Telehealth Login

|

How Buprenorphine Is Used to Treat Heroin Addiction

Heroin affects the brain and body in ways that can eventually lead to a serious addiction. It doesn’t discriminate, so people from any background can become vulnerable to its effects. Getting the right help can be key to overcoming heroin addiction. Buprenorphine treatment is one way that Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery helps individuals struggling with a dependency on heroin. It’s administered as part of our medication-assisted treatment program as an alternative to taking an abstinence-only approach.

What Is Buprenorphine?

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that produces an effect similar to taking heroin but at a lower level. It’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating individuals diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. Clients at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery typically receive buprenorphine treatment alongside other counseling and behavioral therapies as part of an overall treatment plan for heroin addiction.

Clients receive the medication in tablet form at the recommended dosage once per day. We try and make sure clients receive buprenorphine treatment at the same time each day for consistency. You should never take more than the recommended dosage of buprenorphine to avoid the potential of developing a dependency, similar to the one that you might form with heroin.

How Does Buprenorphine Help with Addiction?

Taking buprenorphine helps clients reduce their need for heroin and other opioids over time. It helps alleviate cravings and can reduce the risk of a client having an overdose. You should stop taking any kind of opioids around 12 to 24 hours before starting buprenorphine treatment. Clients are often in the early stages of withdrawal when they start taking the medication. Heroin withdrawal symptoms can include:

  • Cravings for heroin
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Abdominal distress
  • Depression
  • Agitation
  • Muscle spasms

The discomfort caused by heroin withdrawal can dissuade people from trying to kick an addiction to heroin. That’s where buprenorphine treatment can make a real difference. Alleviating a client’s withdrawal symptoms can increase their desire to complete a rehab program and continue treatment while in recovery.

Clients work with our addiction specialists and doctors to gradually wean themselves off of buprenorphine treatment. One of the reasons that the drug is popular for use with MAT is that it doesn’t typically cause clients to develop a psychological dependency.

Because each client has different needs when it comes to heroin treatment, everyone should have a choice when it comes to care. While an abstinence-only approach to heroin addiction can work for some, it’s not the path forward for everyone. That’s why Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery provides a range of treatment options for clients.

What Are the Side Effects of Using Buprenorphine?

You should let your doctor know if you have known allergies to buprenorphine or ingredients used to make buprenorphine. Make sure you fully disclose other substances you may be taking, including vitamins, nutritional supplements, OTC medications, and prescriptions. Doctors need that information to make sure that you won’t have an adverse reaction to buprenorphine treatment.

People receiving buprenorphine treatment may experience the following side effects:

  • Sweating
  • Dry mouth
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Tremors
  • Palpitations
  • Sleep issues
  • Muscle pain

Inform your doctor immediately if your symptoms worsen to include respiratory distress or signs that you are developing a dependency. Your physician may adjust your dosage or make other arrangements for treating your heroin addiction.

Receive Buprenorphine Treatment at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

Our facility offers other treatments and therapies to help clients with addiction issues, mental health disorders, or a combination of the two. Clients get the chance to educate themselves about their addiction and better understand how to manage situations that might cause them to relapse.

If you or a loved one need help to overcome a heroin addiction, reach out to Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery at 833.448.0127.

Press Release: CMAR’s Clinical Director Featured in The Mighty

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CMAR’s Clinical Director Featured in The Mighty

Denver, CO: Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery’s clinical director Michael Damioli has been featured in a recent article from The Mighty.

In their article “Why ‘Harm Reduction’ Could Be a Tool for Managing and Minimizing Drug Addiction,” Damioli offers his perspective on the role of harm reduction and injection sites in addiction treatment. In injection centers, individuals who use illicit drugs like heroin can inject them safely, with medical care and life-saving medications on hand if necessary. These centers are a type of harm reduction, which minimizes pain and risks for those who use various substances. 

In Damioli’s view, injection centers and other harm reduction services should be a larger part of the landscape of addiction treatment. His view is that “treating drug users like human beings is the answer to the epidemic and safe injection sites is one step in that direction.” At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, harm reduction techniques are used to help patients on the path to sustainable recovery, and will likely be found in more addiction treatment centers in the future.

About Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery: CMAR is Colorado’s only licensed outpatient addiction treatment center that offers integrated medical, clinical, and pharmaceutical services. To learn more, reach out to their treatment center at 855.454.4003 today.

Does Vivitrol Cure Drug or Alcohol Addiction?

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) gives rehab centers the ability to provide clients with a treatment option that can help sustain recovery. While it’s mainly used to treat drug addiction, it can also benefit individuals battling an alcohol addiction. Vivitrol treatment involves giving clients an extended-release form of naltrexone. Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery believes in the benefits of MAT therapy using Vivitrol.

How Does Vivitrol Work?

Vivitrol is a brand-name version of the medication naltrexone. Clients in MAT programs can take the medication as an injectable or in tablet form. Your system must be free of opioids, alcohol, or other toxins before you can start MAT with Vivitrol. That will keep you from experiencing withdrawal symptoms when they begin taking the medication.

People end up attracted to substances for different reasons. Opioids create euphoria feelings by stimulating the opioid receptors in your brain, while alcohol functions as a depressant to your central nervous system. Vivitrol blocks the receptors that typically respond to these substances, so they can’t produce the highs and other expected sensations typically produced when you consume drugs or alcohol.

How Can Vivitrol Help With Drug and Alcohol Addiction?

The FDA first approved the use of Vivitrol for alcohol addiction treatment back in 2010. Individuals who take the drug as part of MAT typically experience fewer cravings, which can help them avoid relapsing. It does the same for individuals working to overcome opioid addiction. The net effect is that people tend to stay in rehab longer, allowing them to absorb the lessons taught in therapy and apply them to their regular life.

Again, your body must be completely free of other substances if you want to experience the full benefits of Vivitrol. If you’re already taking buprenorphine, then the Vivitrol would interfere with the effects of that drug, which might make your withdrawal symptoms worse. Vivitrol stops opioid receptors from bonding with endorphins produced by opioids, making it extremely effective for treating opioid addiction.

Can Vivitrol Cure an Alcohol or Drug Addiction?

Once you become addicted to drugs or alcohol and become sober, you must remain in recovery mode for the rest of your life. While Vivitrol helps clients get through the rehab process with fewer cravings and withdrawal symptoms, it doesn’t cure your addiction issues.

Vivitrol treatment typically works as a complement to other therapies in a client’s treatment plan. Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery looks to treat all aspects of a client’s addiction issues. You also get the opportunity to participate in sessions consisting of dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, both of which have benefited clients who come in to treat an addiction.

Many who come to us for help may have underlying mental health disorders. People often turn to drugs or alcohol as a way of self-medicating the symptoms. They may not realize that issues like depression, anxiety, and PTSD could exacerbate their addiction problems.

That’s why the staff at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery takes the time to understand our clients so that we understand the full scope of their issues. That allows us to come up with individualized treatment plans to address every aspect of your illness.

Get Help For Addiction at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

While we can’t make promises of miracle cures at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we can promise to be there for you during every step of your sobriety journey. The comfort and safety of our clients are one of our top concerns. We work hard to provide you with the resources necessary to live a life free of drug and alcohol addiction.

Call Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery at 833.448.0127 if you’re ready to move your life in a more positive direction.

The Necessity of Peer Recovery to Successful Addiction Recovery

Long term recovery isn’t something we can achieve by ourselves. In fact, major addiction treatment studies have found a causal link between peer accountability and long-term recovery. Yet most people recovering from addiction (especially opioid-addiction), don’t have access to a peer group that can help them stay the course and remain clean through trying times. Literally 90% of addiction treatment clinics, addiction psychiatry and medicine practices fail to provide even a sing peer-support group. Since these programs and providers are driven to treat from more of a public health perspective, where the singular goal is to reduce harm and increase a single quality of life measure, survival! At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we offer an evidence-based alternative, which empowers each of our patients to truly recover. Not to simply “survive” but to fully thrive!

 

Peer support generates community between those who share the common bond of being in recovery from chemical dependence, which in turn facilitates the development of meaningful, accountable long-term connection.

 

Learn more at www.Colorado-Recovery.com or call (720) 778-2627.

3 Benefits of Trauma-Informed Treatment for Drug Addiction

When a loved one is struggling with a substance use disorder, it’s easy to think that willpower alone should be enough for them to overcome it. However, addiction is not a choice; it has been proven to be a chemical change in the brain. For many, past trauma has impacted the way they use drugs or alcohol. Trauma-informed care can help those who are struggling with addiction work through traumatic experiences and develop healthy coping skills for lifelong recovery.

How Addiction Relates to Trauma

Some individuals turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with something deeper. To get through life or trauma they’ve experienced, they numb and self-soothe to overcome feelings and thoughts that have become too burdensome. This helps them disconnect and cope, but all the while, substance abuse causes even more problems. Understanding how addiction relates to survival can help more people recover from addiction. For example, an overwhelming number of adolescents receiving treatment for substance use disorders end up having a history of trauma exposure. This alone points to trauma being a consideration factor when developing treatment plans for those dealing with addiction. It also explains why trauma-informed treatment is so necessary.

How Trauma-Informed Treatment Can Help

Trauma-informed therapy is based on the belief that a person’s substance use can be their way of coping with negative, overwhelming, or intrusive thoughts and feelings. These can be from memories, current situations, or past traumas. With these clients, safety is a high priority for therapists. Clients often experience triggering moments when learning how trauma has played a role in their lives. Through therapy that takes a trauma-informed approach, the therapist helps the client make positive connections, handle situations that have triggered drug use, and create a toolbox of strategies for overcoming trauma and avoiding substance use in the future.

Trauma-informed therapy used for substance abuse disorders involves:

  • A respectful, safe place to do the work
  • An understanding of how mental health-related issues and trauma co-exist with addiction
  • Leading the client to have self-compassion and self-respect instead of shame and guilt surrounding trauma and addiction
  • Creating healthy solutions to the identified problems
  • Finding ways to provide ongoing support

Three Benefits of Trauma-Informed Treatment

There are many benefits of taking this approach, but three stand out as the most helpful:

  1. It provides holistic care
  2. It offers a lower risk of re-traumatization
  3. It uses well-known approaches to therapy

Trauma-informed treatment takes a holistic approach, recognizing that addiction has roots in both chemical and emotional causes. It connects recovery and resilience, trauma and addiction, so that the whole person can be treated. It can be provided in any setting and uses evidence-based information, family engagement, empowerment, and collaboration as its touchpoints for success.

Many people are exposed to trauma on some level or another in their lifetime, but taking a trauma-informed approach allows a therapist who understands how trauma affects a person to have a hand in helping a person through recovery. If someone not as informed on trauma is assisting a person, there can be accidental incidences of re-traumatization. A deeper depth of compassion and sense of safety in trauma-informed therapy helps the client feel more compelled to heal. The extra gentleness provided in these sessions is beneficial for success in recovery.

Trauma-informed treatment uses some of the primary and most evidence-backed methods of treatment available today. Not only is cognitive-behavioral therapy especially effective for co-occurring disorders involving addition and mental health, but EMDR is as well. EMDR uses rapid eye movements to desensitize clients from the negative emotions, detrimental behaviors, and possible stigmas associated with trauma and addiction. It allows clients to process the emotions surrounding their trauma so that they can create healthier behavior patterns.

Trauma-Informed Treatment at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, clients can benefit from therapists who take a trauma-informed treatment approach. Understanding the symptoms of trauma, PTSD, and other related issues can help those suffering from a substance use disorder. Options such as telehealth and outpatient meet various needs, and our approaches offer a complete recovery to clients. Contact us at 833.448.0127 for more information.

How Suboxone Is Used to Treat Opioid Addiction

When it comes to addiction, there are many things that a person can become addicted to. From drugs or alcohol to gambling or food, the need for help in treating addiction is real. Even when a person doesn’t abuse drugs intentionally to get high, dependence on a drug to control pain, for example, can lead to addiction. Suboxone can be used in addiction treatment programs to help individuals who are struggling with substance abuse find relief from withdrawal symptoms as they work through the underlying causes of addiction.

What Is Opioid Addiction?

After using opioids to control pain, such as after surgery or for an extended period, it is possible to become dependent on them. Eventually, a person can become addicted to the feeling of relief that opioids bring. Others who are seeking to get high turn to opioids and can eventually become addicted as well. Opioids contribute to over half of all deaths caused by drug overdoses in the United States, so the problem is severe and has become an epidemic.

Common opioids include:

How Is It Treated?

Treating opioid addiction involves several factors. Counseling is often used to help the client cope with the emotions surrounding their pain and learn new strategies, but this alone is not enough. Most of the time, mediated opioid addiction treatment is necessary. Using an opioid replacement therapy strategy, professionals help clients overcome their dependence on the drugs by reducing the withdrawal symptoms that often make it impossible to quit in the first place.

The steps a client typically undergoes, which can occur independently of each other or as a combined process, involve:

  1. Detoxification
  2. Therapy
  3. Medicated treatment
  4. Utilizing ongoing coping strategies

To be the most effective, rehabilitation is encouraged for a period of greater than 90 days. This helps reduce the risk of relapse.

Medicated-Assisted Treatment

During the medicated treatment period, clients are given medicine to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. These medications help without the added adverse effects brought on by opioids. Some drugs also help with cravings experienced during detox. This type of treatment cannot occur without consulting a professional, so it is imperative to seek help. Medications such as Suboxone can reduce the duration and severity of withdrawal symptoms.

What Is Suboxone?

Suboxone is one medication that can be used in the treatment of opioid addiction. It is made up of buprenorphine and naloxone, which work together to decrease the severity of withdrawal symptoms and reduce an individual’s dependence on opioids. It can block the effects of opioids and make an individual in recovery less likely to relapse. It can also help manage chronic pain, which is one reason why some individuals abuse opioids. Suboxone treatment is always complemented by therapy and counseling.

How Does Suboxone Help with Opioid Addiction Treatment?

Suboxone lowers the effects of opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings. It has a lower potential for abuse than methadone, which is another commonly used medication in opioid treatment programs. Some of the most common opioid withdrawal symptoms that Suboxone can help relieve include:

  • Stomach cramping
  • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • Frequent chills
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep-related issues
  • Disruptive aches and pains
  • Heart palpitations
  • Intense cravings

Suboxone can be incredibly effective in helping those with opioid addictions maintain recovery long-term.

Opioid Addiction Treatment at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

Getting treatment for opioid addiction is possible at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery. Here, clients can benefit from therapists who vary their treatment approach based on both proven techniques and medical intervention. Understanding the different ways to treat opioid addiction and how medication can help manage withdrawal symptoms means that we can provide a complete recovery to clients. Visit our website or contact us at 833.448.0127 for more information.

Press Release: Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery’s Clinical Director Interviewed for Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery’s Clinical Director Interviewed for Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly

 

Denver, CO: In a recent article in Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, Michael Damioli, the clinical director of Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, offers his perspective on the future of telehealth in the field of addiction treatment. 

Medications that can treat opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine, were once only available through in-person inpatient or outpatient treatment. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled addiction treatment centers such as Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery to open up telehealth treatment options. In Damioli’s view, this will pave the way for more comprehensive telehealth treatment options in the future. 

“The telehealth door has been opened,” Damioli notes. While remote treatment for substance use disorder may have been prompted by the pandemic, telehealth is seen as an option that will only continue to grow in years to come. Even as treatment centers begin to return to in-person sessions, telehealth can help those addicted to opioids continue medication-assisted treatment long-term.

About Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery: Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery is Colorado’s only licensed outpatient addiction treatment center that offers integrated medical, clinical, and pharmaceutical services. To learn more, reach out to their treatment center at 855.454.4003 today.

How Buprenorphine Is Used to Treat Opioid Use Disorder

Addiction is an ongoing epidemic across the world. From illegal drugs and alcohol to food and even prescription drugs, it is possible to become addicted to many things. Whether a person is using with the intent to get high or becomes dependent on a prescription drug, addiction is real, and help is often needed to recover and lead a healthy life. Opioids are among the most widely abused drugs in America, causing over half of the overdose deaths. But recovery is possible. Buprenorphine treatment can be helpful for those who are struggling with opioid use disorder when used in tandem with therapy and counseling.

What Is Opioid Use Disorder?

If an individual uses opioids after surgery and becomes dependent on them, they can become addicted easily. While these medications help reduce pain and are often necessary, they are highly addictive even after a short period. Some people are also aware of the high opioids provide and turn to the drugs for this purpose, eventually becoming addicted.

Common opioids include:

Using Medication to Treat Opioid Addiction

While there are many approaches to treating opioid use disorder, such as counseling, this alone is not enough. Medicated OUD treatment is usually necessary. With some medications, clients can overcome their dependence on the drugs by reducing the withdrawal symptoms that often make it impossible to quit in the first place. Buprenorphine is one medication that can be used to manage chronic pain and help those addicted to opioids on their journey to long-term recovery.

Buprenorphine Treatment

Buprenorphine is a partially synthetic drug made in labs. It is used to treat severe, often chronic, pain. It is also effective at helping those with opioid use disorder avoid withdrawal symptoms. It is considered an opioid still because it has components derived from opium poppies.

When a client goes through buprenorphine treatment, they may take sublingual tablets, use patches, or get injections. It is often used to treat pain in those with known histories of opioid addiction because it is considered therapeutic. This is because it delays withdrawal symptoms while addressing cravings for more potent opioids.

Using buprenorphine is helpful because it can reduce the risk of overdose and other health issues related to drug use. It is more readily available and is the first medication to treat OUD that can be prescribed and given in physicians’ offices, which helps increase access to treatment.

Buprenorphine has been used for over two decades and is considered safe and effective. It is quickly replacing the more common methadone to treat OUD, so much so that it is also commonly used to treat babies born with opiates in their systems.

Buprenorphine Treatment Risks

Buprenorphine use must still be monitored because it can cause overdoses. Watching for these signs is important:

  • Dizziness
  • Feeling faint
  • Sedation
  • Respiratory distress

While addiction liability is low, it can become habit-forming. Signs of abuse include:

  • Compulsive thoughts regarding buprenorphine
  • Craving more when doses are lowered
  • Loss of control of use
  • Continuing use despite negative consequences

In addition, clients younger than 60 that have no other medical conditions and take no other medications are more likely to experience side effects. However, seniors, children, and those with pre-existing conditions will experience a broader range of side effects. Side effects include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Sleepiness, dizziness, and the inability to drive
  • Severe interactions with alcohol
  • Vertigo, nausea, or headache
  • Lowered blood pressure
  • Liver function issues

Buprenorphine Treatment at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery

Effective treatment for opioid addiction can be found at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery. Our clients can benefit from therapists who vary their treatment approach based on both proven techniques and medical intervention. Understanding the different ways to treat opioid addiction and how medication can help manage withdrawal symptoms means providing a complete recovery to clients. Contact us at 833.448.0127 or reach out online for more information.

What Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the evidence-based treatments commonly used to treat drug and alcohol addiction. It’s used because it is very effective and can help provide individuals with the tools they need to change their thinking and behaviors. So, what is cognitive-behavioral therapy? At Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery, we use CBT to help our patients reframe their thoughts. Utilizing a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, holistic care, and medications, it is often possible to restore health and mental wellbeing.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

CBT is a type of psychological treatment used to treat both drug and alcohol addiction along with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. When used properly, CBT can improve function in daily life while also improving quality of life.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on a few specific principles:

  • Many with addiction or mental health disorders stem from poor, unhelpful, and faulty ways of thinking.
  • Many times, these problems come from learned behaviors or patterns that are unhealthy.
  • Those who struggle with these problems can learn to cope with them.
  • Symptom relief comes from changing thought processes and improving thinking patterns to avoid unhealthy or unhelpful behavior.

By changing thought patterns using cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, it’s possible to stop negative behaviors such as using drugs, self-doubt, and poor self-confidence.

What Are Typical Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Techniques?

Therapists use a number of techniques to help foster changing thought patterns and processes. This may include teaching a person to recognize that their thought processes are unhealthy or unrealistic. It is often necessary for people to learn how to recognize the initial thoughts that typically lead to negative behaviors, such as self-doubt or inaccurate thinking about their circumstances.

From there, therapists work to help individuals learn how to use problem-solving skills to deal with challenges. It is very common for people who have addictions to turn to these substances when they are faced with intense situations, such as financial difficulties, relationship problems, or work-related problems. Providing a way to deal with this in real-time to avoid negative outcomes is critical.

In addition to this, those receiving CBT may also learn how to face their fears instead of avoiding them or worsening their anxiety about those fears. They may engage in role-playing to work through some of their most difficult situations. Other times, they will engage in activities to calm the mind and relax even while facing intense stress. All of this can contribute to improved mental health and confidence.

CBT Is One Treatment Solution We Offer

What is cognitive-behavioral therapy in terms of a person’s overall addiction treatment? CBT is just one component of the care a person receives at our location. Whether through in-person or telehealth, our team works with individuals to teach the strategies needed to change negative thought patterns. They also learn how to engage in life with more confidence.

Among CBT, we also offer a number of other evidence-based treatment programs. These work alongside CBT to help restore health. Some of what we offer includes:

A combination of these programs can often lead to healing and improvement of quality of life.

Call Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery Today for Help

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most commonly used treatment options, but CBT isn’t the only option for many people. Utilizing a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques along with other holistic and evidence-based treatments, our team at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery can offer the support needed to overcome addiction. To learn more about treatment options, call us at 833.448.0127 or connect with us online now.

Benefits of Telehealth Treatment

Could online therapy really help you stop using drugs and alcohol? The benefits of telehealth therapy have become more obvious than ever as more people stay home and work on themselves. Telehealth treatment, done properly in the right setting, may allow you to see a significant improvement in your health and overall wellbeing. Yet, you still have to do the work and commit to treatment. Our team at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery can help you access care. Our telehealth treatment in Colorado is just a few clicks away.

How Does Online Therapy Like This Work?

Online therapy, or telehealth treatment, is designed to allow you to communicate with and see your therapist through an internet connection. This can often be done on your smartphone, or it can be done on a laptop, tablet, or computer with a webcam and mic. You’ll log into the program at the time of your appointment and can receive telehealth treatment where you are. It’s that easy to get started.

What Are the Benefits of Telehealth Treatment?

There are many benefits of telehealth, but of course, coming in to see your therapist in a formal setting can also be very valuable to you. For those who are not comfortable with in-person treatment for any reason, the benefits of telehealth are exceptional. They include:

  • Receiving care from anywhere – allowing you to get support even if you are at work or stuck at home – ensures you have access.
  • Not having to be exposed during the pandemic, which means you don’t have to ditch an appointment because you’re worried about rising infection rates.
  • Comprehensive care when you need it most, right from home, even in emergency situations.
  • When you are struggling with mental health disorders, you may not feel as though you can get treatment in person. Online therapy is less intensive and less scary for many people to embrace.
  • Seeing, hearing, and interacting with your therapist is still occurring, and it can feel just like in-person meetings.

Online therapy like this is opening the door to access to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction as well as mental health disorders. If you have put off coming in to see a therapist because you were scared or you could not find a ride, now you don’t have to worry. There is help available to you. You can schedule your telehealth treatment on your lunch break at work. You can reach out for an appointment from your car if you are struggling. The flexibility that this type of therapy offers is what really makes telehealth treatment so valuable to so many people.

How Can You Get Telehealth Treatment in Colorado?

Our team at Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery is designed to provide you with access to the online therapy you need. When you contact our team, we’ll talk to you about the benefits of telehealth as well as coming in to see us in person. We can then encourage you to set up an assessment and start to get the help you need. All it takes is reaching out to us to learn more about how to get started.

Take online therapy seriously. Make sure you’re ready to focus on your treatment even if you are not with your therapist in person. Our team offers many of our therapies as online therapy, including:

Call Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery to Get Started

To access telehealth treatment, take the first step of contacting us today. If you think online therapy and telehealth treatment can help you, call Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery. Let our professionals in Colorado provide you with exceptional support as you recover. To learn more, call 833.448.0127 or connect with us online.

VERIFY INSURANCE

Cortland Mathers-Suter

MSSA
Managing Partner

Cortland Mathers-Suter entered the treatment space after his own battle with addiction. He first worked as a peer mentor, before starting clinical work while completing his Masters of Science in social administration from Case Western Reserve University where he focused on policy and direct practice. Cortland moved to Colorado in 2015 to start his first addiction treatment program, AspenRidge Recovery. Under his tenure, AspenRidge Recovery became a two-location, nationally accredited organization. He has since spent the last two years researching and developing what is now Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery (CMAR).

According to Cortland, “Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery is the most important organization I have had the honor to help build. We’re offering a service that seeks to not only improve the lives of our patients but also evolve how we look at medication-assisted treatment in Colorado entirely. Most individuals receiving medication-assisted care only receive medication and urinalysis. Sure you can call that ‘treatment,’ but you can’t call that ‘recovery.’ Our model is about adding the missing recovery component, and thus affords an opportunity to achieve lasting change for each patient and the industry.”

Cortland and his treatment programs have received numerous honors. These include Colorado Business Magazine’s “GenXYZ” award, the 2020 “Titan 100” award, and his program AspenRidge Recovery was both a finalist for “Best Healthcare Company” and named in the “Company’s to Watch” by Colorado Business Magazine as well. He has been interviewed and quoted by numerous publications for his “addiction expertise”, including News Week, 5280 Magazine, the Denver Post, Elephant Journal, Colorado Biz Mag, and TheRecoverySource.org.

Tyler Whitman

Compliance/HR Administrator

Tyler is originally from Omaha, Nebraska. He worked in manufacturing administration for 18 years until he chose to pursue recovery from alcohol addiction, which led him to Chicago, Illinois. Since then, Tyler gained experience in retail, retail pharmacy, and healthcare as a vaccine coordinator for a local Colorado clinic. At the clinic, Tyler discovered that healthcare was the career change he had been looking for. His newfound passion for healthcare, combined with his lived experience with addiction, brought him to Colorado Medication Assisted Recovery as an Office Administrator.

In his free time, Tyler enjoys cooking, hiking, and skiing. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from Regis University.

Simmeren Boanvala

BA
Outreach and Admissions Representative

Simmeren comes to CMAR after several years working admissions in inpatient psychiatry and addiction. A first-generation Colorado Native, Simmeren attended CU Boulder, where she earned a BA in psychology. Simmeren is currently completing her CAC III while working toward her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy.

According to Simmeren, “I joined CMAR because I believe in the quality and importance of the program whole-heartedly. My goal at CMAR is to guide each prospect who calls CMAR to find the best possible pathway to their recovery”. Simmeren currently lives in her hometown with her dog and cat.

Tyler Hale

Tyler Hale

Community Partnership Lead

Tyler Hale began his career in addiction treatment following a decades-long fight with his own substance abuse issues. Since achieving long-term recovery, Tyler has held various positions in direct care, client services, admissions and outreach departments at various addiction treatment organizations. From sober living program director to outreach director to admissions director at a drug and alcohol treatment program, Tyler consistently finds himself in leadership roles within the addiction treatment space.

Tyler is originally from Chicago, IL, where he graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Bioethics. Thereafter, Tyler built a successful career in the tech industry, before finding sobriety and a subsequent calling to help others. Tyler joined the team at CMAR because he believes in the efficacy of comprehensive and patient-centered outpatient treatment. In his free time Tyler enjoys camping, hiking and spending time with his newborn son.

Kirstin O’Carroll

MSW
Engagement and Relations Director

Kirstin O’Carroll started her career in addiction and mental health services 23 years ago after graduating with an MSW from The Oho State University. Hired directly from an internship program, she served as a case manager and vocational specialist on a community treatment team in Columbus, OH, working to help severely mentally ill adults remain at home and in a community setting. Within the same organization, she later transitioned to clinical assessment and crisis intervention services with children, adolescents, and adults. Through these experiences, she learned the importance of providing empathetic, high-quality care and the need to “start wherever the patient is” with regard to finding the best treatment & solutions for her patients.

After seven years, Kirstin made a career change to diagnostic sales and worked for several Fortune 500 companies as an acute care sales specialist. She is delighted to return “home” to her passion for helping others and believes her new role as community engagement coordinator for CMAR is the perfect alignment of both her clinical and sales skills. When not promoting CMAR, she can be found reading, running, hiking, watching movies, and spending time with her husband Dennis and senior canine son Reggie.

Thomas Mazzarella

LAC
Primary Therapist

Thomas is a Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) in the State of Colorado and a Licensed Addictions Specialist (LCAS) in the State of North Carolina with particular expertise in the treatment of chronic Substance Abuse Addiction and Dependency.

Thomas is dedicated to Individual, Couples, Family, and Group Counseling and Therapy for individuals with Substance Use and Mental Health issues and concerns.

James Jackman

CAS
Primary Therapist

James Jackman is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been practicing addiction treatment in Colorado since 2015. James is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Metropolitan State University Denver. James is a traditional CBT therapist specializing in childhood events that lead to adult addictions.

James has received special training in Family Systems, Inner Child, Maladaptive Schemas, and Adverse Childhood Experiences. James has worked in many treatment settings throughout his career and uses a client-centered treatment approach to help one recover from destructive patterns that facilitate addiction. In addition, James enjoys working with rescue animals and advocates for several local rescue organizations outside of work.

Outside of the office, Megan enjoys spending time with her two German Shepherds and her cat. She is passionate about fostering animals through various local rescues to find adoptive homes for dogs and cats in need.

Megan Hanekom

LPC, LAC, NCC
Therapist & Clinical Compliance Officer

Megan is a licensed counselor who has worked in various mental health and addiction treatment environments. She practices cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing and believes in pulling from various therapeutic approaches to best support each individual. Megan received her bachelor’s in psychology and Spanish from Concordia College. She relocated from North Dakota to Colorado where she earned a master’s in counseling psychology from the University of Denver.

Outside of the office, Megan enjoys spending time with her two German Shepherds and her cat. She is passionate about fostering animals through various local rescues to find adoptive homes for dogs and cats in need.

Maggie Coyle

MA, LPC
Primary Therapist

Maggie Coyle, MS, MA, LPP, LPCC has worked in the mental health and addictions counseling field for the past six years. She has extensive experience in working in the varying levels of mental health and addictions treatment as well as with diverse populations.

She practices cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy as primary intervention methods. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology as well as a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling both from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD. She has also earned a master’s degree in addictions counseling from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD. Maggie moved from South Dakota to Colorado in June 2020 and is excited to be a part of the CMAR team.

Michael Damioli

LCSW, CSAT
Clinical Director

Michael Damioli has been passionately working in the fields of addiction treatment and mental health since 2012. He has held a variety of different roles within the addiction recovery space, ranging from peer support to direct clinical practice. Notably, Michael was part of a leadership group that developed a small therapy practice into a nationally branded addiction treatment program, which offers multiple levels of care to recovering professionals. Michael is a strong believer in the family disease model of addiction and has focused much of his clinical work and training on supporting families impacted by addiction. He also specializes in treating individuals suffering from co-occurring chemical and process addictions.

Michael is honored to be leading the clinical care team at CMAR and believes that excellent clinical care begins by simply treating a patient with dignity and respect. Michael is a strong advocate for ethical reform within the addiction treatment field and is excited to promote CMAR as an ethical and thought leader throughout the treatment & recovery industry. Michael earned his master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver and is independently licensed as a clinical social worker with the state of Colorado. He holds an advanced post-graduate certificate in marriage and family therapy from the Denver Family Institute as well as an advanced certificate in sexual addiction counseling from the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals.

Dwight-Duncan

Dwight Duncan

Psy.D
Psychologist

Dr. Duncan was born and spent most of his early life in California. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 1987. He is a licensed psychologist as well as a licensed addiction counselor. He has had extensive training and experience throughout his professional career in medical psychology, mindfulness, integrated behavioral healthcare, and substance abuse.

Dr. Duncan is married and has one daughter, a neurologic physical therapist in Los Angeles.

Susan-Miget

Susan Miget

NP
Medical Provider

Susan has been in healthcare for more than 20 years. She was an ICU nurse for nine years, then returned to school and completed her master of nursing and family nurse practitioner degree at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2007. She practiced pain management for many years before developing her current passion for addiction treatment.

Susan has transitioned her practice to focus entirely on addiction treatment. She has worked in residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) programs. Susan most enjoys working with patients one-on-one in a private office to protect their confidentiality and ensure top-rate care. Knowing that addiction can affect anyone, anywhere, and at any time, Susan continues to strive to make treatment more accessible and confidential.

Whitney-Grant

Whitney Grant

MSN, FNP-BC, ARNP, RN, CPN
Medical Provider

Whitney Grant is an experienced family nurse practitioner with experience and expertise in medication-assisted treatment. Whitney earned her BSN at the University of Miami before moving on to achieve a master of science in nursing degree there as well, becoming a nurse practitioner immediately thereafter.

Whitney has since achieved board certification from the ANCC as a family nurse practitioner. After spending her entire formative and educational years in South Florida, Whitney moved to Denver in 2018 to pursue a career as a provider in family practice, sub-specializing in addictions medicine. Whitney has worked under the guidance of Dr. Nathaniel Moore, CMAR’s medical director, since moving to Denver.

Nathaniel Moore

MD
Medical Director

Dr. Nathan Moore is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Moore attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA for his undergraduate work and then attended Duke University School of Medicine and obtained his M.D. in 1995. Dr. Moore then came to Colorado and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Colorado’s Family Medicine Program at Rose Medical Center.

Dr. Moore practices primarily at our Aurora location. He provides comprehensive family medicine services and has a special interest in addiction medicine, treating patients with opioid use disorder as well as alcohol addiction.

Dr. Moore is married with three children. He enjoys mountain biking, running, and golf.