Victor* had just celebrated two years sober. His battle with heroin addiction wasn’t easy, but he was doing everything he could to remain sober. A few months later, when he relapsed, Victor was devastated. Victor took this as his sign that he needed to make a change. In seeking out treatment options, he chose The Jewish Board’s Brooklyn Connected Care (BCC) program, part of The Seymour Askin Counseling Center. This is his story.
A Long Journey With Addiction
Victor, 30, had struggled with addiction since he was a teenager. Though he had completed several inpatient drug treatment programs, his bouts of sobriety never lasted for more than a few years at a time. After a period of sobriety, Victor’s relapse with heroin was followed by an overdose with complications of pneumonia and kidney function. Thankfully, he pulled through after overdose and sought out Brooklyn Connected Care, where we specialize in addressing trauma, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and other emotional health issues by providing inclusive, respectful, and culturally affirming care, including psychiatric evaluations, medication management, group therapy, and medication-assisted treatment.
Approaching This Relapse Differently
The team at Brooklyn Connected Care knew they had to approach this relapse differently and treat Victor’s depression to give him the best chance for sustained sobriety. After conducting a thorough history, the BCC team felt he would be a good candidate for Medication-Assisted Treatment, also known as MAT. MAT allows for the use of specific medications (like Suboxone and Methadone) in combination with counseling and psychosocial support to help treat clients with substance misuse and prevent overdose. People undergoing MAT can expect to feel better within 30 – 45 minutes of their first treatment.
A Successful Induction
In coordination with the medical team, psychiatric team, and clinical team, Victor was scheduled for induction within a few days of his evaluation. Induction refers to the first 1-3 days of medicated treatment and requires attention to detail on both the part of the client and the medical team. During this process, our dedicated nursing staff monitored and constantly assessed Victor’s pain levels and vitals, etc. After a successful induction, weekly sessions with the MAT providers were scheduled while Victor reached a therapeutic dose of suboxone to help with any withdrawal symptoms and reduce any cravings.
Victor was able to open up to one of our therapists, who created a safe environment for him to explore the feelings and triggers that resulted in him wanting to use. He was able to express times when he didn’t feel like he was “enough,” re-route those negative thought patterns and choose a new outlet.
A Holistic Approach to Long-Term Sobriety
Teamwork and a holistic approach to care were critical in making Victor’s treatment successful. Our staff realized they needed to be flexible to support Victor – his nurse switched her remote day to an in-person day to directly manage Victor’s care, and our psychiatric nurse practitioner came in on a day she wasn’t even scheduled to oversee the process. We also had support from our on-site pharmacy partner, Genoa Pharmacy, who ensured all necessary medications would be available for the induction.
Today, Victor continues his recovery. He has not reported a relapse and is attending his MAT sessions, therapy, and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) regularly. Victor has expressed so much gratitude and love for his team at Brooklyn Connected Care and knows he wouldn’t have gotten to such a healthy place without their support and compassion.
*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.
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