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Medication-Assisted Treatment Available

Chautauqua County Behavioral Health Clinics’ mission is to provide a patient centered approach to those in the community who are seeking counseling and other treatments for substance use disorders.

This patient-centered approach includes both counseling and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for the treatment of opioid dependency, the physical and psychological reliance on opioids. Opioids include prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin as well as the illicit drug heroin and synthetic opioids like Fentanyl, and are a group of drugs known for high risks of dependence and addiction.

Medication assisted treatment is the use of anti-craving medications in combination with behavioral therapies and counseling for the treatment of substance use disorders to help address issues related to opioid dependence, including withdrawal, cravings, and relapse prevention. In combination with behavioral therapies, MAT is effective in the treatment of substance use disorders, and can help some people to successfully overcome addiction and maintain long-term recovery.

Two primary medications as treatment options are available at the Chautauqua County Behavioral Health Clinics involving MAT. The first medication is Suboxone (buprenorphine) which is approved by the FDA for medication-assisted treatment of opioid and heroin use disorders. Vivitrol (naltrexone) is the second option to treat heroin and opioid use disorder, in addition to alcohol use disorder. Vivitrol is used to block the opioid receptor and help with cravings for alcohol and opioids.

An interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, mental health therapists, psychiatric nurses, case managers, and credentialed alcohol and substance abuse counselors staff the clinics. Dr. Scott Cunningham supervises medication assisted treatment at each of the behavioral health clinics and has been working at the Chautauqua County Behavioral Health Clinics in both Jamestown and Dunkirk since July of 2017. Dr. Cunningham has been working in the field of addiction medicine for the last ten years. Prior to specialization in addiction medicine, he worked in both family practice and urgent care settings over his twenty years’ experience as a physician.

Those in the community who would like information on medication-assistant treatment can call either of the Chautauqua County Behavioral Health Clinics to make an appointment for an assessment, or in an emergency, stop in for open access services. The Jamestown Clinic can be reached at 661-8330 or call the Dunkirk Clinic at 363-3550. Please reach out to the clinics for further information about services available to the community and schedule an appointment for services.

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