FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS YOUR NEW PATIENT PROCEDURE?
You take the first step on your path to recovery by contacting us or coming into one of our offices. We typically process admissions on Monday through Friday but will accept patients at other times if deemed medically necessary by a physician. You'll be screened to make sure you meet the clinical and legal criteria for admission. Be prepared to provide us a complete understanding of your medical and substance use history, including any personal, socioeconomic, and legal disruptions that you have experienced. Understand that you will NOT be "judged" for your history of substance use; the more open and honest you are with WTCR staff, the more we can help.
I NEED HELP. CAN I GET ADMITTED TODAY?
Yes, we accept walk-ins. Come as early in the morning as you can. Admitting you the first day takes a while, see above. There's a lot to do to get you ready for a successful treatment episode, but you can do this!
WHEN ARE YOU OPEN?
Click here for our operating hours at each location.
DO YOU OFFER TAKE-HOME MEDICATION PRIVILEGES?
Yes, consistent with legal requirements and only if you participate in your treatment. Take-home medication means prescription methadone or buprenorphine given to you to take home on selected days so that you don't have to come in to the clinic on those days. Providing take-home medication is one of the ways WTCR attempts to meet your individualized needs. We want to provide take-home medication to patients for which it is medically indicated, and complete a thorough review process to determine whether it is appropriate.
AREN'T YOU JUST SWITCHING ONE DRUG FOR ANOTHER?
No. We are firmly opposed to any stigma associated with the use of methadone or buprenorphine. Addiction is a chronic disease, not a state of mind, and we use medications to treat a disease just like other medical practitioners. The scientific evidence in favor of opiate agonist therapy has been piling up for years, see here for examples. In randomized, clinical trials, methadone and buprenorphine have been found to reduce illicit opioid use better than no medication. Methadone and buprenorphine have also been associated with reduced risk of overdose death.
WHY IS COUNSELING SO IMPORTANT TO MY TREATMENT?
We want to help you get better, and the medical evidence and our experience show that neither medication nor counseling alone works as well as both in combination. In order to overcome your OUD you will have to make a major life change. Our counselors help you change how you think, cope, react, and acquire the skills and confidence necessary for recovery. When you participate fully in counseling you are maximizing your chances for success.
HOW DO I PAY FOR TREATMENT?
Initial screening for admission to a WTCR program is free. Treatment fees vary by medication and office location but are reasonable. If you have Medicare or Medicaid, bring your cards with you on your first day, we accept most plans. Your health insurance also may provide coverage for our treatment, or you may qualify for financial assistance or free treatment from a state assistance program. If you can't afford treatment, be assured that we serve all patients regardless of ability to pay. Contact us for more details.
WILL YOU PROTECT MY CONFIDENTIALITY?
At WTCR we take your confidentiality seriously. In general, we will not disclose any of your information to anyone unless you consent in writing, there is a medical emergency, or the disclosure is required under law. You may find it beneficial to involve family or other treatment providers in some aspects of your care; in those cases we will still need a written consent from you before we disclose information.