance. It's about being conscious of what's important in your new drug-free life. And being sure you don't shortchange yourself by accidentally forgetting important things. Maybe scheduling would be a good topic for your next counseling session. 

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Methadone, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Withdrawal

Running a Quality Methadone Program

Posted on February 17, 2011 | Comments Off on Running a Quality Methadone Program

methadone76Not all methadone programs are the same. While regulations do exist that govern the operation of methadone clinics, the standard of quality & care will most definitely vary from one clinic to another. At the core of every reputable, high-level methadone clinic is genuine dedication to the consumer patient.

All clinics have a business component in which revenue is a major consideration. Sometimes clients will complain "Oh, it's all about the money with them." In reality, a clinic's revenue must be an important ongoing consideration. In fact, it's that way throughout all of health care in America. The true bottom line is being able to remain open & to offer a valuable service. Without revenue, this will not happen.

For-profit clinics, and non-profit clinics, both have an important task. And that is to provide a quality treatment service to their clients who have suffered with a debilitating opioid addiction. Good quality clinics will maintain an acceptable counselor to client ratio so that the counselor is available to meet with clients and to assist them with planning & the processing of important treatment issues pertaining to their recovery.

In North Carolina, the maximum client caseload ratio is 50 clients for every 1 counselor. This is often a very challenging ratio in that 50 active clients, each with his or her own unique needs, will keep a single counselor enormously busy. Add in heavy documentation requirements and the counselor will be in a near perpetual state of dancing & juggling in order to get things done by the end of the day. Many clinics are aware of this and will consequently set a more manageable counselor to client ratio like 35 clients for every counselor. This allows for better quality of care although it can negatively affect a clinic's revenue, and particularly so when clients do not make sessions that equate to billable revenue for the clinic.

Clinics invariably develop a reputation within the local community based on their internal policies and their treatment of clients over time. Important aspects of a quality methadone program include:

  • Caring staff who treat clients with respect
  • Qualified treatment staff who receive ongoing clinical supervision
  • Program staff who communicate clearly
  • Well-developed internal policies & procedures for running the program
  • Knowledgeable medical and clinical personnel who work together as a unit
  • A treatment & recovery focus that emphasizes skill-building and goal setting
  • Accountability measures are in place for both clients & staff
  • Clients have defined rights and a process for airing concerns/grievances
  • A clear safety orientation exists that underlies all key clinical decisions
  • Do not readily prescribe/allow benzodiazepines, and take active measures to ensure that clients are achieving progress in recovery

Running a quality methadone program is a complex, multi-faceted endeavor requiring the careful attention & effort of individual team members. Each person on the team contributes to, or detracts from, the overall quality of the clinic's operation (and reputation).

It goes without saying that most methadone clinics require organization and dedication in order to deliver good services to their consumers. Moving from average to good to great … is a process that evolves with practice & time. To be a great clinic should be the aspiration of every clinic. We owe this to our consumers.

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Posted in Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment