What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)?

As described by SAMHSA, MAT is “the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.”

For many patients, MAT can help sustain recovery and can be used to prevent or reduce opioid overdose.

MAT has been shown to:

• Improve patient survival

• Increase retention in treatment

• Decrease illicit opiate use and other criminal activity among people with substance use disorders

• Increase patients’ ability to gain and maintain employment

• Improve birth outcomes among women who have substance use disorders and are pregnant

At the Collaborative Center, we apply the whole-person approach. Counselor-Case Managers help initiate and maintain MAT for patients with OUD and co-occurring disorders, in addition to providing behavioral health therapies. Among current supports for clients utilizing MAT options such as suboxone, vivitrol, and methadone, are individual counseling sessions and therapies that address healthy coping skills and motivation.

These MAT medications are used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD):

• Buprenorphine

• Methadone

• Naltrexone

Opioid overdose prevention medication:

• Naloxone

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