OUR APPROACH TO TREATMENT
FOR OPIOID ADDICTION
At Levara, we believe that medications should be combined with behavioral counseling for a “whole patient approach,” known as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Medications or counseling alone are often insufficient, but together we have seen the combination change lives forever.
Medication Assisted Treatment
Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) DECREASES opioid use and opioid-related overdose deaths. After buprenorphine (Suboxone®), became available in Baltimore, heroin overdose deaths decreased by 37%.
MAT also INCREASES social functioning and retention in treatment. Patients treated with medication are more likely to remain in therapy compared to patients receiving treatment that do not include medication.
MAT can take several months or longer in some cases. Just as body tissues require prolonged periods to heal after injury and may require external supports like a cast and crutches or a wheelchair for a broken leg, brain circuits that have been altered by prolonged drug use and addiction take time to recover and benefit from external supports in the form of medication. But also just like body tissues, the brain can and does recover with the proper medication and treatment regimen and we are here to make that recovery a reality for our patients.
At Levara, our ultimate aim is to wean patients off of their maintenance medication, but as a responsible treatment provider, we always make this decision jointly with the patient, and tapering the medication is done gradually to ensure full recovery.
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MAT Approach, Three Steps:
- Patient would be seen at one of Leavra Health Clinics.
- Doctor would prescribe Suboxone®.
- Patient would be referred to a mental health professional i.e Psychologist, Social Worker, or other types of Therapists.