MAT Program · Norwood, Bergen County, NJ
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program in New Jersey
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) at Valley Spring Recovery Center in Norwood, New Jersey combines FDA-approved medication with counseling, prescribed inside Partial Care, Intensive Outpatient (IOP) and Outpatient rather than as a standalone prescription. The medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone film), extended-release buprenorphine (Brixadi) and naltrexone as a daily tablet or the monthly Vivitrol injection. Medication for alcohol use disorder is naltrexone or acamprosate. Every one of those FDA labels calls for the same thing: a complete treatment plan that includes counseling and psychosocial support. Dr. Michael Olla, psychiatrist and Medical Director, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner evaluate and prescribe.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Olla, MD·Last reviewed September 19, 2026
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Why Choose Valley Spring
Why Choose Valley Spring Recovery for Medication-Assisted Treatment?
Valley Spring is chosen for MAT because the prescriber and the therapist work in the same program, which is the arrangement every one of these FDA labels assumes. A buprenorphine prescription filled at a clinic with no counseling attached is used outside the terms its own label sets. At the Norwood facility the medication and the clinical hours are one plan, reviewed in one weekly treatment-team meeting.
- Dr. Michael Olla, psychiatrist and Medical Director, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner on staff, with a psychiatric evaluation within the first 72 hours of admission
- Buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone film), extended-release buprenorphine (Brixadi), oral naltrexone, the Vivitrol injection and acamprosate
- MAT prescribed inside Partial Care, IOP or Outpatient, never as a prescription on its own
- Weekly individual therapy running alongside the medication, as each FDA label calls for
- Existing MAT continued without a gap when a client transfers in from another prescriber
- A co-occurring psychiatric condition treated by the same prescribers
- MAT medication management visits that review dosing against response and side effects
- Naloxone education built into programming, because the Suboxone and Brixadi labels advise having a reversal agent on hand
- In-network contracts with 19+ payers including AmeriHealth, Fidelis Care, Magellan Healthcare, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare, with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna and Horizon accepted out-of-network or by single case agreement
- Coordination with a community prescriber at discharge, so the medication course outlasts the program
Licenses & Accreditations
People Who Recovered
What Do Clients Say About MAT at Valley Spring?
Clients on MAT write about not being treated as a lesser category of patient, the persistent problem with medication in recovery settings. Each review is a published Google review of the Norwood facility.
“Valley Spring Recovery Center saved my son's life. The staff is amazing. I'm so grateful for the exceptional care he received. The support and encouragement by the staff and the rest of the Valley Spring Community is so meaningful.”
Lana Roeser
“Everyone treated me like family, I felt like I was born into this family. The welcoming I received was incredible. Valley Spring changed my life in ways I never thought possible.”
Tr3 Weee
“Valley Spring Recovery Center is absolutely exceptional. Brian and Mike have created a truly beautiful establishment, both in appearance and in spirit. The clinical setting is world class, blending professionalism with genuine compassion.”
Christopher Ferry
“Valley Spring Recovery Center truly changed my little brother Jordan's life. From the moment he entered the program, he was treated with respect, care, and real compassion. The staff went above and beyond to support him, not just in his recovery, but in every aspect of his life.”
Deshaya Williams
“It cannot be more clear the profound impact that Sean has made in my recovery journey. Finding someone who can balance the weight of recovery with genuine humor is rare, and he embodies that perfectly.”
Daisy McCloud
Patient testimonial
A Story of Hope
Patient testimonial
Finding Recovery
Family testimonial
A Mother's Story
Alumni testimonial
My Recovery
Client testimonial
Matt's Story: Why I Chose Valley Spring
Alumni testimonial
Regina's Full Story
Program Details
What Does Medication-Assisted Treatment at Valley Spring Include?
MAT at Valley Spring includes four components: a psychiatric evaluation within the first 72 hours of admission, the prescription itself, MAT medication management visits that review response and side effects, and the counseling hours the medication is prescribed alongside. Opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder are the two conditions with an FDA-approved medication.
Who MAT Serves, and for Which Disorders
MAT at Valley Spring serves adults 18 and older with opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder, the two substance use disorders with FDA-approved pharmacotherapy. Clients work with the psychiatrist and the psychiatric nurse practitioner to establish a medication and dose while building skills in individual and group sessions, scheduled in person in Norwood or over secure video around a working week.
For cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis use disorder no FDA-approved medication exists. Clients with those diagnoses receive the same clinical program without a medication component for the addiction itself, and psychiatric medication where a co-occurring condition calls for it.
What the Labels Require Alongside the Prescription
Each of these medications carries the same instruction in its own prescribing information. The Suboxone label states the film should be used as part of a complete treatment plan that includes counseling and psychosocial support. The Brixadi label repeats it. The Vivitrol label states that treatment should be part of a comprehensive management program that includes psychosocial support, and the acamprosate label uses that same phrase. The naltrexone tablet label makes the point in the negative: naltrexone hydrochloride has not been shown to provide any therapeutic benefit except as part of an appropriate plan of management for the addictions.
Valley Spring supplies that plan rather than referring the client to find one. Weekly cognitive behavioral therapy connects medication response to cravings, decisions, and return-to-use risk.
Dialectical behavior therapy adds distress-tolerance and emotion-regulation skills, and the prescriber and therapist review the same chart in the same weekly treatment-team meeting.
What Happens at Each Appointment
The MAT medication management visit
The psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner reviews how the medication is working, whether cravings have changed, and which side effects have appeared. Dosing is adjusted against that account and against the clinical picture rather than on a schedule.
The individual therapy hour
The assigned therapist works the situation the medication does not touch: the relationship, the workplace, the hour of the evening. Medication reduces craving; it does not decide what a client does with a Friday.
The MAT group
Small group therapy sessions put a client alongside peers, some of them on the same medication. The belief that medication is a lesser form of recovery is acquired in a room of peers and is corrected in one.
What a Client on MAT Does Between Appointments
Six commitments fill the days between medication visits:
- Taking the medication exactly as prescribed, including on the days cravings are absent
- Attending peer recovery meetings such as AA, NA and SMART Recovery
- Logging cravings and side effects, so the next appointment works from a record rather than a memory
- Keeping a naloxone kit accessible and telling one other person in the household where it is
- Practicing the coping technique the therapy hour set
- Following the medication contact plan when a dose feels wrong rather than adjusting it alone
Who Is a Candidate for MAT
Five presentations point toward a medication component:
- Discharged from detox: A client whose withdrawal has resolved and who now needs craving suppression to hold the gap. The Vivitrol label names this position exactly: prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification.
- Opioid or alcohol use disorder: A client with either diagnosis, the two with approved pharmacotherapy.
- A co-occurring psychiatric condition: A client who needs the psychiatric prescription and the addiction prescription written by one prescriber who sees both.
- Already on MAT elsewhere: A client transferring in who needs the course continued without a lapse while the therapy hours start.
- Relapse on a medication-free plan: A client who completed abstinence-only treatment and returned to use.
A client living in a partner sober living home in Bergen County, New Jersey or Rockland County, New York can be on MAT. Valley Spring does not own or operate the homes, and placement for a client on medication is decided case by case.
Which Medications Does Valley Spring Prescribe?
Valley Spring prescribes buprenorphine as Suboxone film or the Brixadi injection, naltrexone as tablets or the Vivitrol injection, and acamprosate, for opioid and alcohol use disorder, and topiramate off-label for alcohol use disorder. Methadone is not prescribed here. Each medication has a condition that must be true before a first dose, and that is where the clinical care in MAT sits.
| Medication | Used for | Before the first dose |
|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine and naloxone sublingual film (Suboxone) | Opioid use disorder | Clear signs of opioid withdrawal, so the first dose does not precipitate withdrawal |
| Buprenorphine extended-release injection (Brixadi) | Opioid use disorder, as a weekly or monthly injection | A first transmucosal buprenorphine dose; prepared and given only by a healthcare provider under the Brixadi REMS |
| Naltrexone tablets | Alcohol use disorder; also blocks the effects of opioids | Seven to ten days opioid-free for anyone previously dependent on short-acting opioids |
| Naltrexone extended-release injection (Vivitrol) | Alcohol use disorder, and relapse prevention after opioid withdrawal | Seven to ten days opioid-free, to avoid withdrawal severe enough to need a hospital |
| Acamprosate delayed-release tablets | Alcohol use disorder, to maintain abstinence | Alcohol abstinence already established |
| Topiramate (Topamax) | Alcohol use disorder, off-label; the FDA label covers epilepsy and migraine prevention | Offered when naltrexone or acamprosate has not worked, is not tolerated or is not the person's preference |
Labels, guidelines and approvals change, and nothing in the table is medical advice for any one person. Every medication decision at Valley Spring is made individually by the psychiatrist or the psychiatric nurse practitioner, inside a treatment plan written for that client, and anything here should be reviewed with your own psychiatrist or with ours. In a suspected opioid overdose, give naloxone if it is at hand and call 911; the naloxone overdose response steps cover repeat dosing, side effects and the limits of reversal.
Why Valley Spring
What Makes MAT at Valley Spring Different?
MAT at Valley Spring is prescribed by a psychiatrist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner who sit on the same team as the therapists, inside Partial Care, the Intensive Outpatient Program or the Outpatient Program, so the medication and the counseling are managed together.
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
Dr. Michael Olla, psychiatrist and Medical Director, and a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner prescribe MAT and sit in the same weekly treatment-team meeting as the therapists. A dose change and a change in therapy are decided together, in one chart.
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
The psychiatric evaluation happens within the first 72 hours of admission, so nobody waits weeks to start or continue a medication. A client already on MAT elsewhere says so on the first call, and the course is not interrupted.
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
MAT is prescribed inside Partial Care, the Intensive Outpatient Program or the Outpatient Program, with weekly individual therapy and group sessions alongside the prescription. The medication steadies the body; the counseling does the rest of the work.
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
Valley Spring holds New Jersey licences for substance use treatment and for mental health treatment, so the prescriber writing buprenorphine or naltrexone can also treat a co-occurring psychiatric condition, under one treatment plan rather than two providers who never speak.
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
Medication visits are scheduled morning, afternoon or evening, in Norwood or over secure video. The Vivitrol and Brixadi injections are given in person because their labels require a healthcare provider to prepare and administer them.
Valley Spring Recovery Center · Norwood, NJ
Valley Spring's programs are CARF accredited, surveyed against national standards for clinical practice and quality improvement.
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FDA-Approved Medications Prescribed
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Prescribers on Staff
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Methadone Prescriptions
Our Facility
Where Are MAT Appointments Held?
MAT appointments are held at 830 Broadway, Norwood, New Jersey 07648, alongside the therapy hours, or over HIPAA-compliant video where a client prefers. Extended-release injections are the exception: the Vivitrol label states that VIVITROL must be prepared and administered by a healthcare provider, and the Brixadi label states that only healthcare providers should prepare and administer BRIXADI, so both injections are given in person.
Facility film
Inside Valley Spring
Inside 830 Broadway, With the People Who Run It
CEO Brian Cellary and COO Michael O'Sullivan on how the program is run, and an alumnus on what treatment here was like. The group rooms, the offices and the front door, as a client sees them on day one.
Clinical Process
How Does Medication-Assisted Treatment at Valley Spring Work?
MAT runs in four phases. Evaluation and induction come first, with the medication chosen against the diagnosis and the prerequisites its label sets. Stabilization follows, then the therapy work the label assumes, then transition to a community prescriber who continues the course. Dosing is reviewed at every medication visit against response and side effects.
Evaluation and Induction
Phase 1
The prescriber takes the substance use history, the current medication list and the withdrawal picture, then chooses the medication against the diagnosis and the prerequisite its label sets. Buprenorphine induction waits for objective and clear signs of withdrawal. Naltrexone waits for the opioid-free interval. Getting that sequence right is what prevents a precipitated withdrawal.
Stabilization and Skills Work
Phase 2
Once dosing steadies the physical picture, the clinical hours take over. The therapist uses CBT and DBT to work the triggers a medication does not reach, and the prescriber reviews response and side effects at each medication visit. Group sessions supply peers, including peers on the same medication.
Application at a Steady Dose
Phase 3
With the dose established, the client tests the recovery plan in their own week while keeping work and family commitments. The prescriber adjusts dosing on reported craving and side effects rather than on a taper timetable, and the therapy hour handles the situations that a stable dose reveals rather than removes.
Transition to a Community Prescriber
Phase 4
The medication frequently outlasts the program, so discharge planning names the community prescriber who continues it and sends the record across before the last appointment. The therapist identifies the ongoing counseling that keeps the plan the label describes in place after the level of care ends.
Getting Started
How Does Admission to MAT Work?
Admission to MAT takes four steps: benefits verification, clinical assessment, detox coordination where withdrawal needs medical supervision, and a prescriber evaluation within the first 72 hours, after which the medication can start. Bring the current prescription bottles or a written list. The admissions line at (201) 781-8812 is staffed around the clock, and a client already on MAT elsewhere says so on the first call, so the course is not interrupted.
Call and Verify Coverage
Call (201) 781-8812, staffed 24 hours a day. The admissions team checks the plan against Valley Spring's 19+ in-network contracts and states whether it is in-network or out-of-network. Prior authorization for an extended-release injection is requested at this step.
Complete the Clinical Assessment
The clinical director reviews the screening information and any records the client releases, which can be completed by phone or over video. Approval schedules the intake appointment with the psychiatrist or the psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Coordinate Detox Where the Medication Requires It First
Naltrexone and the Vivitrol injection require an opioid-free interval, and acamprosate requires abstinence, before a first dose. Where the assessment shows physical dependence, Valley Spring coordinates the detox referral, arranges placement and arranges the transfer back after discharge. Valley Spring does not perform detox.
Start Treatment, With the Prescriber Seen Inside 72 Hours
The intake appointment carries the clinical assessment, and the prescriber evaluation follows within the first 72 hours, so the medication protocol starts inside that window where the label's prerequisites are met. A client already on MAT elsewhere continues without a gap.
How Do I Start Medication-Assisted Treatment?
Call Valley Spring Recovery Center at (201) 781-8812, 24 hours a day, with the current prescription list to hand. The call covers coverage, the level of care the medication will sit inside, and the first available intake appointment.
HIPAA compliant · Confidential · No obligation
Our Clinical Team
Who Prescribes MAT at Valley Spring?
MAT is prescribed by Dr. Michael Olla, psychiatrist and Medical Director, and by a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, both on staff rather than contracted. Licensed clinical social workers and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselors carry the counseling hours the labels require, and case managers handle the prior authorizations that extended-release injections in particular generate.
FAQ
What Do People Ask About Medication-Assisted Treatment in New Jersey?
What does MAT mean in recovery?+
MAT, medication-assisted treatment, means FDA-approved medication combined with counseling and behavioral therapy, not medication alone. In an outpatient MAT rehab program the prescription for Suboxone, Brixadi, Vivitrol, naltrexone or acamprosate is written inside Partial Care, IOP or Outpatient, with individual and group therapy attached.
Is there a Suboxone doctor at Valley Spring?+
Yes. Dr. Michael Olla, psychiatrist and Medical Director, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner prescribe buprenorphine products, including Suboxone film and Brixadi. There is no separate Suboxone clinic: the prescription is written inside Partial Care, IOP or Outpatient at the Norwood, New Jersey facility, with counseling hours attached.
Which medications does Valley Spring use for MAT?+
Buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone), extended-release buprenorphine (Brixadi), naltrexone tablets, extended-release naltrexone (the Vivitrol injection) and acamprosate, all FDA approved for opioid or alcohol use disorder. Topiramate is also prescribed, off-label, for alcohol use disorder.
Is Vivitrol considered MAT?+
Yes. Vivitrol is extended-release naltrexone, a 380 mg injection every four weeks that is FDA approved for alcohol dependence and for preventing relapse to opioid dependence after detox. Prescribed alongside counseling, Vivitrol treatment is medication-assisted treatment. Valley Spring gives the injection in person in Norwood, NJ.
Is MAT just replacing one drug with another?+
No. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist prescribed at a dose that suppresses craving and withdrawal without producing euphoria, and naltrexone is an antagonist that blocks opioid effects entirely. Both are prescribed and monitored inside a treatment plan.
Can I do MAT in an IOP or outpatient program?+
Yes, and that is the only way MAT is offered at Valley Spring. Buprenorphine, naltrexone or acamprosate is prescribed inside Partial Care, the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or the Outpatient Program, so MAT with IOP means medication visits plus the therapy hours of that level of care.
Does MAT include group therapy?+
Yes. MAT group therapy is part of every level of care the medication is prescribed inside. Small process groups put a client alongside peers, some on the same medication, and run with the weekly individual therapy hour and the MAT medication management visit.
Can I be on MAT in sober living?+
Yes, with placement decided case by case. Valley Spring refers clients to independently operated partner sober living homes in Bergen County, NJ and Rockland County, NY, and does not own or run them. A resident on MAT attends evening outpatient treatment in Norwood while the prescription continues.
Is Valley Spring a methadone clinic?+
No. Methadone for opioid use disorder is dispensed only through an opioid treatment program holding current SAMHSA certification under 42 CFR 8.11(a), and Valley Spring is not one. Its prescribers write buprenorphine (Suboxone, Brixadi) and naltrexone (Vivitrol) and refer clients for whom methadone is indicated.
How long does MAT continue?+
Length is set by the client's response and the diagnosis rather than by a program calendar. Some clients transfer to a community prescriber within months; others continue for longer, and the medication frequently outlasts the level of care.
Can I work while I am on MAT?+
Yes. Medication visits are scheduled morning, afternoon or evening and are held over secure video where a client prefers. Case management produces FMLA and return-to-work documentation where a role requires it.
Does insurance cover MAT?+
Valley Spring holds in-network contracts with 19+ payers, among them AmeriHealth, Fidelis Care, Magellan Healthcare, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna and Horizon are accepted out-of-network or by single case agreement. Insurance verification is free, and the admissions team files any prior authorization an extended-release injection requires.
What is naloxone and when do I use it?+
Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose and restores breathing. Call 911 in a suspected overdose. The over-the-counter NARCAN Drug Facts label has a bystander give the first dose and then call 911 right away, and SAMHSA's Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit sets the same order. Naloxone buys time; it does not replace the ambulance.
How soon can medication start?+
The prescriber evaluation happens within the first 72 hours of admission, and the medication starts once the label's prerequisite is met. Buprenorphine induction begins when objective and clear signs of withdrawal are evident. Naltrexone requires an opioid-free interval of a minimum of 7 to 10 days for a client previously dependent on short-acting opioids.
Is there a medication for cocaine or methamphetamine addiction?+
No. The FDA has approved no medication for cocaine, methamphetamine or cannabis use disorder. Clients with those diagnoses receive the same clinical program without a medication component for the addiction itself.
In-Network & Out-of-Network Coverage
Insurance Coverage and Cost of Treatment
Valley Spring Recovery Center accepts in-network insurance from AmeriHealth, Fidelis Care, Northwell Direct, ComPsych, Oscar, VA Community Care, Lower Hudson Valley EAP, JRN Consulting, Tricare, Teamsters, Magellan Healthcare, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare (including its UMR and Oxford plans), the New York City Employees Plan, Workforce Assistance EAP, Iron Workers Members Assistance, and Humana, and also accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Horizon, and Carelon Behavioral Health on an out-of-network or single-case-agreement basis. At Valley Spring Recovery Center, insurance coverage pays for some or all of the cost of treatment; the exact amount depends on the member's benefits and the level of care required. Most plans authorize Partial Care in 7–14 day increments with clinical reauthorization, and IOP per week or per three-day block.
Self-pay pricing is quoted transparently after a brief phone assessment, and the cost is determined by the services required and the appropriate level of care.
Valley Spring Recovery Center verifies insurance benefits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — call to confirm what your specific plan covers.
HIPAA confidential · Free verification · No obligation
Which Addictions Have an Approved Medication?
Valley Spring Recovery Center's Medication-Assisted Treatment program treats 7 categories of substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions: alcohol, opioids, cocaine and crack, benzodiazepines, marijuana, stimulants, and co-occurring conditions. Select one for the disorder name, where care begins, the medication position, and the levels of care that treat it.
Alcohol
DSM-5-TR: Alcohol use disorder
- Where care begins
- Medically supervised withdrawal comes first. Valley Spring Recovery Center refers to detox partners, admits directly after detox discharge, and keeps provider-to-provider communication open with the detox facility so care continues without a gap. Valley Spring does not provide detoxification.
- Medication
- Naltrexone, and Vivitrol, the extended-release injectable form of naltrexone, are on Valley Spring's medication list for alcohol use disorder. The FDA has approved three medications for alcohol use disorder overall, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate.
- Levels of care
- Partial Care at ASAM 2.5, Intensive Outpatient at ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient at ASAM 1.5. Partial Care is delivered in person. Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient run in person or virtually by client preference.
The DSM-5-TR diagnoses alcohol use disorder against 11 criteria observed over a 12-month period, and grades severity by criterion count: 2 to 3 criteria is mild, 4 to 5 is moderate, 6 or more is severe. Untreated alcohol withdrawal produces seizures and delirium tremens, which is why physical dependence is stabilized under medical supervision before outpatient treatment begins. Call 911 if a person withdrawing from alcohol has a seizure, becomes confused, or cannot be woken.
There are 5 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Drinking more, or over a longer period, than intended
- Repeated unsuccessful efforts to cut down or stop
- Needing markedly more alcohol to reach the same effect
- Tremor, sweating, nausea or anxiety in the hours after stopping
- Continuing to drink despite a physical or psychological problem alcohol caused or worsened
Alcohol addiction treatment in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Opioids
DSM-5-TR: Opioid use disorder
- Where care begins
- Medically supervised withdrawal comes first. Valley Spring Recovery Center refers to detox partners, admits directly after detox discharge, and keeps provider-to-provider communication open with the detox facility so care continues without a gap. Valley Spring does not provide detoxification.
- Medication
- Buprenorphine, including Suboxone, which combines buprenorphine with naloxone, and Brixadi, the extended-release buprenorphine injection the FDA approved in May 2023 for moderate to severe opioid use disorder, is prescribed by Valley Spring's on-staff psychiatrist. Vivitrol, extended-release injectable naltrexone, is the other option on the roster. Valley Spring does not prescribe methadone.
- Levels of care
- Partial Care at ASAM 2.5, Intensive Outpatient at ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient at ASAM 1.5. Partial Care is delivered in person. Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient run in person or virtually by client preference.
Opioid use disorder is sustained by two forces at once: the reinforcing effect of mu-opioid receptor agonism, and avoidance of a withdrawal syndrome that brings severe pain, diarrhea, sweating and craving. Opioid tolerance falls during any period of abstinence, including a detox stay or a jail term, so a dose that was previously tolerated can cause fatal respiratory depression afterward. Call 911 for a suspected opioid overdose and give naloxone if it is on hand.
There are 5 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Taking opioids to prevent withdrawal rather than for pain or effect
- Running out of a prescription earlier than the schedule allows
- Obtaining opioids from more than one prescriber or from non-medical sources
- Muscle aches, agitation, sweating and diarrhea when a dose is missed
- Continuing opioid use despite a job, legal or relationship consequence it caused
Opioid addiction treatment in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Cocaine and crack
DSM-5-TR: Stimulant use disorder, cocaine type
- Where care begins
- Direct admission after clinical assessment. Cocaine withdrawal does not carry the seizure and delirium risk that alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal carry, so treatment starts at the assessed level of care rather than after a detox stay.
- Medication
- No FDA-approved medication exists for cocaine use disorder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states there is no FDA-approved medication for methamphetamine use disorder or any other stimulant use disorder. Treatment is behavioral, and contingency management is the best-studied of the approaches, alongside cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing.
- Levels of care
- Partial Care at ASAM 2.5, Intensive Outpatient at ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient at ASAM 1.5. Partial Care is delivered in person. Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient run in person or virtually by client preference.
Cocaine blocks the dopamine transporter, so dopamine accumulates in the synapse instead of being recycled, and the resulting reward signal is what drives repeat dosing within a single session. Crack is the freebase form of the same drug, smoked rather than insufflated, which reaches the brain faster and clears faster. Cocaine constricts coronary arteries and raises the risk of myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and stroke in people with no prior cardiac history. Call 911 for chest pain, seizure or collapse, and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for any overdose or ingestion.
There are 5 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Using in binges that continue until the supply is gone
- Crashing into exhaustion, low mood and heavy sleep after a session
- Spending beyond what income supports to keep a supply available
- Nosebleeds, chronic congestion, or burns on the lips and fingers
- Continuing to use despite chest pain, palpitations or a cardiac warning from a clinician
Cocaine addiction treatment in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Benzodiazepines
DSM-5-TR: Sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder
- Where care begins
- Medically supervised withdrawal comes first. Valley Spring Recovery Center refers to detox partners, admits directly after detox discharge, and keeps provider-to-provider communication open with the detox facility so care continues without a gap. Valley Spring does not provide detoxification.
- Medication
- No FDA-approved medication treats sedative, hypnotic, or anxiolytic use disorder. The FDA updated the boxed warning on the whole benzodiazepine class in September 2020 to require a gradual taper when a benzodiazepine is reduced or stopped, because abrupt discontinuation causes withdrawal reactions including seizures. A prescriber supervises that taper. Valley Spring's clinical work is behavioral, and Valley Spring does not supervise withdrawal.
- Levels of care
- Partial Care at ASAM 2.5, Intensive Outpatient at ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient at ASAM 1.5. Partial Care is delivered in person. Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient run in person or virtually by client preference.
Benzodiazepines bind an allosteric site on the GABA-A receptor and amplify inhibitory signaling, which is what makes them effective for anxiety, panic disorder and insomnia and also what makes stopping them dangerous. The FDA's 2020 safety communication states that physical dependence develops when benzodiazepines are taken steadily for days to weeks, even exactly as prescribed, so dependence is not evidence that a person misused the prescription. Call 911 if someone reducing or stopping a benzodiazepine has a seizure or becomes confused.
There are 5 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Needing a higher dose than prescribed to get the same relief from anxiety or insomnia
- Rebound anxiety, insomnia or agitation between doses
- Filling a prescription early, or holding prescriptions from more than one clinician
- Combining a benzodiazepine with alcohol or an opioid for a stronger effect
- Avoiding situations where a dose would not be available
Benzodiazepine addiction treatment in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Marijuana
DSM-5-TR: Cannabis use disorder
- Where care begins
- Direct admission after clinical assessment. Cannabis withdrawal is a recognized DSM-5-TR syndrome and it is uncomfortable rather than medically dangerous, so treatment begins at the assessed level of care.
- Medication
- No FDA-approved medication exists for cannabis use disorder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states there are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of cannabis use disorder or for medically assisted withdrawal. Treatment is behavioral, and the three approaches with evidence behind them are cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and contingency management.
- Levels of care
- Partial Care at ASAM 2.5, Intensive Outpatient at ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient at ASAM 1.5. Partial Care is delivered in person. Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient run in person or virtually by client preference.
Cannabis use disorder is diagnosed on the same 11 DSM-5-TR criteria as every other substance use disorder, and the DSM-5-TR also carries cannabis withdrawal as a separate diagnosis: irritability, sleep difficulty, appetite loss, restlessness and depressed mood in the week after stopping heavy regular use. Withdrawal that reliably ends an attempt to quit is the mechanism that keeps daily use in place, which is why cannabis treatment concentrates on the first two weeks.
There are 4 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Using daily, or first thing in the morning, to feel normal
- Irritability, restlessness and disrupted sleep in the days after stopping
- Losing interest in activities that were previously done without cannabis
- Continuing daily use despite a work, academic or relationship cost
Marijuana addiction treatment in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Stimulants
DSM-5-TR: Stimulant use disorder, amphetamine type
- Where care begins
- Direct admission after clinical assessment. Stimulant withdrawal presents as exhaustion, heavy sleep and depressed mood rather than the seizure risk that alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal carry, so treatment starts at the assessed level of care.
- Medication
- No FDA-approved medication exists for methamphetamine or amphetamine use disorder. The National Institute on Drug Abuse names contingency management as the best-studied behavioral treatment for methamphetamine use disorder, delivered alongside cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and group support.
- Levels of care
- Partial Care at ASAM 2.5, Intensive Outpatient at ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient at ASAM 1.5. Partial Care is delivered in person. Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient run in person or virtually by client preference.
Methamphetamine forces dopamine release and blocks its reuptake, which produces a longer and more intense signal than cocaine does from the same neurotransmitter. Heavy or prolonged use produces psychosis with paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and delusions that persist for months after use stops in some people. Acute stimulant toxicity raises body temperature to a dangerous degree. Call 911 for seizure, chest pain, extreme agitation or a body temperature that keeps climbing, and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for an overdose.
There are 5 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Staying awake for a day or more at a time, then sleeping for an extended period
- Marked weight loss, dental damage or skin sores from picking
- Paranoia or the sense of being watched or followed
- Using a prescribed stimulant at higher doses, or by a route other than the prescribed one
- Continuing use despite a cardiac, dental or psychiatric consequence
Methamphetamine addiction treatment in Norwood, Bergen County, NJ sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Co-occurring conditions
DSM-5-TR: Co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders
- Where care begins
- Direct admission after psychiatric evaluation. New Jersey Mental Health Licence #70420104 is standalone, so a substance use diagnosis is not required for admission to mental health care.
- Medication
- Psychiatric medication is prescribed by the Medical Director, an MD, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner credentialed PMHNP-BC, and it treats the mental health condition rather than the substance use disorder. Where a client is already on buprenorphine or naltrexone, that medication continues alongside psychiatric care rather than being stopped at admission.
- Levels of care
- Mental health treatment runs at Intensive Outpatient, ASAM 2.1, and Outpatient, ASAM 1.5. Partial Care at ASAM 2.5 is licensed under New Jersey Substance Use Licence #200887, so a client who also meets criteria for a substance use disorder can start there.
Valley Spring treats anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, PTSD, trauma and complex trauma, bipolar I and II, ADHD, OCD, borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders alongside substance use, and tracks them with the PHQ-9, the GAD-7 and the PCL-5. Both conditions are treated together from admission rather than sequenced, because treating a substance use disorder while an untreated psychiatric condition drives the use leaves the driver in place. Valley Spring treats adults 18 and older.
There are 4 recognition signs families and clinicians look for:
- Psychiatric symptoms that persist through periods of abstinence
- Using a substance to manage panic, intrusive memories, sleep or mood
- A previous course of treatment that addressed one condition and not the other
- Psychiatric medication started and stopped repeatedly around periods of use
Dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders sets out admissions, insurance verification and what the first week looks like.
Service Area
Where Are MAT Appointments Available in New Jersey?
MAT appointments are held at 830 Broadway in Norwood, Bergen County, and over secure video across New Jersey, with extended-release injections held in person. The Norwood facility sits near the George Washington Bridge with access from the Palisades Interstate Parkway, the Garden State Parkway and the New York State Thruway, and it is reachable by bus routes connecting to regional transit hubs. Transportation assistance is considered case by case. The Vivitrol injection and Brixadi are given in person because each label requires a healthcare provider to prepare and administer it.
What Other Addiction Treatment Programs Does Valley Spring Recovery Center Offer?
MAT is a component of a level of care rather than a level of its own. Partial Care, IOP and Outpatient are the programs the prescription is written inside, and the dual diagnosis track covers a client whose psychiatric medication is managed at the same time.