Important: This page provides general information, not medical or legal advice, a diagnosis, or a guarantee of services, coverage, cost, availability, or a particular privacy outcome. Policies and benefits can change. Consult a qualified professional for personal guidance and verify coverage and costs with the provider and health plan. Do not delay emergency help to check coverage.
What is Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Addiction?
Guide to MAT services in Southern West Virginia: where Southern Highlands offers the program, how to start, what to bring to your first appointment, insurance and sliding fee coverage, and how to reach the team in Mercer County.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a treatment program that combines medication prescribed and monitored by a medical provider with counseling and support services. It is available at Southern Highlands.
This page covers the practical side of that program: where it is offered, how to get in, what to bring, and what it costs. It does not explain the medications themselves. What a medication does, whether it fits your situation, and how it would be prescribed are questions for a licensed provider, not for a website. For general information from a national source, see SAMHSA’s Medication-Assisted Treatment resources.
What MAT Means as a Program
When a clinic says it offers MAT, that means it has more than a prescription pad. A MAT program includes:
- Medical care from providers who can prescribe and monitor medication
- Counseling, individual and group
- Case management for housing, benefits, employment, transportation, and legal or family issues
- Peer and community support alongside clinical care
The medication is one component. The reason programs are built this way is that the rest of a person’s life does not pause while they are in treatment, and the practical problems are usually what determine whether someone stays in care.
MAT Services Available at Southern Highlands
Southern Highlands offers Suboxone and Vivitrol through Substance Use Disorder Services. Call (304) 818-2222 with questions about either program.
Southern Highlands does not offer methadone. Methadone is dispensed only through licensed opioid treatment programs, which are a separate category of facility with their own federal rules and their own locations.
Which medication a provider discusses with you is determined at your appointment, based on your history and your health. Front desk staff cannot promise a particular medication before you have been evaluated, and you should be careful of anyone who does.
What to Expect: Your First MAT Appointment at SHCMHC
Before Your Appointment
Call first if you can. A call to the Substance Use Services team at (304) 818-2222 lets staff answer your questions ahead of time, including anything you need to know or do before your first visit. Ask that question on the phone. Do not try to work it out from a website or from secondhand advice.
What to Bring:
- Photo ID
- Insurance card (Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance)
- List of current medications
- Name and phone number for an emergency contact
- A written list of your own questions
If you do not have an ID or an insurance card, come in anyway and tell the front desk. Staff work through that regularly.
During Your Appointment
The first visit takes longer than later ones. Plan for it and try not to schedule it against a shift change or a school pickup. You are welcome to bring a family member or a friend with you.
1. Comprehensive Assessment
- Substance use history
- Medical history
- Mental health screening
- Current medications and allergies
- Social support and housing stability
- Treatment goals
2. Medical Evaluation
- You will be seen by a provider, who will go over your health and your history with you and answer your questions directly
3. Treatment Planning
- You and your provider decide together what your plan looks like
- If medication is part of that plan, your provider explains it to you in person
- You will leave knowing what happens next and when
4. Counseling Component
- Individual counseling session
- Schedule ongoing counseling appointments
5. Support Services
- Peer recovery specialist introduction
- Connection to support groups
- Case management for housing, employment, and legal issues
Ongoing Treatment
After you start, you will have regular appointments that combine medical check-ins, counseling, and any case management you need. How often you come in is worked out with your care team and typically changes over time as your situation does.
If the schedule you are given does not fit your job, your childcare, or your drive, say so at the appointment instead of missing visits. Staff would rather move an appointment than lose track of you.
What MAT Can Help With
Medication-Assisted Treatment is an established, evidence-based approach to opioid use disorder. For the current research and data behind it, see SAMHSA’s Medication-Assisted Treatment resources.
What MAT will do for any individual depends on their situation. That is a conversation to have with a provider, not something a website can answer.
Insurance Coverage in Southern WV
WV Medicaid (Mountain Health Trust)
- Medicaid covers many medically necessary opioid use disorder services, but coverage, service limits, authorization, and cost-sharing vary by service and current policy
- Billing staff can verify your benefits and help with authorization paperwork when required
- If you are not sure whether your Medicaid is active, staff can check for you
Medicare
- Coverage depends on the service, provider eligibility, and your Medicare or supplemental plan
- Deductibles, coinsurance, or copays may apply
Private Insurance
- Many plans include opioid use disorder treatment, but network status and covered services vary
- Prior authorization may be required, and billing staff can help with the process
- Copays vary by plan
Uninsured or Underinsured
- Sliding fee scale based on household income
- You will be asked for proof of income to set your rate
- Payment plans are available
- Staff can also help you find out whether you qualify for WV Medicaid, which many people assume they do not
As a CCBHC, we serve people regardless of their ability to pay, and cost is not a reason to skip the first call. If you want to know what you would owe before you commit to an appointment, call and ask.
Getting to Appointments in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming Counties
In southern West Virginia the drive is often the treatment barrier. One vehicle per household, a job that does not give mornings off, and mountain roads in January will undo a plan that looked fine on paper.
Things to ask about:
- Telehealth. Some appointments can be handled by phone or video. Ask which parts of your care qualify.
- Transportation. Ask whether your Medicaid plan includes non-emergency medical transportation, and ask staff to help you set it up.
- Location. Ask which of our sites nearest you offers the service you need, so you are not driving to Princeton if you do not have to.
- Appointment times. Ask for slots that work around shift work and childcare.
Common Questions About MAT
“How long will I need to be in treatment?”
There is no standard answer, and anyone who gives you one over the phone is guessing. Length of treatment is decided between you and your provider based on how you are doing. The goal is sustained recovery, not getting finished quickly.
“Will this show up on a drug test?”
Questions about drug testing, employment, probation, and custody come up constantly and the answers depend on your specific situation. Bring them to your appointment or ask a case manager. Staff deal with these questions routinely and can tell you what applies to you.
“What if I relapse?”
Relapse is common in recovery and does not mean you are out of the program. Tell your provider and your counselor, and your treatment plan gets adjusted. Do not stop coming to appointments, and do not make changes to prescribed medication on your own. Call your provider instead. If you are worried about someone’s immediate safety, call 988, or 911 if there is danger right now.
“Is any of this private?”
Qualifying substance use disorder records have additional federal protections alongside HIPAA and state law. Information may still be used or disclosed with consent and in circumstances permitted or required by those laws. Ask for the Notice of Privacy Practices and Part 2 notice at intake, and ask what can be shared, when consent is required, and what exceptions apply.
“Isn’t this just replacing one addiction with another?”
You will hear this in southern West Virginia, sometimes from family. Your treatment is between you and your provider, and you are not required to justify it to anyone. For a neutral explanation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder, SAMHSA is a better source than an argument at the kitchen table.
Coordinating With Other Care
Pregnancy
Treatment during pregnancy is a medical decision that involves both your provider and your OB/GYN. We coordinate with OB/GYN providers so those decisions are made together rather than in two separate offices. Bring your questions to that team.
Chronic Pain
If you are being treated for chronic pain, tell us and tell your pain provider. We work with pain management specialists so your care is coordinated instead of conflicting.
Mental Health Conditions
As a CCBHC, we provide both substance use services and mental health treatment in one organization. If you are dealing with both, you do not have to go to two different agencies in two different towns. Ask at intake.
For general information about mental health conditions, see NIMH.
Getting Started with MAT at SHCMHC
Office Hours and Intake:
- Listed office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Call (304) 818-2222 before coming to confirm walk-in intake availability
Call Ahead:
- (304) 818-2222
- Speak with our Substance Use Services team
- Ask any questions about what to expect and what to do before your first visit
Crisis Situations:
- Our Crisis Stabilization Unit operates 24 hours a day and can connect you with the Substance Use Services team
- 24-hour crisis line: 1-800-615-0122
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text (988lifeline.org)
- 911 if someone is in immediate physical danger, including a suspected overdose
Locations:
- Princeton SUD Services Center (main MAT clinic)
- Mullens Clinic (MAT available)
- Residential programs (MAT integrated into treatment)
We serve Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. If you are not sure which location fits, call and tell staff where you live.
If You Are Calling About Someone Else
You can call 304-425-9541 and ask questions on behalf of a family member. Staff can explain what the program involves, what it costs, and what the person would need to bring.
What you cannot do is enroll another adult. They have to call or walk in themselves. What helps most is having the number written down, having an answer ready for “what will it cost,” and being able to offer a ride the day they decide.
To schedule a MAT assessment, call SUD Services at (304) 818-2222. Listed office hours at the Princeton SUD Services Center are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; call first to confirm walk-in intake availability. For the 24-hour crisis line, call 1-800-615-0122.
This blog describes the services Southern Highlands provides. It is not medical advice. Questions about your own treatment belong with a licensed provider.