Medication-assisted treatment, commonly called MAT, combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to treat opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. At Compassion Behavioral Health in South Florida, MAT is not a standalone prescription service. It is a clinical tool integrated into CBH’s dual-diagnosis treatment program, prescribed and managed by Dr. Daud, board-certified in both psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the mental health conditions driving the substance use alongside the substance use disorder itself.
The distinction matters. A standalone MAT clinic provides a prescription and a brief check-in. CBH’s MAT program in South Florida provides a prescription alongside individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric medication management for co-occurring mental health conditions, EMDR for trauma-driven substance use, DBT skill building, and the full continuum of care from residential treatment in Hollywood through PHP and IOP in Fort Lauderdale. MAT is one clinical tool among many. It is used when it is the right tool for the individual clinical picture, and it is managed by a psychiatrist who understands both the addiction and the mental health conditions that are present alongside it.
Call 844-503-0126 for a free clinical assessment. Our admissions team will explain how MAT fits into the treatment plan and verify your insurance at no cost.
What Medication-Assisted Treatment Is
Medication-assisted treatment uses specific FDA-approved medications to address the neurological dimensions of opioid and alcohol use disorders that behavioral treatment alone cannot fully reach. Opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder both produce lasting changes in the brain’s reward system, stress response, and impulse control circuitry that create powerful physiological craving states. These craving states are not a matter of willpower or motivation. They are the neurological consequences of sustained substance use, and they represent a clinical target that medication can address directly.
MAT does not replace the psychological and social work of recovery. Research consistently shows that MAT combined with counseling and behavioral therapies produces better outcomes than either approach alone. The medication reduces craving and the physiological pull toward substance use, creating the neurological stability in which the cognitive, emotional, and relational work of therapy can actually take hold. MAT is not trading one addiction for another. It is treating a neurological condition with medicine while simultaneously building the psychological resources that support lasting recovery.
MAT Programs in South Florida: Medications CBH Uses
Buprenorphine (Suboxone) for Opioid Use Disorder
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that reduces opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing the euphoric effects of full opioid agonists. Suboxone, the most commonly prescribed buprenorphine formulation, combines buprenorphine with naloxone, an opioid antagonist that reduces misuse potential. Buprenorphine treatment is one of the most evidence-supported interventions available for opioid use disorder, with research demonstrating significant reductions in illicit opioid use, overdose risk, criminal activity, and HIV transmission.
At CBH in South Florida, buprenorphine is prescribed by Dr. Daud when clinically indicated as part of the comprehensive dual-diagnosis treatment plan. The decision to use buprenorphine is made based on the individual client’s opioid use history, withdrawal severity, prior treatment history, co-occurring mental health conditions, and clinical response. Buprenorphine management at CBH is integrated with individual therapy, psychiatric care for co-occurring conditions, and the full outpatient treatment continuum in Fort Lauderdale.
Naltrexone (Vivitrol) for Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorder
Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the euphoric and reinforcing effects of opioids and alcohol. Vivitrol, the extended-release injectable form of naltrexone, provides a full month of opioid and alcohol blockade from a single injection, eliminating the daily medication adherence challenge that oral naltrexone presents. Naltrexone does not produce physical dependence and carries no abuse potential. It is appropriate for motivated clients who have completed detoxification and who want pharmacological support for maintaining abstinence.
At CBH, Vivitrol is available for eligible clients with opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder who meet the clinical criteria for naltrexone treatment. The monthly injection is managed by the medical team and coordinated with the ongoing therapy and psychiatric care throughout the PHP and IOP levels at the Fort Lauderdale facility.
Acamprosate and Disulfiram for Alcohol Use Disorder
Acamprosate reduces the protracted withdrawal symptoms, particularly anxiety and dysphoria, that contribute to alcohol relapse in the weeks and months after acute detoxification. Disulfiram produces an unpleasant reaction when combined with alcohol, creating a pharmacological deterrent to drinking. Both medications are available at CBH when clinically indicated as adjuncts to the primary therapeutic and psychiatric work of alcohol use disorder treatment in South Florida.
MAT Program in South Florida: How It Fits Within CBH’s Dual Diagnosis Model
CBH’s MAT program in South Florida is not a prescription service. It is a component of a comprehensive dual-diagnosis treatment plan built around the recognition that most opioid and alcohol use disorders are driven by co-occurring mental health conditions that require simultaneous treatment.
When a client enters CBH’s South Florida MAT program, the medication decision is made after a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation that identifies every co-occurring mental health condition. PTSD, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are the most common mental health conditions co-occurring with opioid and alcohol use disorder in CBH’s client population. The treatment plan addresses the mental health condition with the same clinical seriousness as the substance use disorder, using MAT as a neurological stabilization tool that creates the conditions in which the psychiatric and therapeutic work can be effective.
A client on buprenorphine for opioid use disorder at CBH is not just getting a prescription. They are getting individual therapy with EMDR for the PTSD driving the opioid use, group therapy building DBT skills for emotional regulation, psychiatric medication management for the depression or anxiety that co-occurs with the opioid use disorder, and the clinical oversight of a board-certified psychiatrist and addiction psychiatrist who manages both the MAT and the broader mental health picture simultaneously.
Medication-Assisted Treatment in Florida: CBH’s South Florida Locations
CBH’s MAT program is available across both South Florida facilities under the same clinical team and the same prescribing psychiatrist.
Medical Detox and Residential, Hollywood, FL
Buprenorphine is initiated during medical detox in Hollywood when clinically indicated for opioid withdrawal management. The decision to continue buprenorphine as ongoing MAT versus tapering to abstinence is made in collaboration with the client during residential treatment, based on clinical response, co-occurring mental health factors, and the client’s goals and preferences. Dr. Daud oversees all MAT decisions and prescriptions throughout the residential stay in Hollywood.
PHP and IOP, Fort Lauderdale, FL
MAT continues at the outpatient level in Fort Lauderdale for clients for whom ongoing medication support is part of the clinical plan. Buprenorphine prescriptions and Vivitrol injections are managed at CBH’s Fort Lauderdale facility alongside the PHP and IOP programming. Medication management appointments are coordinated with the therapy schedule to minimize disruption to the client’s daily programming. The same psychiatrist who managed MAT during residential continues prescribing and monitoring at the outpatient level with no handoff to a separate MAT provider.
Why MAT at CBH Is Different from Standalone MAT Clinics in South Florida
South Florida has a large number of standalone MAT clinics and Suboxone prescribers. The clinical difference between a standalone MAT clinic and CBH’s MAT program is the difference between a prescription and a treatment plan.
A standalone MAT clinic provides a buprenorphine or methadone prescription and typically a brief weekly or monthly check-in. For clients whose opioid use disorder is the only clinical issue and whose support system and daily functioning are intact, this model can be effective. For clients with co-occurring PTSD, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder, with disrupted family systems, with trauma histories that are driving the substance use at the neurological level, a prescription without a comprehensive treatment plan addresses only one dimension of a multi-dimensional clinical picture.
At CBH in South Florida, MAT is prescribed by a dual-specialty psychiatrist who is also treating the mental health conditions that co-occur with the substance use disorder. The therapy team that provides individual and group therapy is the same team managing the full treatment plan alongside the medication. The MAT does not exist in isolation from the rest of the clinical work. It is integrated into a treatment program built specifically around the reality that the mental health condition and the substance use disorder are connected, and that both require treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions: Medication-Assisted Treatment in South Florida
Does CBH offer medication-assisted treatment in South Florida?
Yes. CBH offers medication-assisted treatment in South Florida as part of its comprehensive dual-diagnosis addiction treatment program. MAT is available at CBH’s Hollywood residential and detox facility and at its Fort Lauderdale PHP and IOP outpatient programs. Medications, including buprenorphine (Suboxone) for opioid use disorder and naltrexone (Vivitrol) for opioid and alcohol use disorder, are prescribed and managed by Dr. Daud, board-certified in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. Call 844-503-0126 for a free clinical assessment.
Are there MAT programs in South Florida?
Yes. CBH operates MAT programs in South Florida at its Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale facilities. CBH’s MAT program differs from standalone MAT clinics in that the medication is integrated into a comprehensive dual-diagnosis treatment plan that simultaneously addresses the mental health conditions co-occurring with the substance use disorder. MAT at CBH is one component of a full treatment program that includes individual therapy, group therapy, EMDR, psychiatric medication management, and the complete residential and outpatient continuum. Call 844-503-0126 for more information.
What medications are used in MAT programs in Florida?
The primary medications used in MAT programs in Florida for opioid use disorder are buprenorphine, most commonly as Suboxone, and naltrexone, most commonly as Vivitrol, the extended-release injectable form. For alcohol use disorder, naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are the primary MAT medications. At CBH, all MAT medication decisions are made by Dr. Daud based on the individual client’s clinical presentation, substance use history, co-occurring mental health conditions, and treatment goals.
What is the difference between MAT and a Suboxone clinic?
A Suboxone clinic primarily provides buprenorphine prescriptions with minimal accompanying clinical support. CBH’s MAT program in South Florida provides buprenorphine as one component of a comprehensive dual-diagnosis treatment plan that includes individual therapy, psychiatric care for co-occurring mental health conditions, group therapy, EMDR for trauma-driven substance use, and the full continuum of care from residential through IOP. The psychiatrist who prescribes the MAT is the same psychiatrist treating the client’s mental health conditions throughout the entire treatment program.
Is MAT available during residential treatment at CBH?
Yes. Buprenorphine-based MAT is available during CBH’s residential program in Hollywood when clinically indicated. MAT initiation during residential detox is managed by Dr. Daud with 24/7 clinical oversight. The decision to continue MAT after residential or to taper toward abstinence is made collaboratively with the client during residential treatment, based on clinical response and individualized treatment goals. MAT continues seamlessly into PHP and IOP at the Fort Lauderdale facility with the same prescribing psychiatrist.
Does insurance cover MAT in South Florida?
Yes. Most commercial insurance plans cover medication-assisted treatment under the federal mental health parity law. CBH is in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Optum, Curative, TRICARE East, and the VA. MAT medications, including buprenorphine and naltrexone, are typically covered under pharmacy benefits when prescribed within a licensed treatment program. Our admissions team verifies benefits at no cost before any decisions are made. Call 844-503-0126 for a free benefits verification.
Is MAT the same as replacing one addiction with another?
No. This is one of the most common misconceptions about medication-assisted treatment. FDA-approved MAT medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone are not substitutes for illicit opioid use. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist that stabilizes the opioid receptor system at a level that eliminates withdrawal and reduces craving without producing euphoria at therapeutic doses. Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors entirely. Both medications are prescribed as part of a clinical treatment plan, managed by a physician, and combined with therapy and behavioral health support. Research consistently shows MAT reduces overdose deaths, improves treatment retention, and supports long-term recovery.
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MAT Programs in South Florida: CBH Is Taking New Admissions
If you or someone you love is in South Florida and dealing with opioid or alcohol use disorder, and you want to know whether medication-assisted treatment is the right clinical tool for your situation, CBH’s South Florida MAT program provides the most clinically comprehensive answer available in the region.
Not a prescription and a monthly check-in. A prescription managed by a dual-specialty psychiatrist as one component of a full dual-diagnosis treatment program that also addresses the depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health condition driving the substance use. At both CBH’s Hollywood residential facility and Fort Lauderdale PHP and IOP programs. With the same clinical team at every level.
Call 844-503-0126 now. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are completely confidential. Insurance verified at no cost. Stories change here.