Program Description
The Lane County Medication Assisted Treatment Program provides medically supervised methadone maintenance to help program participants reduce and ultimately end the mal-adaptive use of heroin and other opioid drugs. Our program encourages a holistic and individualized approach to personal recovery. Through individual and group counseling and therapy, we ask patients to honestly examine and assess multiple areas in their lives, which include, but are not limited to physical, psychological, social and spiritual health practices. We insist that each patient take responsibility for their life choices and actions. Therefore, the program’s treatment modality is considered a bio-psycho-social model.
The program is a part of the Behavioral Health Division within Lane County Health and Human Services. Treatment through the program is available to any Oregon resident with Opioid and other drug dependencies who is able to attend treatment services seven days a week.
Patient Profile & Eligibility
Most clients in our program are in their 30s or 40s and have a 15-25 year drug use history. The program has a capacity of 240 patients, about half of whom are women. Poly-substance use is common. In addition to heroin and other opiates, alcohol, marijuana and nicotine are the most frequently used drugs. People enter the Methadone Program with a range of medical and psychosocial problems. Common health problems include a history of hepatitis or damaged liver function, acute abscesses at drug injection sites, and poor dental health. Other problem areas include extreme preoccupation with drug seeking and drug use, disturbed relationships, arrested personal development, financial problems, lowered productivity, and legal problems. Individuals are also at high risk of contracting communicable diseases, such as TB, hepatitis, and HIV. The patient's addiction often has a major impact on family members.
In order to admit an individual for methadone treatment, the program must document at least a one-year history of opiate dependence, as well as current addiction. An individual must also have at least one opiate detox attempt. Without that, we refer the person to Buckley House or another program for detox. Priority for admission is given to eligible pregnant women and people who are HIV positive.
Program Goals
The overall goal of treatment is recovery in multiple life areas. We focus mostly on an individual’s level of functioning in the world. Through various treatment modalities, we encourage our patients to work on improving their lives. This may mean a return to legal, gainful employment, obtaining government benefits, developing, improving, or maintaining healthy relationships, improved physical and mental health, or a combination of all these things. The primary goal of our program is to provide treatment services that are respectful, culturally relevant, and beneficial to our patients.
Our services and our program rules are determined, in part, by multiple state and federal government, and accreditation standards and regulations. Our intention is to provide the best possible treatment within the context of these regulations.
Treatment Services
Intake into the program is supervised by the program's medical director. Intake includes gathering medical and treatment histories, reviewing the results of the initial physical exam and lab work, referral for HIV and TB testing, and an extensive interview with the patient. After intake, the patient is assigned to a primary counselor, and begins attending methadone dispensing at the clinic. Patients initially attend the clinic seven days a week for dispensing. All patients get a "take-out" dose for observed holidays. Treatment plans are individualized to meet each person's needs. Treatment services are offered as follows.
- Methadone dispensing and monitoring
- Group, individual, couple, and/or family counseling
- Urine drug screens
- Crisis intervention
- Drug education
- HIV education and risk assessment
- Medical supervision of treatment
- Referral to support and self-help groups
- Coordination with other community resources
- Case Management
- Peer support
In addition to individual, couple, and group treatment, the program involves family members in the patient’s care. Family treatment is provided as indicated to educate and support partners, children, or parents about the patient's addiction, family issues related to addiction, and the patient's treatment. Some of the topics for Group Therapy include; Relapse Prevention, Relaxation and Meditation, Sound and Music Therapy, Grief and Loss, Men's Group and E.F.T. A drug education and parenting series is also offered.