The Basics
The Howard County Health Department provides outpatient substance abuse treatment through its Behavioral Health Department. Howard County is an affluent county in Maryland, situated between Washington, DC and Baltimore. It regularly appears on the nation’s Best Places to Live lists. Its outpatient program has been in operation for over five years.
Treatment and Staff
After an assessment, clients are placed in either the standard or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). Standard outpatient clients may have a treatment plan that includes weekly individual and group therapy for six or nine weeks. IOP clients attend group therapy three times a week and individual therapy once a week for 12 to 16 weeks. IOP clients may step down to the standard outpatient program as they stabilize in recovery.
The treatment team at Howard County includes Master’s-level therapists such as LCSWs and addiction counselors with the CADC credential who are adept at treating co-occurring disorders. Psychiatrists are also available to prescribe medication for mental health diagnoses. Physicians administer medication for opioid addicts who wish to participate in a medication-assisted-treatment (MAT) program using Suboxone.
Howard County suggests clients attend 12-step meetings and hosts on-site AA and NA meetings . It also provides peer support counselors to its clients.
Extras
As clients near the end of their treatment plan, their counselor helps them create an aftercare plan that may include on-going therapy and suggestions for accessing support through other community services and agencies.
Howard County has recently launched an aggressive campaign to make free Narcan accessible to those suffering from opioid overdose.
In Summary
Howard County Health Department’s Behavioral Health Department offers two responsive outpatient treatment tracks. With dedicated programs for opioid addiction and extensive peer support services, Howard County’s Health Department appears to be investing in services to battle the ever-changing crises of today’s addictions.
Howard County Health Department
Behavioral Health Department
8930 Stanford Blvd
Columbia, MD 21045
Howard County Health Department Cost: Accepts Medicaid & Private Insurance. Sliding scale fees available for the uninsured. Reach Howard County Health Department at by phone (410) 313-6202 or by email at askhealth@howardcountymd.gov. Find Howard County Health Department on Facebook
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Photo courtesy of Andrew Bossi [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons (resized and cropped)
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