How Can I Find Out the Other Treatment Methods that are Available to Me in a Methadone Center?

There is often a misconception that methadone centers only dispense the medication without providing patients with other treatment options. While some outpatient clinics do provide little more else than drug education, this is often not true of government-approved methadone centers, and it can be very beneficial to you to seek out information on other treatment methods available in specific facilities.

What Other Treatment Options Do Methadone Centers Provide?

Most methadone centers offer group therapy.

Every methadone treatment facility is different, but there are a number of options that often exist in these centers for patients in need of methadone treatment and further care. According to the National Institute of Justice, this treatment option “also involves providing patients with comprehensive rehabilitation services” such as:

• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Medical services for patients with physical and psychological problems
• Vocational counseling
• Housing help
• Drug education
• HIV prevention, intervention services, and education
• Drug testing
• Holistic methods (such as yoga classes, art therapy, etc.)
• Prenatal care
• Support group meetings

While different facilities may provide different options depending on the cost of treatment, the type of facility, and other factors, individualized therapy, group therapy, and support group meetings are some of the most commonly provided treatment options. Many of these centers also find help for patients when they cannot provide a specific treatment option themselves, providing referrals to other “community-based agencies” that can lend assistance and provide certain programs that the facility itself does not supply.

Some methadone clinics also offer other beneficial options that, while not treatment methods themselves, can facilitate care and make a patient more likely to continue treatment. These may include options like daycare, arranged transportation to and from the clinic, or agreements with local sober living or halfway houses where patients can stay while they attend treatment at the facility.

How Can I Find Out Which Options Are Available at a Specific Facility?

If you have considered which options seem to be the most likely to benefit you, it is important to look for the right facility that provides them. Yes, all methadone clinics dispense methadone under the care of medical professionals, but if you specifically want to attend a program that offers vocational counseling or support group meetings, it is important to look for one.

With our directory, you can find facilities by state with information about the location of specific centers and phone numbers to call with questions. When you call, be sure to ask if the facility’s program provides the treatment options you are interested in and, if they do, ask any questions you have about the treatment. If they do not, it may be helpful to ask if they know of a clinic that does.

According to a study from the Psychiatric Clinic of North America, “The majority of patients derive major benefits while in [methadone maintenance] treatment,” and this occurs because of the well roundedness of the program. If you want to learn more about the methadone centers in your area and which additional treatment methods they provide, call 800-994-1867Who Answers?.