Category Archives: Methadone Treatment

New Opioid Treatment Facility in Philadelphia

Posted on August 9, 2014 | Comments Off on New Opioid Treatment Facility in Philadelphia

TheHealingWay2The Healing Way is a newly opened opioid treatment facility in Philadelphia, PA offering methadone maintenance and outpatient therapy for opioid addicted individuals. They treat other substance addictions as well.

The clinic dispenses medication every day of the week and provides both individual and group counseling to its patients.

Located at 7900 Frankford Avenue, The Healing Way is conveniently accessed in the northeast Philly area. As their clinic is new, its official website is not yet active but residents of Philadelphia may want to bookmark their site for future reference at www.TheHealingWay.net.

Also recently added to Methadone.US is BHG Recovery’s facility listing in Humble, Texas. BHG is a leading provider of opioid addiction treatment services in eight states. Their Humble treatment facility also serves residents in the Kingwood community and other areas of north Houston, Texas. Note that BHG provide a video overview of their services specific to each of their treatment locations. Viewers can browse more information on BHG’s programs by visiting our San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Wichita Falls methadone clinic pages. BHG offer buprenorphine (Suboxone) in addition to methadone maintenance services.

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Posted in Addiction Treatment, Drug Rehab Programs, Heroin, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Treatment, Recovery, Suboxone

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Opioid Addiction Spiking in Guilford County North Carolina

Posted on July 26, 2014 | Comments Off on Opioid Addiction Spiking in Guilford County North Carolina

policeGuilford County is the third most populated county in the state of North Carolina. Located within Guilford County are the cities of Greensboro and High Point – both of which are experiencing a surprising increase in opioid addiction and related overdoses.

The High Point Enterprise news reported that the High Point Vice and Narcotics unit has begun to make a favorable impact on the problem with multiple arrests of those trafficking heroin locally. The article documents that 70 reported High Point opioid overdoses have occurred thus far in 2014 with 9 of those ending in death. Six people were arrested the week of July 14 and are being held on multi-million dollar bonds for their roles in selling or trafficking heroin. To emphasize the local impact, the HP Enterprise reported that 7 overdoses occurred within a 24 hour period on May 16, 2014.

Just 15 miles away in the neighboring city of Greensboro, Rhino Times covered the local explosion in heroin addiction much of which has been driven by individuals turning to heroin when they could no longer obtain prescription opioids like oxycodone. Rhino Times interviewed the Director of Guilford County Emergency Services, Jim Albright, who stated that a particularly strong strain of heroin hit the streets of Greensboro in late April, 2014.

Over the weekend of April 25, the Guilford County EMS responded to an avalanche of calls in response to people overdosing on the new potent version of heroin. Mr. Albright is reported to have identified that 21 overdoses and 5 deaths occurred just in that one weekend. Due to the potency of the drugs, some victims were found with a needle still in their arm.

Highlighted in the article was the life saving properties of Narcan, a drug that quickly reverses the dangerous overdose effects of opiates. Narcan can be administered by injection or squirted into the nasal cavity. As it is absorbed into the body, it restores breathing to those that have overdosed. Narcan is now kept in first responder vehicles, firetrucks, and ambulances. Visit Alcohol & Drug Services for more on Narcan and opioid overdose prevention kits.

For information on methadone as a treatment for opioid addiction, click here.

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Posted in Buprenorphine, Drug Treatment, Heroin, Methadone, Methadone Blog, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Treatment, Naloxone, Naltrexone, Opiate Addiction, Opiate Treatment, Opiate Withdrawal, Prescription Drugs, Suboxone, Suboxone Physicians

When Emotional Pain Fuels Relapse

Posted on March 18, 2014 | Comments Off on When Emotional Pain Fuels Relapse

grief-and-lossPeople in recovery from addiction face very substantial stresses. The stress of trying to cope with cravings & urges, the stress of facing life and trying to resolve problems, and the common pressure of trying to make ends meet when finances are not in good shape.

While many addicted individuals find that they are more resilient than perhaps they ever believed, loss can sometimes be a particularly crippling experience. People from all walks of life suffer and struggle with losses – divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, income, security, or health.

A recent New York Times article briefly profiled a young woman released from prison who was trying to stay clean from heroin. She really missed her child who had been removed from her custody. While she loved her baby, she also recognized she was not yet ready to resume the pressures and responsibilities of parenting until she got herself on more solid, sober ground.

With the death of a loved one, the feelings run so deep that coping is sometimes beyond one’s inner resources. Grief has a way of overwhelming the senses and the heart such that making rational choices is much harder than would normally be the case. In extreme emotional situations, thoughts can become paralyzed and feelings intensified. Such a combination can make sobriety incredibly challenging.

Emotional pain is part of life. We have all felt it. Recovery teaches many principles that help to make life more manageable and which can help a person to hold on, to survive the lows of life. And for those that slip, life must go on. All is not lost. In 12 step meetings, they say “keep coming back”. In treatment, they say, “don’t give up”. While these may sound like annoying platitudes, they are generally true and correct sentiments that are there to remind us that pain subsides, and the human heart can find a way to survive and to be happy again.

How this happens varies greatly from one person to another. Support from others can make a huge difference. Prayer and connection with the proverbial higher power can make a difference. We are connected (or can be connected) to good people and good things if we try to open ourselves to them. It is not always easy when we are hurting. Therapy and counseling sometimes point us to answers that we didn’t know even existed. Spiritual support can achieve this as well. Whatever life brings us, good or bad, happy or sad, hopefully we can pause for a few moments to reflect on the small blessings that so often go overlooked and underappreciated.

The message for today is to remember that you are worth it! It can get better. Recovery is always here for you.

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Posted in Addiction Recovery, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Treatment, Relapse Prevention, Suboxone

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Methadone Program Profile – Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS)

Posted on January 30, 2014 | Comments Off on Methadone Program Profile – Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS)

ads-methadone-treatment2There are many hundreds of methadone clinics in operation across the entire United States. Wherever there is addiction, there are suffering addicts and concerned friends and family in search of answers … and treatment.

Methadone.US would like to profile a highly regarded opioid treatment program located in Greensboro, North Carolina. This program is part of a non-profit substance abuse services agency known as Alcohol and Drug Services (ADS).

ADS has been helping the Guilford County and surrounding Triad community for over 40 years. While ADS offers a range of addiction treatment and drug prevention programs, they excel in the area of treating opioid addiction through a combined use of opioid replacement medication (methadone) and structured counseling.

ADS has achieved CARF accreditation, is licensed by the State of North Carolina’s Division of Health and Human Services, and is an approved Medicaid and multi-MCO authorized provider. But ADS’ most outstanding accomplishment is the depth and quality of their opioid program services and the professionalism of their compassionate & committed staff.

Methadone medication offers safe & effective relief from opioid withdrawal symptoms when properly administered through a quality, structured program. Unfortunately, some methadone clinics are too lite on their counseling and case support components, which are key ingredients in any comprehensive opioid treatment program.

ADS has a longstanding history of helping clients gain a thorough knowledge of their addictive illness and in helping clients to develop valuable coping skills for managing their lives and achieving personal goals. ADS treats indigent and low income patients who might otherwise be unable to pay for methadone services out-of-pocket. The ADS Methadone Program offers psychiatric services, limited medical services, free HIV testing, and substantial case support assistance to help with major issues like housing placement.

Alcohol and Drug Services’ methadone program in Greensboro, NC is comparatively small in relation to some of the local private, for-profit methadone clinics. ADS typically serve between 180-200 active clients.

The organization recently launched a new website to inform the community of their various programs. The website is: www.ADSyes.org. The agency gratefully accepts charitable donations of any amount through their website.

Visit the ADS Blog and the ADS Google + Page

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Posted in Addiction Counseling, Drug Treatment, Methadone, Methadone Clinics, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, North Carolina Methadone Clinics, Recovery, Suboxone

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Working As A Methadone Program Counselor

Posted on January 3, 2014 | Comments Off on Working As A Methadone Program Counselor

methadone-jobsWorking as a methadone program counselor is both a fulfilling and challenging professional job position. Personal fulfillment comes from forming a therapeutic relationship with people in recovery and enjoying the opportunity to see them move upward and onward in rebuilding a quality life. Fulfillment also comes from one’s role within an organization or agency and being able to contribute meaningfully to that methadone program’s expansion and continual improvement.

The challenging aspects of working as a methadone counselor stem from several areas. The first is caseload size. Most methadone programs require that counselors serve sizable caseloads which results in counselors striving to meet the many varied needs of patients while having numerous other demands made on their time.

Closely related to serving patients is the extensive documentation requirements that must be met when a counselor provides any type of direct counseling service or case management assistance to an active patient. In today’s healthcare environment, documenting one’s professional activities is an extensive drain on time, energy, and productivity. This is particularly true with state and federally supported programs that draw on public funding to run the methadone program. Good computer skills are generally a must have.

Effective methadone counselors become time management experts and develop a high level ability to work quickly under pressure, to shift priorities, and to multitask while maintaining an appropriate focus on their professional development.

Quality methadone counselors also bring to their work a dedication to patient welfare and a spirit of enthusiasm, hope, and positivity to co-workers and the patients that are relying upon them for guidance and support.

Methadone.US provides an extensive employment section that lists numerous methadone treatment jobs across the country. Those interested in working in the opioid treatment field can browse our job section for recent methadone program openings. This includes nursing positions, physician positions, counselor openings as well as support positions like receptionist and billing or finance specialist.

Working as a methadone counselor offers many rewards. Appropriate supervision and professional development are very important when undertaking any counseling position. Knowledge, skill, and experience must be actively developed, and are ideally supported by any reputable methadone treatment employer.

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Posted in Addiction Counseling, Methadone, Methadone Clinic Jobs, Methadone Programs, Methadone Treatment, Opiate Treatment, Suboxone

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