CleanSlate Blog

For Virginia, fatal overdoses have been the leading cause of death since 2013. Opioids comprise more than three-fourths of these deaths.

One of the Virginian cities hit hardest by the opioid epidemic is Norfolk. The city ranks fourth in Virginia for overdoses, has a higher overdose rate than the national average, and has continued to experience increasing overdose deaths over the last several years.

“There’s no shortage of drugs in Norfolk, prescription or otherwise,” said Brian Coonan, Regional Director of Operations in Virginia. “The availability of medication-assisted treatment should be proportional. Norfolk residents deserve greater access to affordable, evidence-based addiction treatment, with the option of immediate walk-in visits when a patient is ready to take action.”

To address this need, CleanSlate is opening an outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT) center in Norfolk. The center will be embedded within the Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center at 160 Kingsley Lane, Suite 1A, and opens its doors to patients on June 12th.  

More than 15 million Americans  - and more than 623,000 people between the ages of 12 and 18 years old - suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Understanding the early warning signs of alcohol dependence is critical to preventing AUD. 

How can you recognize these warning signs?

Amongst the many barriers that separate people with addiction from life-saving treatment is this: insurance.

In most parts of the country, evidence-based addiction treatment is scarce. Even scarcer are high-quality treatment providers that accept public or private insurance. This shortage forces people into miserable choices: use cash to pay for treatment, which can become costly; drive long distances to providers that do accept coverage; or try to survive with low-quality treatment...or none at all.

Such is the dilemma in Greencastle, Indiana. Local providers don’t accept insurance, and the nearest providers that do are an hour away, in Indianapolis.

Until now.  

CleanSlate, a national provider of outpatient addiction medicine, has opened a new medication-assisted treatment (MAT) center in Greencastle, located at 833 Indianapolis Road, Suite E.

We know that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) saves lives. So why is it used by only a fraction of people with opioid use disorder (OUD)?

It’s a question that bedevils experts.

The evidence is clear: outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are vastly improved when they’re on medication-assisted therapy. OUD is a chronic brain disease that changes the structure of the brain. Simply stopping cold turkey is excruciating and mostly unsuccessful.

The three FDA-approved medications normalize brain structure and function, reducing cravings, significantly decreasing risk of relapse, preventing overdoses, and helping to prevent infectious diseases like HIV.

MAT has been effective in every treatment setting where it has been studied. Echoing the position of many other major health bodies, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine asserts, “To stem the opioid crisis, it is critical for all FDA-approved options to be available for all people with opioid use disorder.”

But as the opioid epidemic rages on, a great majority of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) don’t receive MAT.

Most people receive no treatment of any kind at all.

May is National Military Appreciation Month, when Americans are asked to recognize current and former U.S. service members as a symbol of unity. The observation culminates in Memorial Day, when we honor those who died in the pursuit of freedom.

But veterans are suffering on the opioid battlefield at home in far greater numbers than on any battlefield overseas.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans and service members of all ages are disproportionately afflicted with opioid use disorder (OUD). The VA estimates that 68,000 veterans are addicted to opioids, a threefold increase in 15 years. They’re ten times more likely than the general public to abuse opioids and twice as likely to overdose.

Addressing the opioid epidemic as it relates to the active duty and veteran population comes with added complications. This includes the stigma that service members worry about when they seek help within the insular military community.

More than 43 million Americans live with a mental illness. Sometimes, people cope with more than just one mental illness.

One of those 43.8 million people may be you.

Mental Health Month, observed throughout May, calls attention to the stereotype of mental illness projected by our society. It's the “crazy” homeless person mumbling to himself, or the seemingly out of control person who should obviously be committed.

Right?

Sure, those are the displays of mental illness that are easier to observe. But hiding in plain sight is the “perfect” carpool mom secretly struggling with depression. Or the star male athlete suffering from an eating disorder. Or the “easygoing” friend who doesn’t tell you he’s crippled by anxiety.

How many lives must be lost to suicide before we realize that mental illness is a pervasive problem? 

National Drug Court Month, observed throughout May, may seem insignificant to those who don’t understand the critical role that drug courts play in our society. But drug courts symbolize an approach to addiction that has been quietly revolutionary.

What exactly do drug courts do?

In short, drug courts leverage the judicial system to keep people engaged in treatment long enough to be successful.

What this means to individuals and society at large is extraordinary. Drug courts have proven to be places of hope, helping people repair their lives, reconnect with their families and engage in long-term recovery. Tears of joy often take place within the walls of drug courts, as people graduate from programs and pivot to becoming productive citizens.

Far from being bureaucratic drudgeries, drug courts have become one of the most successful strategies for cutting crime and saving both lives and tax dollars.

People with addiction to opioids and other substances face stigma at every turn.

Now imagine what it’s like when someone is pregnant while dealing with an addiction. It’s no wonder that so many expecting women hide their addiction instead of getting help.

Many pregnant women are afraid and embarrassed to seek treatment for addiction to opioids or other substances. This only makes things worse for mothers and their unborn babies.

If you’re pregnant and addicted to drugs or alcohol, here’s a Mother’s Day message of support:

There is hope for you and your baby, and progress with your recovery can be quicker than you might expect.

As with so much of the country, the toll of the opioid epidemic in Greenwood, Indiana is outpacing the number of high-quality medication-assisted treatment (MAT) providers who are available to treat patients suffering from addiction.

Johnson County ranks 13th among counties in Indiana for opioid overdoses, and Greenwood is the largest city in the county. But MAT treatment has lagged, with limited providers in the area forcing many patients to travel long distances. Many of the providers in the market who do prescribe buprenorphine and naltrexone operate substandard practices and accept cash only.

That’s why CleanSlate is proud to join forces with Valle Vista Health System to integrate medication treatment with mental health and addiction treatment services for residents of Greenwood and the surrounding areas. The new center is located on the Valle Vista campus at 65 Airport Parkway in Greenwood.

This week, the state of Ohio has been observing a Week of Appreciation to Honor Heroes Fighting the Opioid Epidemic.

We at CleanSlate know a thing or two about the frontlines of Ohio’s opioid epidemic. CleanSlate operates three outpatient treatment centers for opioid and other substance addictions in Ohio; in Springfield, Lewis Center, and Columbus. A fourth Ohio center in Dayton is scheduled to open at the end of May. 

But we don’t think of ourselves as heroes. Warriors for Hope, yes. But heroes?

That would be our patients.