How Serenity Oaks Can Help

EXPERTISE AND EDUCATION

EXPERTISE AND EDUCATION

Helping you understand the problem so we may work through the solutions together.

ACCESS TO YOUR DOCTOR

ACCESS TO YOUR DOCTOR

Monthly doctor visits during which the doctor will review progress, anticipate problems, and guide you through the steps to recovery.

MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT)

MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT (MAT)

Prescription medication that removes cravings and withdrawal symptoms and thereby clears the mind for other activities.

SUPPORT

SUPPORT

We assess each person for therapeutic needs and make needed recommendations and referrals.

MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY

We utilize official (state and national) drug monitoring programs, drug screening in office, and random drug screens to provide points of accountability.

MOTIVATION

MOTIVATION

Setting goals and working to achieve them in recovery.

BOUNDARIES, EXPECTATIONS AND RULES

BOUNDARIES, EXPECTATIONS AND RULES

Our medical practice follows policies that are uniformly applied in order to maintain the principles of good medical practice.

COMPASSION

COMPASSION

Our patients are treated with respect and dignity. We are working one person at a time to change the stigma associated with this disorder.

Our Process

Our outpatient treatment team will work with each patient to create a treatment plan suited for his or her specific needs and schedule. At Serenity Oaks, our mission is recovery, rehabilitation and restoration.

The Process

The Process
2019
April 10

Initial Visit

Our doctor will meet with you for an initial consultation to learn more about you, discuss your history, and come up with a game plan to tackle your recovery.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine is typically started and prescribed during this initial evaluation. Counseling and education will be provided to you, including detailed instructions on how and when to take the medication.

April 10

Follow up

We follow up with our patients monthly. Those who are needing additional care or supervision are able to visit weekly. The intention of suboxone treatment is to be able to monitor less frequently (treatment in a methadone program requires daily or weekly visits).

April 10

Maintenance

We know patients who start suboxone treatment would prefer to get off of it entirely. We understand this sentiment but also recognize most of our patients have already tried to stop opioid use without success.

We believe a more realistic goal is for people to take buprenorphine therapy long-term, or at least until a cure is identified. This allows for stability rather than uncertainty and chaos.

2018
August 30

Screening

Recovery begins with a screening evaluation by phone with our staff. We screen our patients to determine if a higher level of care is needed, and to avoid unnecessary costs to the patient who may not be a candidate for outpatient treatment.

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TAKE THE FIRST STEP
August 30

Evaluation

Those who are good candidates for treatment in our program will be scheduled for their first physician encounter. The physician will need in depth information about your psychiatric and medical history to formulate your diagnoses and treatment plan.

August 30

Treatment

When appropriate, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine is typically started on the day of the initial evaluation.  The physician will provide counseling and education and answer your questions.  The prescription will be sent to the pharmacy by the physician on your behalf, and the physician will provide detailed instructions on how and when to take it.

August 30

Follow up

We follow our patients monthly. Those who are needing additional care or supervision are able to visit weekly, however, the intention of treating patients with suboxone is to be able to monitor less frequently. (Treatment in a methadone program requires daily or weekly visits.)

2017
October 5

Maintenance

Every patient who starts treatment with suboxone actually would prefer to get off of it entirely. We understand that sentiment, but also recognize that patients who are coming to our program have already tried to stop their opiate use without success. We believe a more realistic goal is for people to take buprenorphine therapy long-term, at least until a cure is identified. This allows for stability rather than uncertainty and chaos.

 THERE IS HOPE

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The Numbers and Path of Opioid Abuse

In 2015, 20.5 million Americans aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder. Of those, 2 million had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers. Whether prescription painkillers are obtained from a relative / friend or prescribed by a doctor, repeated misuse of opioids creates an increased tolerance for the drugs. Once reliant upon opioids, many people turn to additional doctors, the black market or even switch to cheaper substitutes like heroin.

From Every Path of Life

Opioid abuse and addiction impacts people from all walks of life – teachers, parents, cashiers, bankers, the young, the old, men and women – yet the stigma of addiction prevents many individuals from acknowledging the problem and seeking help. Many who have used opioids for an extended period of time experience altered brain chemistry due to the chemical addiction and rely on the drugs to function normally. Those who have become dependent upon opioids may experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms without opioids.

illustration: woman using medicine ball

Rehabilitation for the Long-Term

The outpatient opioid addiction service at Serenity Oaks are designed to not only assist in managing the symptoms of withdrawal but to also provide long-term recovery and continued rehabilitation. Over time we expect our patients to grow and their needs to evolve, and we tailor our therapy to the appropriate stage of recovery.

The Problem

Opioid abuse has become an epidemic in the U.S. with both prescription and illicit opioid addiction and overdose on the rise for the last two decades. As opioids are misused, the drugs chemically interact with opioid receptors on the nerve cells, in the brain and in the nervous system. The drugs initially produce pleasurable effects and relieve pain, but over time opioids alter the chemical makeup of the brain, making the body dependent on the drug. Chemical dependence is a chronic and progressive disease that, if left untreated, can lead to physical, psychological and societal deterioration. Addiction can also be fatal.

The disease of addiction harms not only the individual but also impacts those closest to them – family, friends and loved ones. In addition, opioid addiction negatively affects countless aspects of one’s life including employment, finances, education, and community standing.

The Solution

Recognition of the problem is the first step. The national dialogue has shifted its language from opioid addiction to opioid use disorder and opioid dependence. Our colleagues in the pain management world have been tasked with reducing and removing opiates as a long term treatment for chronic pain. Family members have been urged to be involved in the care by preventing overdoses with naloxone. Working to solve the problem of opioid dependence requires a community effort.

Buprenorphine and naloxone have been approved by the FDA for treatment of opioid use disorder first and foremost because they save lives. We consider this as the preferred treatment for opioid use disorder simply because the medication targets the key goals of recovery: save lives and promote healthy improvements in personal, work and community lives. The medication has a risk profile that is lower than the substances it replaces, therefore the biggest downside is typically cost. Considering that even the cost of treatment is usually less than the cost of the disease, this is not necessarily a “downside”.

The outpatient treatment program at Serenity Oaks is designed to provide a practical, cost effective treatment for a long-term disease process. Unlike with alcohol and other substances, a “detox” from opiates will not remove the problem of dependence. Hospitalization may at some point be helpful, but it does not “cure” the changes in brain chemistry brought about by opiates. Unfortunately, no such cure exists. For those who are able, participating in our outpatient program can provide relief from withdrawals which leads to stability in our lives.

Take the First Step Toward Recovery. We’re Here to Help.

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