Desert Hope Announces Medication-Assisted Treatment Program for Opioid Users

LAS VEGAS, March 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Desert Hope Treatment Center, an American Addiction Centers (AAC) facility, has begun offering a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program to clients that meet certain requirements. The medications used in the assisted-therapy are suboxone and Vivitrol. The program is being overseen by Karly Rubly, MA, LADC, BCC, Clinical Manager.

The gold standard of opioid addiction treatment requires the following items be met in order to enroll in the program:

• One year of high-dose opioid use
• Commitment to a longer treatment stay (minimum of 45 to 90 days under care)
• Involvement of a loved one in treatment with a full open ROI

The MAT program is not a primary therapy method and must be used in adjunct with the traditional therapies offered at the facility. Clients will attend traditional therapy as well as specialty therapies for opioid users and MAT program clients. The desired end result of the program is abstinence;research has shown that clients who are able to taper off of opioids are capable of staying in recovery for longer than their counterparts who are immediately detoxed from the drug.

"As an organization, we owe it to our opioid dependent patients to give them the best possible chance for lifelong recovery," said Rubly. "By combining medication-assisted treatment with our traditional therapies, we are providing our consumers with a much better chance for success. This opioid epidemic is unprecedented in our country with 115 people dying per day from overdoses. We need to change our treatment approach to give our patients with opioid use disorders a better shot at recovering from this disease. Medication-assisted treatment buys patients the time they need in early recovery to develop a strong foundation for themselves. "

Prior to joining Desert Hope Treatment Center, Karly Rubly ran the opioid treatment program at the Betty Ford Center for four years. She has also worked at Hazelden in Minnesota and brings 8 years of experience to the role.

About Desert Hope Treatment Center
Desert Hope is an American Addiction Centers (NYSE: AAC) facility. AAC is a leading provider of inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment services. We treat clients who are struggling with drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and co-occurring mental/behavioral health issues. We currently operate substance abuse treatment facilities located throughout the United States. These facilities are focused on delivering effective clinical care and treatment solutions. For more information, follow us on Twitter @AAC_Tweet.

SOURCE Desert Hope Treatment Center