Athens Treatment Center Offers MAT Services
By: Zanovia Criss
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Medication-assisted treatment is offered at only half the rehabilitation centers in Ohio. Health Recovery Services in Athens is one of the facilities that does.
Three main medications are available in the MAT program. According to Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services, the “medication allows [a person] to regain normal state of mind, free of drug-induced highs and lows.”
Health Recovery Services CEO Ellen Martin said all treatments are equally valid and whether to treat someone using MAT depends on their stage of addiction. HRS provides different programs including prevention education, education, group work, residential treatment and medication-assisted treatment.
“We offer you access to any one of those services or more than one of those services,” Martin said. “When someone comes in to see us we assess them on where they are and where they are in the state of change in their journey.”
The two approaches, one using medication while the other does not, are a source of concern among healthcare providers. One concern is that the success rate of behavior vs. medication therapy is so high that it does not make sense to change the methodology.
“The two as a combination are the most research-based proven effective in battling addiction, especially opioid addiction,” Martin said. “Medication-assisted treatment alone is not the answer. It is really a combination of medication-assisted treatment with clinical work, individually and in group, that really provide the best results and most positive outcomes.”
HRS is an opioid treatment service site – a special state and federal licensed care system that must adhere to strict guidelines for patient care, according to the OMHAS website. HRS has 11 locations in Southeast Ohio providing several addiction services with two opioid treatment centers in Athens and Jackson.
“[We are] very much open to have people come in and be involved in our program so that we’re able to help,” Martin said.