This April Signature Psychiatric Hospital added Medication-Assisted Treatment to its chemical dependency treatment program. By helping people reduce their cravings for alcohol and drugs, the treatment paves a more assured road to recovery and a higher likelihood of sobriety versus relapse.
Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is considered the gold standard for opioid and substance use disorder treatment. Dr. Syed Karim will oversee the program, including dedicated support for appropriately prescribed Naltrexone, Vivitrol, and Buprenorphine.
“Medication-assisted treatment saves lives while increasing the chances a person will remain in treatment and learn the skills and build the networks necessary for long-term recovery,” said Dr. Karim. We need every tool at our disposal to turn the tide of the opioid crisis.”
MAT pairs counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy with an FDA-approved medication to treat addiction and withdrawal. Anyone seeking MAT treatment at Signature must be part of one of its chemical dependency groups to receive MAT support. MAT is an agonist that suppresses cravings by filling or blocking the receptors in the brain as shown in Figure 1.
Signature Psychiatric Hospital is a leading trauma, addiction, and behavioral health provider in the Kansas City metropolitan area. It has inpatient units in North Kansas City and Liberty, MO., and an outpatient clinic for adults and seniors in Liberty and one for adolescents in Gladstone, Mo.
