MAT addiction treatment pairs a medication that steadies cravings or withdrawal with counseling, so you're treating both the body and the habits around use. It's most often used for opioid and alcohol use, and a licensed prescriber decides what fits you after an assessment. Enhance Health Group in Tustin walks you through that choice and the level of care around it.
If you're thinking about suicide or in immediate danger, call or text 988 right now, and call 911 for an overdose or any medical emergency.
How MAT addiction treatment works with counseling
The medication and the counseling do different jobs, and you'll usually start both at once. A prescriber, such as a licensed psychiatrist, reviews your history, your current use, and any other medications you take. They then decide whether a medication makes sense and which one. Counseling begins alongside that, so you're building new coping skills while the cravings or withdrawal symptoms are easier to manage.
Therapy at Enhance often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). CBT helps you spot the thoughts and situations that lead to use. DBT gives you skills for handling strong emotions without reaching for a substance. Both are practiced in sessions with a licensed therapist, one to one, and family sessions can be added when a partner or parent would help.
Here's what the first stretch usually looks like:
- 1You complete an assessment that covers substance use, mental health symptoms, and medical history.
- 2A prescriber talks through medication options and answers your questions before anything starts.
- 3You and your care team choose the level of care that fits, and you begin counseling.
- 4The prescriber checks in on how the medication is working and adjusts the plan when needed.
Many people also live with anxiety, depression, or trauma alongside substance use. When that's true, the plan treats both together. This is called dual diagnosis care, and it matters because untreated depression or panic can pull someone back toward drinking or drugs even when the medication is working.
Medication is one part of the plan, not a replacement for therapy, and your team will tell you how long they expect to use it based on how you respond. You can ask the prescriber about side effects, how it interacts with other prescriptions, and what happens if you want to stop.
Substances and situations where medication helps
Opioids and alcohol are the two substances where medication has the clearest role. For opioids, a prescriber may use buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone to ease withdrawal and quiet cravings. For alcohol, options include naltrexone and acamprosate. The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes these medications and how each one works, and your prescriber will explain which fits your history.
Other substances are different. Stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine don't have an approved medication that works the same way, so counseling and a structured program carry most of the load. A prescriber may still treat the anxiety, depression, or sleep problems that come with stimulant use, and that can make the counseling easier to stick with.
Certain situations make medication worth asking about:
- 1You've tried to stop on your own and cravings or withdrawal pulled you back.
- 2You've had a relapse after a stretch of sobriety and want more support this time.
- 3Anxiety, depression, or trauma symptoms are driving the use.
- 4Withdrawal is physically hard, which is a reason to talk about detox first.
That last one matters for safety. Detox and addiction residential care happen at Embrace Treatment Center (embracetreatment.com), a sister facility of Enhance, and admissions at Enhance is still your first call. Many people move from detox into a day program in Tustin and continue medication there. You can read about how that step works on our partial hospitalization program page.
Bring a full list of what you take, including over-the-counter products and supplements. Some medications interact, and your prescriber can only choose well with the whole picture.
Levels of care that can surround medication treatment
Medication can be paired with outpatient, intensive outpatient, or a day program, and the right setting depends on how much structure you need around it. The prescriber's plan stays the same in spirit while the amount of daily support changes.
A partial hospitalization program (PHP) in Tustin is the most structured option where you still sleep at home or in supported living. It fits someone who needs several hours of treatment a day and close contact with a care team but doesn't need a residential stay. An intensive outpatient program (IOP) steps down from that, with fewer sessions that leave more room for work, school, or family. Ask admissions how many days and hours each program asks of you, since the schedule is set when you enroll.
Outpatient care is the lightest level, and it's offered by video through virtualtreatmentcenter.com. People often choose it after a higher level of care, or when work and parenting make daily attendance hard.
If withdrawal is severe, or home isn't a safe place to start, a residential setting may fit better. For mental health inpatient care, Eden by Enhance (edenbyenhance.com) is a sister facility, and Enhance admissions can explain how a referral works.
Levels aren't a one-way staircase. Someone might begin in PHP, move to IOP, and return to a higher level if cravings spike. Your team reviews that as you go, and they'll tell you what they're seeing and why they suggest a change.
Our clinicians can also help you check how your plan treats each level. Benefits vary by plan, so ask admissions to verify yours through our insurance verification page before you decide.
What happens when you call admissions
A member of the Tustin admissions team picks up and starts with simple questions about what you're dealing with. Expect to be asked what substance you're using, how long, and whether you've tried to stop before. They'll also ask about any mental health symptoms, such as anxiety or low mood, and which medications you take now. You don't need perfect answers. Rough ones are enough to point you toward the right level of care.
It helps to have a few things nearby when you dial (714) 862-1907:
Your insurance card, so the team can look up your plan.
A list of current prescriptions, including over-the-counter products.
The name of any doctor or therapist you've seen recently.
Admissions then contacts your insurance company directly. They check what your plan may cover, then explain your deductible, your copay, and which levels of care the plan may include. If you want to go forward, you move through admissions from there, and the clinical assessment with a prescriber comes next. Medication decisions are made by that prescriber, not on the phone, so nobody will ask you to commit to a drug during the first call.
You can also ask questions you haven't had a chance to raise anywhere else. People often ask whether they'll have to stop working, what happens if they're nervous about taking medication, and whether a family member can take part. Say what's worrying you, and the team will answer in plain terms or tell you who can.
If you'd rather not talk first, the form on the admissions page does the same job, and the team follows up with you. Your information is kept private either way.
Talking with someone you love about medication
The most common worry is that taking medication means swapping one drug for another, so expect to hear that fear before anything else. You can answer it with what you know. A prescriber chooses the medication after an assessment, it's paired with counseling, and the person can ask about side effects, other prescriptions, and what happens if they want to stop.
Pick a time when neither of you is tired, angry, or in the middle of a crisis. Start with what you've seen and how you feel, not with a verdict. "I've noticed you've been trying to quit and it's been rough, and I'm worried about you" lands better than "You need to start treatment." Then ask what they think would help, and let them answer before you offer ideas.
Some people say no the first time. Don't push for a decision in that conversation. Offer to sit with them while they ask questions, or to make the call together. Many families find it easier when one person handles the logistics, like finding the insurance card and writing down current prescriptions, so the person using doesn't have to carry every step.
You can also join in. When it would help, a partner or parent can take part in family therapy sessions, and you're welcome to ask admissions how that works. They'll explain what your loved one decides to share and what stays private.
If your loved one is ready to talk, or you just want to ask how this works before you bring it up, call Enhance admissions at (714) 862-1907. The Tustin team verifies benefits and explains what your plan may cover, and you can start the conversation yourself even if your loved one isn't on the line yet.
Common Questions
Do I have to stop using before I start medication?
You don't need to quit on your own first, and for alcohol especially, stopping suddenly at home can be physically risky. Tell admissions what you're using now and how recently. The prescriber looks at where you are during the assessment and decides when a medication can start safely. Come as you are, even if that's in the middle of use.
Does taking medication mean I'm not really in recovery?
No. A medication your prescriber chooses and monitors is part of treatment, much like medication for depression or anxiety. Recovery is measured by how your life is going, such as fewer cravings, steadier mood, and stronger relationships. If a friend or relative says otherwise, you can ask your prescriber to explain why the medication is in your plan.
Will my employer or friends find out I'm in treatment?
Your information is kept private, and sessions are confidential. Before you enroll, ask admissions who can see your records and what you'd be asked to sign if you want a partner or parent involved. If work is the concern, ask how different levels of care fit around a job. Telling your employer is your decision.
Is Enhance in network with my insurance, and is it accredited?
Enhance is in network with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, Optum, United Healthcare, Blue Shield of California, MHN, Health Net, Ambetter, Multiplan, CalPERS, and Covered California. Enhance is also accredited by The Joint Commission. Admissions checks your own plan so you hear what applies to you before you commit to anything.
