PresteraCenter’s Suboxone Program

By Josh Parker

Our initial client came to the Suboxone program at PresteraCenter started on February 25, 2008. At that time, we had one physician prescribing at one facility, which is Renaissance Place in Huntington. Right away the program started growing by word of mouth.

Now, a year and nine months later we serve almost 200 clients; 5 physicians prescribing, and we serve out of 4 locations. We also work with outside Suboxone physicians like Valley Health Carl Johnson in Guyandotte to help them with their clients in receiving a therapy component with their recovery.

We have a women only Suboxone program at Renaissance; 1853 8th AveHuntington; there we serve clients with Medicaid and also accept private pay.

The program in Huntington for men is at Prestera’s Addiction Recovery Center West, 1420 Washington Avenue, Huntington. There we serve clients with Medicaid and also accept private pay.

We also have a program in Dunbar, at Prestera’s Addiction Recovery Center East 1143 Dunbar Avenue, Dunbar; there we serve clients with Medicaid and also accept private pay.

The 4th location we serve is at Hopewell Place, 3772 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane; there we serve clients with insurance and also accept private pay.

I (Josh Parker) am the coordinator of Suboxone services at PresteraCenter. I help people get to the doctor, I also provide communication in between the clients, physicians, therapists, and whoever else is needed to help these clients.

When someone comes into the program, they have to contact me to see if they are appropriate for an assessment by our clinicians. Not everyone qualifies for the Suboxone program depending on their history and current addiction -- that is determined in the assessment by our clinicians. We have several programs at Prestera, and if someone is not appropriate for Suboxone, then we show them the services that would be able to help them specifically with their recovery process.

When someone is appropriate for the program, the first thing we do is tell them what is expected from them when they enter in to the program. This is not one of those “Cash and Carry” programs. This is an intense, recovery process that takes a lot of work and motivation.

The clients are required to attend weekly group therapy, also it is required that they attend individual counseling every other week, and lastly they are required to attend four 12-step recovery meetings in the community. The clients have really enjoyed the therapy component, as it is one of the recovery tools that help them establish coping skills that are going to help them stay off of drugs.

Some of the groups we provide include parenting classes, recovery dynamics, trauma recovery, and relapse prevention. The clients usually have the same counselor through the entire program, which is great for rapport and helps the client build trust and communication with us.

Why does our program work? Well, the first thing I can tell you is that there is no “magic pill” or “wonder drug” for addiction. If there was, everybody would be taking it. Our goal at Prestera is not to get people ON Suboxone, it’s to help them get OFF of opiates.

Our program shows clients that they need to help themselves by making life changes and establishing a foundation to help them in the recovery process for the rest of their lives. They aren’t going to be on the meds forever (generally 6 months to 2 years), and they have to acquire coping skills to deal with whatever life will throw at them when they aren’t in the structured environment that we provide.

We have also started a support group for anyone who is on any type of medication to assist them with the recovery process. These Medicated Assisted Recovery Support meetings take place for the clients, by the clients. These are typical 12-step meetings that help clients just like Narcotics Anonymous.

The MARS schedule follows.

Women only meetings Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. at Renaissance

1853 8th Avenue, Huntington, WV25703

Men only meetings Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m.

Parc West 1420 Washington Avenue, Huntington, WV25704

Women and Men both welcome on Tuesdays and Thursdays

from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at

Abundant HopeBaptistChurch, 810 Barbara St.Barboursville, WV25504

Women and Men both welcome on Tuesdays at 9:00 AM and Fridays at 11:00 AM

ValleyHealthCarlJohnsonMedicalCenter

307 5th Avenue (Guyandotte) Huntington, WV25702

Women and Men both welcome on

Fridays at 12:00noon, also on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm

Hopewell Place 3772 TeaysValley rd., Ste #2Hurricane, WV25526

Women and Men both welcome on Fridays at 12:00noon

Parc East 1143 Dunbar Avenue, DunbarWV25064

Men and women both welcome Fridays at 7:00 p.m.

MiltonBaptistChurch 1123 Church St.Milton, WV

For any questions about the Suboxone program at Prestera, or the MARS meetings, please contact Josh Parker, LPN at 1-800-642-3434, ext. 4502 or .