Structured group and individual therapy several days a week, where the medication and the counseling come together.
How we work
Medication-assisted treatment
in Houston
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) pairs FDA-approved medication with counseling to ease the cravings and withdrawal that make recovery so hard to start. The medication steadies your body so you have the room to do the real work of getting better. At The Lovett Center, MAT is part of our outpatient care for opioid and alcohol use disorder, prescribed and monitored by our medical team while you live at home.
Outpatient care in Montrose, Houston. Most major insurance accepted.
The approach
Medication and counseling,
working together.
MAT is not medication alone. It pairs a prescribed, FDA-approved medication with counseling and support, what national health agencies call a whole-patient approach. The medicine quiets the cravings and withdrawal, and the counseling helps you rebuild.
For many people, cravings and withdrawal are the wall that stops recovery before it starts. MAT lowers that wall. By easing the physical pull of opioids or alcohol, the medication frees up the energy and focus that real change takes.
At The Lovett Center, the medication is one part of a fuller plan. You meet with our medical team for the prescription and ongoing monitoring, and you take part in the counseling and group work of our outpatient programs. We treat the whole person, not just the symptom, and we do it on an outpatient basis so you can keep living your life.
Where it helps
What we use MAT
for at Lovett.
MAT is most useful for substance use disorders where cravings and withdrawal get in the way of recovery. These are the conditions we most often treat with it, always as one part of a fuller outpatient plan.
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Opioid use disorder
For opioid use disorder we use buprenorphine, often combined with naloxone, or naltrexone. These medications ease withdrawal and cravings and lower the risk of overdose, without the highs and lows of misuse.
Opioid use disorder care -
Alcohol use disorder
For alcohol use disorder, naltrexone and acamprosate can quiet cravings and help you stay steady. Disulfiram is another FDA-approved option. Each works best alongside counseling and the structure of a program.
Alcohol use disorder care -
Co-occurring mental health and substance use
When a substance use disorder shows up alongside depression, anxiety, or trauma, we treat both at once. Medication can steady the substance side while therapy addresses what is underneath.
Dual diagnosis care -
Prescription opioid dependence
Dependence that began with a prescription is common and treatable. The same medications used for opioid use disorder apply here, with a plan built around your history.
Prescription drug addiction care
Is it right for you
When MAT is the
right fit.
MAT helps a lot of people, but it is one tool among several, and it is not always the first step. Here is an honest read on when it fits, and when we would start somewhere else.
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A good fit when cravings and withdrawal keep derailing recovery
If the physical pull of opioids or alcohol keeps pulling you back, the right medication can steady you enough to do the rest of the work.
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A good fit when you want medication paired with real therapy
MAT at Lovett is never a prescription on its own. It comes with counseling, groups, and a team who knows you, which is what makes it hold.
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A good fit when you need to keep living your life
Our MAT is outpatient and office-based, so you can keep up with work, school, and family while you get care close to home in Montrose.
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When medically supervised withdrawal may need to come first
If stopping suddenly could be unsafe, detox needs medical supervision before MAT begins. We are an outpatient center, so we will help you arrange that step and pick your care back up afterward.
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When a different setting is the safer route
Some people need a level of monitoring we do not provide on site. If that is you, we will say so honestly and help you find the right place, then welcome you back for ongoing care.
The evidence
A proven, whole-patient
approach to recovery.
MAT is one of the most studied approaches in addiction care. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration describes it as a whole-patient approach that combines FDA-approved medication with counseling and behavioral therapy, more effective together than either part on its own.
For opioid use disorder, the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that medications such as buprenorphine and naltrexone reduce cravings and withdrawal and make people less likely to overdose or to die than those who go without treatment. They work by steadying the brain chemistry that addiction disrupts, not by producing a high.
These are FDA-approved medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes buprenorphine and naltrexone for opioid use disorder, and naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram for alcohol use disorder, each prescribed and monitored by a licensed clinician.
At The Lovett Center, MAT is overseen by our medical team, including Michael Sprintz, DO, DFASAM, our IOP medical director and an addiction medicine specialist. He and our clinicians build each plan around your history and your goals, and weave the medication into the counseling and group work of our outpatient programs. MAT pairs naturally with the rest of our care, including treatment for dual diagnosis when substance use and a mental health condition occur together.
Where it happens
Care that fits
your life.
MAT at The Lovett Center lives inside our outpatient programs, so the medication, your counseling, and your care team all work from the same plan. The right level of structure depends on where you are right now.
Integrated care for when a substance use disorder and a mental health condition show up together.
A steadier pace of individual sessions and medication monitoring, including step-down care after a more intensive program.
Common questions
MAT,
answered.
It depends on the substance. For opioid use disorder, MAT uses buprenorphine, often combined with naloxone, or naltrexone, which ease withdrawal and cravings and lower the risk of overdose. For alcohol use disorder, naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are FDA-approved options. Your clinician chooses the medication and the dose with you, based on your history and your goals.
Yes. Suboxone is a brand of buprenorphine combined with naloxone, an FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder, and it is legally prescribed in Texas by licensed clinicians in office-based settings like ours. You do not need a hospital stay to receive it. We handle the prescription and the monitoring as part of your outpatient care.
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding about MAT. At the doses used in treatment, these medications are prescribed and monitored to steady brain chemistry and ease cravings, not to produce a high. Major health authorities, including SAMHSA and the FDA, recognize MAT as an effective, evidence-based treatment, not a substitute addiction.
There is no single success-rate number, because outcomes depend on the person, the medication, and the support around it. What the research is clear on is the direction: the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that people receiving these medications for opioid use disorder are less likely to overdose or die, and more likely to stay in treatment, than those who go without. The medication works best paired with counseling, which is how we deliver it.
There is no one-size-fits-all timeline. Some people take medication for several months while they stabilize and build skills, and others benefit from longer-term treatment, especially for opioid use disorder. The decision is made together, between you and your prescriber, based on your stability and your goals, and it is never rushed.
Often, yes. The Lovett Center is in network with major insurers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Magellan, and TriWest, and we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay. Because coverage and any out-of-pocket cost vary by plan, the surest way to know is to verify your benefits with us.
Verify your insuranceNot necessarily. MAT at Lovett is outpatient and office-based, and for many people it can begin without a hospital stay. If stopping a substance suddenly could be unsafe, medically supervised withdrawal may need to come first. Because we are an outpatient center, we will help you arrange that step and then continue your care with us.
Start the conversation
Ready to take the
first steady step?
When you are ready, a real person at The Lovett Center will listen and help you find the next step, whether that is MAT, another kind of care, or simply a conversation about what is going on. No pressure, no commitment.
- A real person, not a call center
- Most major insurance accepted
- Confidential from the first call
Prefer to call?
(713) 589-5991Every conversation is confidential. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.