About Comprehensive Treatment Centers

Comprehensive treatment centers (CTCs) provide medication-assisted treatment to adults age 18 and older who are struggling with opioid use disorder. By combining counseling with prescription medications, CTCs help adults achieve successful long-term recovery from opioid addiction.

Admissions Information

Admissions criteria to receive medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction at a comprehensive treatment center (CTC)

Comprehensive treatment centers (CTCs) serve adults of all genders age 18 and older who are struggling with opioid use disorder. Some commonly misused opioids CTCs provide care for include fentanyl, OxyContin, and heroin.

Every CTC makes admissions decisions on a case-by-case basis after completing a comprehensive assessment of each individual’s medical history, current symptoms, and goals for recovery. However, the general criteria for admission includes:

  • Age 18 and older
  • Has opioid use disorder (the clinical term for opioid addiction)
  • Can actively participate in counseling
  • Does not need 24/7 care

CTCs provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and counseling on an outpatient basis. This is an ideal option for individuals who do not need round-the-clock supervision or a more intensive level of care to continue their recovery from opioid addiction.

Why Choose a CTC?

Why a CTC may be the perfect place for adults to begin their recovery from opioid use disorder

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has helped countless individuals regain control of their lives and experience lasting recovery from opioid addiction. Comprehensive treatment centers (CTCs) offer individuals the convenience and flexibility to maintain their sobriety through prescription medications and regular counseling sessions that strengthen their recovery foundation.

When you choose a CTC, your care is tailored to your specific needs and goals by experts who are highly experienced in helping individuals whose lives have been harmed by opioid use disorder. You can expect:

Individualized Care

No two people heal from opioid use disorder the same way. The care you receive at a CTC is personalized to who you are, with each aspect of your treatment hand-picked based on what will best help you achieve long-term recovery. This includes the prescription medications and counseling services in your treatment plan.

During your time at a CTC, your personalized treatment plan will be monitored and updated if necessary to ensure that you experience the best outcome possible.

Convenient Setting

As the name implies, CTCs offer comprehensive support in a convenient, flexible setting. When you receive care at a CTC, you do not need to follow a preset treatment schedule that disrupts your regular routine or keeps you from working or going to school. You have the freedom to create a treatment schedule that works best for your lifestyle.

When you choose a CTC, the transition back to your daily life becomes that much more seamless. Between visits to the CTC to receive prescriptions and participate in counseling sessions, you can go to work, attend school, see friends and family, and rebuild the life you once knew.

Respectful Environment

We understand just how challenging it can be to seek help for opioid use disorder, and we commend you for making the life-changing decision to get treatment. Our CTCs are safe and comfortable spaces where everyone is welcomed and treated with dignity and respect. Recovery can be a long and difficult journey, but it is not one you must face alone.

How Medication Helps

The benefits of prescription medication for adults who have been struggling with opioid addiction

Before you begin treatment at a CTC, you will complete a thorough assessment that identifies the most beneficial care modalities for your specific situation. Based on this assessment, you will follow a personalized plan that will include both medication and counseling.

The prescription medications in your plan can help you stop using opioids without experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as overwhelming cravings, nausea, and muscle cramps.

Depending on your unique medical history and recovery goals, you may receive a prescription for methadone, Suboxone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone.

Methadone

Methadone is a prescription medication that activates the opioid receptors in the brain without producing the same euphoric effect as opioids such as heroin or morphine. Taken once a day, methadone comes in multiple forms, including liquid, powder, and tablet.

When taken as directed as a part of CTC services, methadone can reduce or eliminate opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms without the risk of dependency, helping you successfully end your opioid use.

Suboxone

Suboxone is a brand-name prescription medication that contains the active ingredients buprenorphine and naloxone. This medication reduces opioid cravings and eliminates distressing withdrawal symptoms. When you use Suboxone as directed within the context of an approved opioid treatment program such as a CTC, you can end your opioid use without experiencing the painful and overwhelming withdrawal process.

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine, which is one of the ingredients in the brand-name medication Suboxone, is a prescription medication that activates the opioid receptors in the brain without producing the same euphoric effects as opioids such as heroin or morphine. Like Suboxone, buprenorphine can be used alone or in combination with other medications.

When taken as directed as a part of CTC services, buprenorphine can help you stop using opioids without experiencing distressing cravings or withdrawal symptoms.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is a prescription medication that blocks the opioid receptors in the brain from activating, so it keeps the body from experiencing the euphoric effects of opioids and other substances, such as alcohol. This medication is also available under the brand name Vivitrol.

Not only can naltrexone reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms, but if you experience relapse, you will not feel the pleasurable effects you have come to expect from using opioids, making relapse much less likely in the future.

The Importance of Counseling

Why counseling is such an important part of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder at a comprehensive treatment center

Taking prescription medications as a part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an effective way to stop using opioids without experiencing the painful and distressing effects of withdrawal. However, medication cannot give you the tools you need to build a foundation for lasting recovery.

Your care experience at a comprehensive treatment center (CTC) will include both prescription medication and counseling so that you have the best chance of achieving successful sustained sobriety. You will participate in individual and group counseling sessions that will help you make the lifestyle changes that can empower you to remain in recovery long into the future.

Individual Counseling

Various factors in an individual’s life can contribute to the development of an opioid addiction, and these influences might not be topics you feel comfortable bringing up during group counseling sessions. Individual counseling sessions give you an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a counselor to do valuable work toward healing and recovery.

During individual counseling sessions, you will discuss what factors in your life might have led to your opioid use and what barriers might be preventing you from reaching your recovery goals. These sessions are also an excellent opportunity to talk about other recovery-related topics and review your progress.

The frequency of your individual sessions with a counselor depends on your specific needs and the progress you’ve made toward recovery.

Group Counseling

Group counseling is an essential component of the care experience at a CTC. Counseling in a group setting provides a safe, structured, and supportive environment where you can participate in discussions led by experienced professionals on a variety of topics related to addiction and recovery. These are excellent opportunities to talk about your experiences and hear the perspectives of others.

These sessions often provide participants with much-needed support during a time when many people feel isolated and alone. Shame and guilt are common feelings among people who are in recovery from opioid use disorder. There is power and hope within the recovery community, and group counseling sessions are often the first step in finding that support system.

To learn more about counseling, medication, or any other element of treatment for opioid use disorder at a comprehensive treatment center, contact us today. A friendly and knowledgeable member of our team is available 24/7 to answer all your questions and help you determine if medication-assisted treatment at a CTC is the best solution for you or a loved one. 

Coming to the clinic was the best decision I have made for myself. I know I wouldn’t be on this earth without it. I have been given a second chance at life because of the clinic.