Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Tinton Falls, NJ

What is Medication-Assisted Treatment?

Medication-Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is the use of FDA-approved medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapy to treat substance use disorders, most often opioid and alcohol addiction. The medication stabilizes brain chemistry, reduces cravings, and eases or blocks the effects of drugs, while therapy addresses the thoughts, behaviors, and underlying conditions that drive use.

MAT is endorsed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the CDC, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse as the gold standard for opioid use disorder. Decades of research show that it reduces overdose deaths, keeps more people in treatment, and supports long-term recovery far better than detox or counseling alone.

Medications used in MAT

There is no one-size-fits-all medication. Our medical providers in Tinton Falls evaluate each client's history, substance, and goals before recommending an approach, and adjust over time as recovery progresses.

• Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex, Sublocade) for opioid use disorder, reducing cravings and withdrawal
• Methadone for opioid use disorder, dispensed through licensed New Jersey opioid treatment programs
• Naltrexone (Vivitrol) for opioids and alcohol, blocking the rewarding effects after detox
• Acamprosate (Campral) to support alcohol abstinence and ease post-acute withdrawal
• Disulfiram (Antabuse) to deter alcohol use by causing an unpleasant reaction
• Naloxone (Narcan) education and take-home kits for overdose reversal

Who is MAT right for?

MAT is appropriate for many people with opioid or alcohol use disorder, particularly those who have struggled to stay sober after detox alone. A medical and clinical assessment always determines the right fit, and the choice of medication is individualized.

• Individuals with opioid use disorder, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription painkillers
• People with alcohol use disorder who want medication support for abstinence
• Clients who have relapsed repeatedly after detox without medication
• Those at high risk of overdose who need cravings and overdose risk reduced quickly
• Monmouth County residents looking for an evidence-based, outpatient-friendly path to recovery

Why medication alone is not enough

MAT works because it pairs medication with real treatment. The medication quiets the cravings and withdrawal that sabotage early recovery, but it does not by itself teach a person how to handle stress, repair relationships, or rebuild a life without substances. That is where the therapy half of MAT comes in.

At The Archangel Centers, every client on MAT also participates in our clinical programming. We integrate individual therapy, group therapy, psychiatric care, and family work alongside the medication so that Monmouth County clients address the whole disease, not just its chemistry.

Is MAT just trading one addiction for another?

This is the most common misconception about MAT, and it is wrong. Medications like buprenorphine and methadone are taken under medical supervision at carefully controlled doses that stabilize the brain without producing a high or impairing daily function. Naltrexone has no abuse potential at all and simply blocks opioid and alcohol effects.

Properly prescribed MAT is medical treatment for a chronic disease, much like using insulin to manage diabetes or medication to manage high blood pressure. The goal is a stable, functioning life, and the evidence is clear that MAT keeps more people alive and in recovery than approaches that withhold medication.

Does insurance cover MAT in New Jersey?

Under the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, carriers such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Horizon NJ Health must cover substance use treatment, including MAT, on par with medical care. MAT and the counseling that accompanies it are billable under most PPO and many HMO plans, and New Jersey FamilyCare covers medically necessary treatment for qualifying residents.

Our admissions team verifies your benefits for free, usually within minutes, and handles prior authorization at no cost to you. Most clients begin treatment the same week their coverage is confirmed.