Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) at Vive Treatment Centers uses FDA-approved medication to control cravings and withdrawal, paired with therapy and psychiatric care in the same program. We provide MAT for opioid use disorder using Suboxone and for alcohol use disorder using Vivitrol, integrated directly into our Intensive Outpatient Program so medication and counseling work together. A psychiatrist manages your medication and any co-occurring mental health condition in one coordinated plan. We accept all major Insurance.
What medication-assisted treatment is
Medication-assisted treatment combines medication with counseling and behavioral therapy to treat substance use disorders, rather than relying on either alone. The medication does a specific job: it stabilizes the brain chemistry that addiction disrupts, quiets cravings, and takes withdrawal off the table, which is what makes it possible to do the therapeutic work that keeps recovery going. MAT is not replacing one drug with another and it is not a shortcut. It is the approach with the strongest evidence behind it for opioid and alcohol dependence, and it works best when the medication and the therapy happen in the same place, on the same plan.
The medications we use
We use two FDA-approved medications, matched to what you are recovering from.
- Suboxone (buprenorphine) for opioid use disorder. Suboxone controls opioid cravings and prevents withdrawal without producing a high when taken as prescribed. It lets you stabilize and stay in treatment while living at home, working, and rebuilding routine. A psychiatrist manages your dose and adjusts it as you progress.
- Vivitrol (injectable naltrexone) for alcohol use disorder. Vivitrol is a once-monthly injection that reduces alcohol cravings. Because it is monthly, there is no daily pill to remember, and you receive it while participating in the same IOP treatment. It works by blocking the reward alcohol produces, which makes staying abstinent more manageable.
If you are not sure which applies to you, or you are dealing with both, a psychiatrist sorts it out during your assessment.
Suboxone treatment for opioid addiction
Suboxone is the core of our opioid MAT because it addresses the two things that drive opioid relapse: cravings and the fear of withdrawal. Starting it involves timing, since it works best begun in early withdrawal, and our clinical team walks you through exactly when to take the first dose. Once you are on a stable dose, the daily emergency of chasing a drug is gone, and the cravings that pull people back fade into the background. You take it as an outpatient, managed by a psychiatrist, alongside the group and individual therapy that addresses why the use started. Staying on Suboxone is strongly protective against overdose, which is why we do not rush anyone off it.
Vivitrol for alcohol addiction
Vivitrol gives people recovering from alcohol dependence a once-monthly option that removes the daily decision to take a medication. The injection reduces cravings by blocking the reward drinking produces, so the pull toward a drink is weaker while you do the rest of the work. You receive it during your IOP treatment, and a psychiatrist monitors how you respond and coordinates it with any medication for a co-occurring condition. For people whose drinking is tangled up with anxiety or depression, treating both in one plan is what makes the medication hold.
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Why MAT is not what its reputation says
The biggest barrier to medication-assisted treatment is a myth: that taking medication means you are not really sober, or that you have swapped one dependence for another. That belief keeps people away from the treatment most likely to save their lives. The reality is that opioid and alcohol addiction change brain chemistry in ways willpower alone rarely overcomes, and medication corrects that chemistry so the rest of recovery becomes possible. Nobody calls insulin a crutch for diabetes. Suboxone and Vivitrol work the same way, treating a medical condition with a medical tool, while therapy does the work medication cannot. Judging MAT by stigma instead of evidence is how people end up choosing the harder path and losing.
How MAT fits into treatment here
MAT at Vive is not a standalone prescription; it is built into our Intensive Outpatient Program. You attend three-hour sessions, three to five days a week, in daytime or evening tracks, and receive your medication as part of that program rather than from a separate clinic. Group therapy, individual counseling, and family sessions run alongside the medication, and a psychiatrist manages everything on one plan. This integration is the point: medication controls the cravings so you can show up for therapy, and therapy addresses the reasons behind the use so the medication is not doing the job alone. Because everything runs on one plan under one psychiatrist, there is no gap between the clinic that prescribes and the counselor who treats you, which is where care often falls apart when MAT is handled separately from therapy.
Insurance and cost
We are in-network with Aetna, Cigna, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield including the Federal Employee Program, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and Tricare, and we work with most other commercial plans. Most cover MAT with prior authorization; your out-of-pocket depends on your deductible and coinsurance. Send the verification form and our team confirms your benefits before your first visit, so cost is clear before treatment starts.
Frequently asked questions
What does MAT treat?
At Vive, MAT treats opioid use disorder with Suboxone and alcohol use disorder with Vivitrol. Both are provided inside our Intensive Outpatient Program alongside therapy and psychiatric care.
Is MAT just replacing one addiction with another?
No. Medication like Suboxone, taken as prescribed under medical supervision, stabilizes brain chemistry without the intoxication and withdrawal cycle that defines addiction. It is a controlled medical treatment, not continued use.
Is Vivitrol considered MAT?
Yes. Vivitrol, injectable naltrexone, is an FDA-approved medication for alcohol use disorder, and using it alongside counseling is medication-assisted treatment.
Do I get MAT and therapy in the same place?
Yes. That is the design. You receive your medication as part of the same Intensive Outpatient Program where you do group and individual therapy, all managed by one psychiatrist-led team.
How long do I stay on the medication?
It depends on the medication and your progress. Suboxone in particular is often continued longer term because staying on it protects against relapse and overdose. A psychiatrist reviews it with you rather than setting an arbitrary end date.
Does insurance cover MAT?
Most commercial plans cover MAT with prior authorization. We are in-network with Aetna, Cigna, CareFirst, UnitedHealthcare, and Tricare, and verify your benefits before you start.
Does a doctor manage the medication?
Yes. Vive was founded by a board-certified addiction psychiatrist, and a psychiatrist manages your medication and any co-occurring mental health condition on the same plan.
