Who is a Good Candidate for Outpatient Treatment?

What Is Recovery Capital?

Treatment providers use a term called “recovery capital.” It sounds fancy, but it’s simple. Recovery capital means all the things that help you get better and stay better.

Think of it like a strong base holding you up. Recovery capital can include things like personal motivation, connections to people who support you, stable living situations, and coping tools for hard moments. Some people start treatment with many of these in place. Others are still working to build them and that is completely okay. Here is what we focus on together:

• Inner strengths

  You want to get better. You can handle hard feelings. You don’t give up easily. Your desire to make a change, however strong or uncertain it feels right now, is a foundation we can build on together.

• Outside help

  You have a safe place to live. People care about you. You have a job or go to school. The people around you, your living situation, and your daily routines all play a role in recovery. We will work with you to strengthen these connections and navigate any challenges in your environment.

• Things to use when times get tough

  People to call. Places to go. Ways to feel better without drugs. Knowing what to do when a craving hits or a hard day comes is a skill. Your care team helps you identify and develop these tools as part of your treatment plan.

People with strong recovery capital do well in outpatient treatment. If your base is shaky—no stable home, no people to help you, serious mental health problems—you might need more help first. At least until things get better. Everyone starts somewhere. Outpatient treatment is designed to meet you where you are and help you build the foundation for a lasting recovery.

Who Does Well in Outpatient Treatment?

Outpatient treatment works best when you have certain things in your life. Outpatient treatment is built around your real life — not the other way around. Here’s what helps:

• You have a safe place to live

  Going home each night to a place where people aren’t using drugs makes a big difference. If your home helps your recovery instead of hurting it, that’s really important. Unlike residential programs, outpatient treatment means you sleep in your own home. You stay connected to your family, your routines, and the things that matter to you. Your care team works with you to make that environment as supportive of your recovery as possible.

• You have people who care

  Family, friends or others who want you to get better help a lot. They might go to family meetings with you. Or just be there to talk when you need them. Recovery is stronger when the people around you are part of it. Outpatient treatment lets you maintain those relationships day to day. Many locations offer family support as part of care.

• You can show up

  You need to come to appointments for your medicine and to talk with someone. If you can do this even when it’s hard, outpatient treatment can work. Appointments can be scheduled around work, school, and family. And if getting there is a barrier, many locations offer telemedicine appointments, so you can connect with your care team from home.

• You need to keep your job or stay in school

  One big plus of outpatient care is you can keep living your life. You can work, go to school or take care of your family while getting help.

• You don’t have other big health problems

  Some people need doctors watching them all the time, at least at first. If you’re healthy enough and don’t have serious mental health problems right now, outpatient care can work. Our providers treat the whole person, not just the addiction. If you have other health concerns, your care team works alongside your other providers to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

• You’re willing to take your medicine

  The medicines work best when you take them every day like you’re supposed to. If you’re ready to do this, that’s really important. Many people have questions or concerns about starting medication and that’s completely normal. Providers will take the time to walk you through your options, explain what to expect, and work with you to develop a plan and schedule that feels right for you.

• You’ve been in treatment before

  Many people go to a live-in program first. Then they move to outpatient care as they get better. Outpatient treatment can be the next step.

When Outpatient Treatment Might Not Work

Sometimes outpatient treatment isn’t the best place to start These aren’t forever problems. They just mean you might need different help first.

If you don’t have a place to live or keep moving around, getting to appointments is really hard. Not knowing where you’ll sleep tonight makes treatment difficult.

If people around you are using drugs at home, you face that temptation all the time. Even people who really want to get better struggle in that situation.

Some people might get very sick when they stop using drugs. Or they have other health issues that need a doctor nearby. Living at a treatment center might be safer at first.

Sometimes people need the structure of living at a treatment center. If outpatient didn’t work before, you might need something more intense this time.

What to Expect for Appointments

How often you come in depends on the type of outpatient program that is right for you. In an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP), visits are often daily, especially early in treatment, as medications, such as methadone, are dispensed on-site. In Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT), you will start out being seen weekly, and as things improve appointments will be less frequent. This gives you more flexibility to maintain your daily routine.

Your care team will work with you to find the right schedule based on your medication, such as Suboxone, Sublocade or Brixadi, individual needs and progress.

How We Find the Right Care for You

At Crossroads Treatment Centers, our doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants talk with you to figure out what kind of care you need right now.

We ask about:

• Your health history
• What drugs you’ve used
• Where you live
• Who helps you
• What you want from treatment
• What you’ve tried before

This talk usually takes one to two hours. We’re not just checking boxes. We want to understand your life so we can help you the right way.

Treatment isn’t the same for everyone. What works for one person might not work for you. We make a plan just for you, not a plan that’s the same for everybody.

Why Medicine Matters

Medicine is what makes outpatient care work for most people with opioid use disorder. The medicines calm your brain. They stop cravings. They prevent you from feeling sick when you stop using drugs. This helps your body feel stable so you can focus on getting better.

Without medicine, cravings are really strong. Feeling sick from withdrawal is awful. These things make it almost impossible to stay in treatment. With the right medicine, you can use that energy to rebuild your life. You can work with your care team to identify what you need to be successful in your recovery. Fix relationships. Figure out why you started using drugs.

Counseling or care management – depending on what is available at your treatment center – helps with your feelings and behaviors. Medicine helps with your body. Together, they help your whole self.

What We Offer at Crossroads

Crossroads Treatment Centers helps people with opioid use disorder. Many of our locations are CARF-accredited. That means we meet high standards for good care. Many of our places let you start treatment the same day or use video calls. We know that when you’re ready for help, even waiting a few days feels too long.

Our teams include doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who focus specifically on opioid use disorder and understand what you’re going through.

Paying for Treatment

Money shouldn’t stop you from getting help. We take Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the VA Community Care Network and most insurance. If you don’t have insurance, we have other ways to pay. Some people can get help from grants.

Our team can check your insurance and tell you what it will cost before your first visit. No surprises. We want you to know what to expect.

Getting Started

If you’re wondering if outpatient treatment is right for you, the best thing is to talk with us. Contact Crossroads Treatment Centers to set up a meeting. We’ll listen to your story. Answer your questions. Help you figure out what to do next.

Recovery is possible. With the right help and the right kind of care, you can build a life you’re proud of. We’re here to help you take that first step.