Fall can be a time of anticipation and transitions, frequently bringing stress with it. Often people seek relief for stress from unhealthy sources, such as medications, that in turn cause more stress and, in some cases, dependence. If you are concerned about your opioid drug use or that of a loved one, the Opioid Addiction and Family Project may be able to help.
The Opioid Addiction and Family Project is designed to provide high-quality, no-cost treatment for adults addicted to opioids, which are chemical substances commonly used for pain relief, such as heroin or oxycodone. The program is a study conducted by researchers at Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) and Harvard Medical School to examine if adding family counseling to individual counseling and recovery medication improves treatment outcomes.
Adults seeking help for an opioid addiction may be eligible for the program if they are between 21 and 65 years old and live with a family member (spouse, intimate partner, parent, or other family member). All participants receive free individual counseling, and half of all participants also receive free family counseling. The counseling consists of 32 sessions over 4-5 months.
Additionally, all participants receive free Naltrexone medication. Naltrexone is an opiate blocker approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid dependence that has been shown to improve treatment outcomes. Counseling sessions take place at CHA’s Central Street Health Center in Somerville, Mass.
For more information, please visit www.cha.harvard.edu/opioid or call the Opioid Addiction and Family Project at Cambridge Health Alliance at (617) 591-6055.
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