Opioid treatment in a Brooklyn inpatient setting runs in three connected stages. Medically supervised detox manages withdrawal. Medication-assisted treatment reduces cravings using FDA approved medication, and residential rehab addresses the patterns that drove the use. All three stages stay in one Coney Island building at an accredited inpatient addiction treatment center, which means no transfer to a second provider partway through.
Nursing staff are on the unit around the clock during detox, and Medical Director Dr. Ramsey Joudeh oversees the medical side of that stage. The program is DEA-authorized for medication-assisted treatment and holds CARF Three-Year Accreditation on both its detox and residential programs. The stage most people underestimate is the third one, and skipping it is the most common reason a successful detox does not hold.
What happens during medically supervised opioid detox
Withdrawal from opioids is rarely life-threatening the way alcohol withdrawal can be. It is punishing enough that most people attempting it alone stop before it finishes. Nausea, muscle pain, insomnia, anxiety and intense craving stack up over several days, and the craving is what usually ends the attempt. Medical supervision changes that equation by treating the symptoms directly rather than asking anyone to endure them.
Nursing staff monitor symptoms throughout, and the medical team adjusts medication as the picture changes. Early in detox, that picture changes hour to hour. The opioid detox timeline depends on the substance, how long it has been used and the person's health. The medical team sets it during treatment rather than quoting a number in advance. Anyone promising a fixed detox length before examining a patient is guessing. What we can say plainly is that detox is the medical foundation of opioid treatment, not the treatment itself.
How medication-assisted treatment works and which medications are used
Medication-assisted treatment pairs an FDA approved medication with counseling, and both halves are required. The medication reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms enough that a person can engage with therapy instead of spending every session white-knuckling. The counseling does the work the medication cannot. Treating MAT as a prescription handed over at discharge misses the point of it entirely.
Which medication fits depends on a clinical evaluation, not a formula. The medical team weighs the substance history, how recently the last use occurred, co-occurring conditions and what has or has not worked before.
Dosing and suitability are decided by our medical team for each patient. The table describes general use, not a recommendation for any individual.
Why detox alone does not treat opioid addiction
A person who completes detox and goes home has resolved the physical dependence and none of the circumstances around it. The same apartment, the same contacts, the same stress and the same untreated anxiety are all still there. Tolerance has also dropped, which makes returning to previous quantities genuinely dangerous. Relapse risk after an isolated detox is high enough that treating it as a complete intervention is a clinical mistake. Support during withdrawal is only the opening stage of the plan.
Residential care is where the other work happens, and it covers ground detox cannot reach.
- Identifying the triggers. Counseling maps what preceded the use rather than treating the use in isolation.
- Treating what sits underneath. Depression, anxiety and trauma get addressed instead of waiting.
- Building relapse prevention. Strategies are practised during the stay, not described at discharge.
- Repairing the people around it. Family counseling brings the household into the plan.
- Arranging what comes next. The discharge plan is built across weeks rather than hours.
Residential rehab is what converts a detox into a treatment episode. Over an average stay of 21 to 28 days, patients work through individual, group and family counseling. Cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care run alongside it. Program Director Vincent Marchese, who holds an MSW from Fordham University and an Advanced CASAC, runs the program structure. Relapse prevention, life skills and recovery coaching sit alongside 12-step support through AA and NA. Patients who need continued MAT keep it through the residential stage and into discharge.
Wondering whether detox, medication-assisted treatment, and residential rehab fit your situation? Call Surfpoint Recovery at (646) 347-1893. Our intake team will explain what the clinical evaluation involves, answer your questions about Suboxone or Vivitrol, and verify your insurance for free. Nothing about the call commits you to admission.
How co-occurring conditions change the opioid treatment plan
A psychiatric evaluation happens within 24 hours of rehab admission. For opioid patients it frequently surfaces depression, anxiety or a trauma history predating the substance use. Where both are present, dual diagnosis treatment addresses them together. Treating the opioid dependence while leaving a panic disorder untouched produces a predictable result. The patient completes the program, then relapses into the same self-medication pattern within weeks.
Assistant Medical Director Joseph Turkel and the clinical team build the medication and therapy plan from that evaluation rather than from a standard template. Where a mental health condition needs ongoing management, it goes into the discharge plan alongside continued medication-assisted treatment. Both pieces of care then have somewhere to go. Discharge planning begins on day one here, which gives several weeks to arrange the handoff properly instead of scrambling in the final 48 hours.
What opioid treatment costs and how coverage gets confirmed
Cost depends on the plan and the level of care, which is why we verify coverage before admission at no charge. We accept all major Medicaid plans including Healthfirst, MetroPlus, Fidelis Care, Molina and Wellcare, along with Medicare, select commercial insurance plans and self-payment. For patients covered by Medicaid or Medicare, the out-of-pocket figure is frequently far lower than people assume before they call.
The verification happens before you commit to anything. Our intake team confirms what your plan covers and reviews the medical situation. Admission is then arranged at the level of care the evaluation points to. People regularly delay treatment for weeks over a cost question that takes one phone call to answer. We are OASAS-licensed by New York State, CARF-accredited on both programs and LegitScript certified, and we follow HIPAA rules on confidentiality throughout.
Frequently asked questions
How long does opioid detox take at an inpatient facility?
Detox length varies by substance, duration of use and individual health, so the medical team sets the timeline during treatment rather than beforehand. What stays constant is the supervision. Nursing staff are on the unit around the clock and symptoms are managed as they develop. Detox is then followed by residential rehab averaging 21 to 28 days.
Can I stay on Suboxone after I leave?
Continuation of medication-assisted treatment is built into the discharge plan when the medical team determines it fits. Discharge planning begins on day one, which leaves time to arrange prescribing and follow-up before the stay ends. Stopping MAT abruptly at discharge is not the default here, and the decision is clinical rather than administrative.
Is medication-assisted treatment just swapping one drug for another?
No. MAT uses FDA approved medication at a controlled dose under medical supervision, paired with counseling. It reduces cravings and withdrawal so a person can participate in treatment. The clinical goal is stability, not intoxication. We are DEA-authorized for this care and the medical team monitors every patient on it.
What if I have tried rehab before and relapsed?
Previous treatment attempts are clinical information rather than a disqualification. The intake assessment covers what was tried, what helped and where it broke down, and that history shapes the plan. A relapse often points to an untreated co-occurring condition or a discharge plan that had no support behind it.
Do you accept Medicaid for opioid treatment?
Yes. We accept all major Medicaid plans including Healthfirst, MetroPlus, Fidelis Care, Molina and Wellcare, plus Medicare and self-payment. Verification is free and happens before admission, so you know your coverage before arriving. Call the intake line to have your specific plan checked.
Contact Us
To start opioid treatment or simply to ask what it would involve, call our intake line at (646) 347-1893. We are at 2316 Surf Avenue, Right Wing, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11224, in Coney Island. You can also submit the online form at surfpointrecovery.com.
Insurance verification is free and happens before any decision about admission, so a coverage question does not have to delay anything. If you are calling about someone else, the intake team can explain what admission involves. They can also set out what you are able to do from the outside.
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