Connecticut Counseling Centers Inc

METHADONE MAINTENANCE TREATMENT

Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc.’s Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programs are comprehensive outpatient substance abuse treatment programs targeted at providing a variety of medical, nursing, psychiatric and counseling services to chronic opiate addicts 18 years and older.  The programs are staffed with licensed and certified counselors, nurses, physicians, psychiatrists, and support staff.  The treatment staff is trained to successfully treat chronic opiate addicts utilizing counseling, education and psychiatry as well as medication therapy.  The medication used is methadone hydrochloride.  The Norwalk, Waterbury and Danbury Methadone Programs are licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and are monitored and evaluated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and are accredited by CARF.

The goals of Methadone Maintenance Treatment are to eliminate the use of opiates as well as the use of other illicit substances such as cocaine.  In addition, a goal for some patients is the reduction or elimination of the use of alcoholic beverages when such use has been diagnosed as problematic.  Treatment plans address lack of employment or under employment, lack of education or job skill training, legal problems, medical problems, and family or marriage related problems.  Patients who have been abstinent for some time and have addressed all areas of their treatment plan will be supported by the medical and counseling staff in reducing their methadone dosage to zero.

The methadone treatment staff also provides specific services to HIV/TB patients, cocaine abusers, pregnant addicts and other support services such as relapse prevention groups, methadone anonymous groups, nursing and medical care, parenting skills training, educational groups, case management and women’s groups to specifically address issues that women wish to discuss and to provide them with mutual support.
A small list of the services we provide are:

• Comprehensive psychosocial assessment
• Initial and yearly medical assessment (physical examination and laboratory testing)
• Medication dispensing
• Drug and alcohol testing
• Identification and treatment of co-occurring disorders and other psychological diagnoses
• Individual, couples, group and family counseling
• Evaluation of interventions to address family and marital problems
• HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing, education, counseling , and referral for care
• Referral for additional services such as housing, employment, skill training, educational services, etc.

Bridge to Recovery

The Bridge to Recovery (BTR) is an innovative treatment initiative designed to increase retention and produce positive treatment outcomes. The initiative provides enhanced services to patients receiving treatment for opioid dependence in the Norwalk and Waterbury Methadone Maintenance Treatment Programs. It was developed collaboratively by both staff and patients at the Norwalk clinic. It is a peer mentoring focused approach which is designed to address the common reasons patients drop out of treatment prematurely; low motivation, lack of a healthy support system and the absence of a therapeutic alliance with the treatment program. The initiative recruits and trains patients who are in long term recovery with medication assisted treatment who desire to help others achieve their own recovery. The mentors meet with patients who are having difficulty maintaining sobriety, missing counseling sessions, and are at risk of dropping out of treatment. In most cases these patients lack a therapeutic connection or alliance with the program and lack motivation to make healthy behavior change. The goal of the initiative is to create a therapeutic alliance between the patient and the treatment program with the peer mentor being the catalyst or “bridge” for the alliance. Hence, the program is called “Bridge to Recovery”.  The program works because the mentors have the ability to quickly form a bond with the patient who lacks one with the program staff. They then extend this alliance to the program counselors. The mentors are literally a “bridge” to connect the non-engaged patient with recovery. The research indicates that the therapeutic relationship between the patient and the treatment provider is the best predictor of treatment success. This initiative helps establish this connection for those who are struggling with their recovery. Outcome studies conducted at Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. following implementation of this innovation have been extremely positive.

The concept of peer mentoring is not new. However, the depth of the training that the mentors receive is. The Peer Mentors attend 300 hours of training in the 8 performance domains of an addictions counselor, the same training accessed by counselors preparing for certification as an addictions counselor. The training also focuses on core counseling techniques relating to establishing the therapeutic alliance and Motivational Interviewing which is designed to increase motivation for healthy behavior change. The mentors attend classes with counselors working towards certification in the Connecticut Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Training Program (CT CADAC Training Program). This exposure has also helped reduce the stigma associated with medication assisted treatment.

The training also provides the peer mentors with a ladder to a career as an addictions counselor. The mentors receive the same training required to become a certified addictions counselor. Following the training, the Peer Mentors are eligible to take the certification exam with the CT Certification Board, Inc. For many, becoming a peer mentor is the first step to becoming a certified addictions counselor and a career in the addictions treatment field. This is not only important for the patient in recovery who desires a career but to the field as a whole. According to the findings of a workgroup convened by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration “The addictions treatment field is facing a crisis. Worker shortages, inadequate compensation, and stigma currently challenge the field. Increasingly, treatment and recovery support providers also struggle with issues related to recruitment, retention, and professional development of staff.” These findings were released in the report “Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce” in December, 2006. Initiatives like the BTR can address these workforce issues by providing an additional portal into the addictions treatment field.

The Bridge to Recovery Program has been recognized by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) as a model program to be replicated at other sites. The Program also received the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, Substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Science and Service Award for demonstrated excellence and innovation in the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders at the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Conference in Las Vegas, NV on April 24, 2012. The SAMHSA national awards program promotes excellence in the treatment of addiction by recognizing programs that have demonstrated implementation of exemplary innovative services, practices, and/or strategies, resulting in improved patient outcomes.

For more information about the “Bridge to Recovery Initiative” contact:
Robert C. Lambert, MA, LADC at 203.838.6508 ext. 238. or [email protected]
Kurt Kemmling, CMA at 209-RECOVER or [email protected]

For more information on the “CT CADAC Training Program” contact Robert C. Lambert, MA, LADC, Director of Academic Affairs at 203.838.6508 ext. 238 or [email protected]

OUTPATIENT WITHDRAWAL PROGRAMS

These programs employ methadone hydrochloride to withdraw patients from heroin and other narcotics. The goal of these programs is to assist narcotic addicts to achieve an abstinent state within six months or less. The patients have a primary counselor who is responsible for treatment planning and weekly individual and group counseling. In addition, a wide range of services is available to patients.

HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND HEPATITIS SERVICES

Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. provides HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis prevention, testing, education and counseling by our Health Educators. Our Health Educators primary task is to provide educational information and materials focusing on immediately eliminating risky behavior and implementing safe sex practices. If a patient wishes, HIV tests will be provided free of charge. The results will be shared with the patient when they are received by our Health Educator. If the tests are positive, a medical treatment plan will be developed to treat and/or refer the patient to clinics and hospitals for medications and medical treatment that our nursing and medical staff cannot provide on an outpatient basis.

Our Waterbury Clinic receives funding under Ryan White Title II for individuals affected or infected by the HIV virus. Under this funding all primary medical care and substance abuse counseling is provided free to qualified individuals.

PREGNANT ADDICT CARE PROGRAMS

Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. provides on-site pre-natal evaluations and health care, patient education and post-partum care for pregnant narcotic addicts. Our Pregnant Addicts Care Liaisons provide direct pre-natal care and coordinates services with local hospital obstetric units. The Liaisons are supervised by a licensed Gynecologist/ Obstetrician or Medical Director. Each pregnant patient is seen on a routine basis by the OB/GYN. This program is designed to provide a wide range of care. Upon the initial visit the OB/GYN takes a complete family, medical, obstetric, social, menstrual and sexual history.

Patient teaching is an integral function of the Liaison. This teaching includes assessment of present nutritional status and instruction in pregnancy diet, the importance of proper rest and exercise, the child birthing process, early baby care and parenting skills. Pregnancy hazards are stressed including the problems of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, caffeine and environmental hazards.

Educational literature on the trimesters of pregnancy, developmental stages of the fetus, detrimental effects of alcohol, drugs and tobacco, nutrition, and lifestyle changes are provided as well as discussed at each visit. Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and other diseases are discussed.

DUAL DIAGNOSIS SERVICES

Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. treatment for the dually diagnosed or those with a co-occurring disorder begins with a proper assessment. Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. is aware of the difficulties in making a dual disorder diagnosis, including the diversity of psychopathology among substance-abusing individuals and the fact that patients rarely volunteer information that would point to a concomitant disorder. Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. understands the complex needs of the dually disordered person and has specific assessment, education and a variety of treatment services available for this type of patient.

INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMS

Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. recognizes that for some patients experiencing alcohol, drug and/or mental health problems there exists a need for more comprehensive outpatient services than are historically offered by outpatient programs. In response to this need Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc. offers this more intensive treatment.

These programs are structured to meet approximately three times weekly for three hours daily. Skilled interventions assist patients in a psycho-educational group setting to take responsibility for all aspects of life and accept that their use of illicit substances has become an addiction and requires treatment.