5
Treatment Plan
• After discussing the assessment results and treatment choices
with the clinician, it's time to develop the full treatment plan.
This can include:
• Treatment goals
• Medications: usually methadone, buprenorphine or
naltrexone for opioid use disorder
• Treatment schedule
• Counseling plan
• Recovery support services
• What to expect in the next phase of treatment
• A safety plan
Patient Participation
• Patient engagement in treatment and recovery improves
outcomes. Treatment should be long term, since addiction is
a chronic disease. For this reason, it is important that patients
work with clinicians to develop a treatment plan that is
tailored to their needs and goals.
• Patients should expect to be treated with respect and dignity
and have their concerns listened to when starting or changing
the treatment plan.
• To avoid health problems, patients must let their clinicians
know about any other medications they are taking or if they
drink alcohol. This is very important — certain medications and
alcohol can cause major problems when combined with treatment
medications.
• Common patient responsibilities include:
• Keeping all appointments
• Providing samples for drug testing
• Taking medications as prescribed
• Allowing and encouraging involvement of supportive
family and friends
• Avoiding persons, places and situations that may put
them at risk of relapse.
