Medication-assisted treatment combines FDA-approved medication with counseling to help manage opioid dependence and withdrawal. Rather than relying on medication alone, MAT addresses both the physical and emotional sides of substance use, giving patients a more complete path toward stability.
At Surfpoint Recovery, a licensed rehab center in Brooklyn, we're DEA-authorized to provide MAT. It's one of the core pieces of how we treat opioid dependence, right alongside detox and residential rehab.
What MAT Actually Involves
MAT isn't just handing someone a prescription. It pairs medication with individual and group counseling so the underlying patterns behind substance use get addressed at the same time as the physical dependence. That's the whole idea behind medication-assisted treatment, pairing the physical side of things with the emotional work of counseling, not just one or the other.
We use Suboxone, Buprenorphine, Vivitrol, and Sublicaid depending on what fits each patient's clinical evaluation, and no two patients necessarily end up on the same medication or dosing approach.
The goal of MAT is to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms enough that a patient can engage meaningfully in the rest of treatment, whether that's individual therapy, group counseling, or the broader work of residential rehab.
Medication on its own isn't the plan, it's one part of a larger structure. Patients who go through MAT at Surfpoint are also working through counseling at the same time, not waiting until medication has done all the work first.
How We Decide Which Medication Fits
Medication choice at Surfpoint follows a clinical evaluation rather than a fixed protocol applied to everyone the same way. Our medical team looks at a patient's history with opioids, any co-occurring health conditions, and how they've responded to medication in the past, if applicable.
Dr. Ramsey Joudeh, our Medical Director, and Joseph Turkel, our Assistant Medical Director, are both involved in shaping how MAT is used across our patient population, and decisions get revisited as treatment progresses rather than locked in on day one.
Some patients start MAT during detox to help manage withdrawal. Others begin once they've moved into residential rehab. The timing depends on the person, not a set point in the treatment calendar, and our medical team stays involved throughout to see how someone is responding before making further adjustments.
If you're curious about the medications used during drug detox more broadly, the same logic applies, it's based on the person in front of us, not a script everyone follows.
MAT as Part of the Full Treatment Arc
MAT doesn't happen in isolation. It runs alongside medically supervised detox, individual and family counseling, and therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing.
For patients with a co-occurring mental health condition, MAT is also coordinated with dual diagnosis treatment so both the physical and mental health sides of recovery are addressed together, since treating one without the other tends to leave gaps in the plan.
A lot of what we do here ties back to withdrawal support in Brooklyn more generally, since detox, counseling, and MAT are really just different angles on the same goal: getting someone stable enough to keep going.
Discharge planning, which starts on day one of admission, often includes a decision about whether MAT will continue after a patient leaves our facility.
Continued medication-assisted treatment is one of the more common pieces of an aftercare plan for patients who came in with opioid dependence, and our team works to make sure that transition is arranged before discharge, not left for the patient to sort out alone.
Addressing Common Misconceptions About MAT
A lot of people still think MAT is just replacing one drug with another. That's not how it works clinically.
Medications like Buprenorphine and Vivitrol are used under close medical supervision, with dosing and monitoring handled by our clinical team, and the goal is stabilization and recovery, not substitution. The difference matters, because patients and families who understand this tend to be more comfortable sticking with MAT long enough for it to actually help.
Others worry that starting MAT means being on medication indefinitely. That's a decision made between the patient and our medical team based on how recovery is going, not something decided in advance.
Some patients taper off over time, others continue longer-term as part of managing opioid dependence safely. Both paths are considered legitimate outcomes depending on the person's needs.
Thinking MAT might be worth looking into for yourself or someone you care about? Give us a call at (646) 347-1893, and we'll talk through whether it's a good fit before you decide on anything.
Insurance and Access to MAT
MAT is covered under the same insurance process as the rest of our treatment. We accept all major Medicaid plans, including Healthfirst, MetroPlus, Fidelis Care, Molina, and Wellcare, along with Medicare and select commercial insurance plans.
Our team verifies your coverage for free before admission, so cost is clear before any commitment, and that verification covers MAT the same way it covers detox and residential rehab.
We treat patients from across Brooklyn, including Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Bay Ridge, along with Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan. You can view all areas we serve to check whether your neighborhood is part of our service area.
Why MAT Works Better Alongside Detox and Rehab
Some people ask why MAT isn't offered as a standalone service somewhere else and then paired with rehab elsewhere.
In our experience, keeping MAT under the same roof as detox and residential rehab means the same medical team is watching a patient's full picture, rather than one provider managing medication and a separate provider managing counseling with no direct line between the two.
That continuity tends to catch problems earlier, whether that's a medication that isn't working as expected or a counseling issue that has a physical root.
It also means a patient doesn't have to explain their history over and over to different providers who aren't talking to each other. Dr. Joudeh and Joseph Turkel work with the same clinical team handling counseling and discharge planning, so decisions about MAT get made with the full context of what else is happening in a patient's treatment, not in isolation from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is medication-assisted treatment?
Medication-assisted treatment combines FDA-approved medication with counseling to manage opioid dependence and withdrawal. Surfpoint is DEA-authorized and uses Suboxone, Buprenorphine, Vivitrol, and Sublicaid as appropriate, paired with individual and group counseling.
Is MAT available during detox or only during rehab?
MAT can begin during detox to help manage withdrawal, or once a patient has moved into residential rehab, depending on the clinical evaluation. Our medical team makes that decision based on the individual rather than a fixed schedule.
Does insurance cover medication-assisted treatment?
Yes, in most cases. We accept all major Medicaid plans, Medicare, and select commercial insurance, and our team verifies your specific coverage for free before admission so the cost is clear before you commit to anything.
Get in Touch
Have questions about starting MAT, or just want to talk through your options first? Contact us, and we'll help you figure out the right next step.
- Phone: (646) 347-1893
- Email: admissions@surfpointrecovery.com
- Hours: Monday through Sunday, open 24 hours
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