Addiction Treatment

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The department of Psychiatry at BMC provides robust support for patients with co-occurring addiction and mental health needs across the care continuum. The majority of substance use patients also have co-occurring mental health issues, and many patient relapse and struggle through recovery due to their mental health issues. The Addiction Psychiatry team has expertise in treating patients with co-occurring issues and includes specially trained psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists.  The clinicians utilize both medication management and therapy to support patients through treatment and recovery.

These are Addiction Psychiatry Program services across the care continuum.

  • Outpatient Services: BMC Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic provides medication-management and therapy specialized to meet individual patient’s needs to support addiction and co-occurring mental health issues. Individuals may also seek services of the integrated ABOVE program.
  • Emergency Department: expertise in acute crisis management and evaluation and discharge planning to the appropriate level of care for patients with co-occurring disorders.
  • Inpatient: Consult and Liaison team provides consultation to support medical teams in addressing the needs of patients with co-existing psychiatric, addiction, and medical issues.
  • Community: BMC Psychiatry is the lead agency for emergency service programs across the community and provides support, clinical treatment, resources, and placement for individuals with substance use and psychiatric crises.
  • Education: BMC Psychiatry maintains an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship and trains residents and social work interns in substance use treatment.
  • Research: The Department of Psychiatry has conducted nationally recognized research on substance use that helps inform medication treatment and behavioral therapy options for addictions.  Read more here.
  • Collaboration: Addiction Psychiatry Program collaborates with other addiction programs across BMC, including CATALYST, Faster PATHS, Project Respect, OBAT, and the Addiction Medicine consult service.

OUTPATIENT ABOVE PROGRAM 

Under the Addiction and Behavioral Health Outpatient Recovery (ABOVE) Program, Psychiatry provides robust outpatient services for patients with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs.  The ABOVE program has significant expertise in treating patients with co-occurring disorders.  The clinic’s staff includes addiction-trained Psychiatrists and therapists that specialize in relapse prevention and addiction counseling.  Psychiatrists and therapists partner together to provide psychopharmacology and psychotherapy to meet the individual needs of each patient.  In addition, the ABOVE program offers different group options to provide peer-to-peer support in recovery.

ABOVE program services include:

  • Assessment of Needs and Development of Treatment Plan: All patients referred to the ABOVE program meet with both an addiction Psychiatrist and a therapist to assess the patient’s individual needs and to develop a recovery and treatment plan most appropriate for the patient.
  • Medication Management: Licensed psychiatrists provide medication management for patients depending on need, including buprenorphine (Suboxone).  Psychiatrists provide both individual appointments and shared medical appointments, co-led by a therapist, depending on a patient’s needs.
  • Management for patients with cooccurring disorders: Psychiatrists also provide treatment for patients co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Psychiatrists tailor treatment plans to ensure appropriate medication prescribing to meet both the substance use and mental health needs.
  • Therapy: The ABOVE program strengthens the recovery and treatment process for substance use patients through therapy. Therapists specialize in motivational interviewing, relapse prevention, CBT and substance use counseling.  Therapists offer both individual and group therapy, as appropriate.
  • Access to Immediate Services: To ensure timely response to patient needs, an addiction Psychiatrist and therapist co-lead a weekly intake process to provide access for patients who are interested in treatment. When appropriate, the psychiatrist also provides medication management, such as Suboxone, to bridge patients’ needs as they get established into appropriate treatment.

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