overview
Overview
- Drug abuse is a pervasive problem in our society. While access to
drug abuse treatment programs in large cities is quite good, rural
communities are lacking in structured treatment programs designed
specifically to deal with drug abuse problems.
- The University of Vermont (UVM) offers comprehensive and free
drug abuse treatment services to residents of Chittenden County and
surrounding areas through the Substance Abuse Treatment Center (SATC).
- The SATC has several ongoing clinical trials under the direction
of Drs. Stephen Higgins, Sarah Heil, and Stacey Sigmon of the UVM
Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology. These trials are funded by
grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and offer free and
confidential treatment for individuals who have problems with cocaine,
opiate, or nicotine dependence.
- Clients who enter the SATC program participate in outpatient
treatment that lasts from several months to a year. Individuals are
required to attend counseling sessions 1-2 times each week and provide
urine samples 2-3 times per week.
- Counseling programs use a behaviorally oriented approach designed
to achieve drug abstinence through systematic changes in lifestyle,
with careful attention to vocational, family, social, and recreational
issues.
- Pharmacological treatment (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone,
naltrexone) can also be available for treatment of opiate dependence.
For more information about substance abuse, please consult the
resources on our links page.
We encourage individuals
interested in any of the UVM SATC's treatment programs to contact us.
Last modified March 28 2007 10:48 AM
