Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

• What is the process to find our information and to get started in one of the programs?

  Call us anytime day or night 757-938-3654 so we may collect some necessary information and schedule an appointment for you to meet with our interdisciplinary team.

• Do you accept my insurance?

  We accept a wide variety of health insurance plans. By contacting our office, we can make sure that your insurance will cover the costs of your treatment.

• What happens at my intake appointment?

  You will be scheduled to first meet individually with a licensed substance abuse disorder counselor in person or via telehealth who will collect a clinical history to see if one of our programs is right for your current needs. You will be asked to provide a urine sample which we will arrange for your convenience. Do not worry about his requirement as we expect you will test positive for substances including opiates.

  Depending on your needs you may meet with a member of our staff regarding a care coordination plan that will best suit your needs.

  Next you will meet with a medical provider who will review any medical issues that you may have that could impact your treatment, determine your appropriate does of medications to prevent cravings. You will then join convenient individual or group meetings with other clients either in person or via telehealth at different stages of recovery that meet at specified times laid out in your individual treatment plan.

Treatment

• What are common treatments involved in substance abuse counseling?

  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivation Interviewing, Family Therapy, and many other modalities you will find under our Service pages.

• What are groups like?

  Groups are small usually no more than 10-15 people. The meetings are generally approximately 1 hour in length are conducted by a licensed substance abuse counselor.

• What is buprenorphine?

  Buprenorphine is used in medication-assisted treatment to treat dependence on opioids including heroin and prescription painkillers like hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl.

  Buprenorphine is known as a partial opioid agonist, meaning it partially works like an opioid, but its effects are weaker than a full agonist opioid like heroin or methadone.

  Buprenorphine lowers the effects of opioid dependency such as withdrawal symptoms and cravings to use opioids without having full opioid potency or effect. Buprenorphine has also used to relieve some forms of chronic pain. However, studies on how effective it is for chronic pain purposes are mixed. Some data shows that a person needs to be addicted to opioids and have chronic pain for it to be effective.

• What is Vivitrol?

  Vivitrol is a medication used to treat alcohol and opioid addiction. It contains an extended-release formulation of naltrexone, an active ingredient that blocks opiate receptors in the brain and significantly reduces cravings. This a monthly injection given by a healthcare professional.