Substance Use Disorder Outpatient Clinic

The substance use disorder outpatient clinic at South Oaks Hospital provides individualized and evidence-based treatment to clients of every socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic background. Clients typically come from Suffolk and Nassau counties and the five boroughs of New York City.

Treatment at the clinic begins with motivational interviewing, an empathetic process focused on helping our clients identify the internal motivations that can support them in changing their behavior. Throughout different phases of treatment, we focus on building an understanding of addiction as a disease and on the development of skills that can increase our clients’ ability to function effectively and comfortably in daily life. The primary evidence-based practices used in our program are dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and the trauma-informed care model Seeking Safety.

We encourage clients to attend the clinic weekly for group, individual or family therapy. We believe it is important to treat the whole person in his or her environment, and so we strongly support family members and significant others to take part in family therapy. Each person involved in therapy, including family members and others, is provided a primary counselor (a licensed mental health counselor, social worker or family therapist), who is available to meet as often as needed.

We find that medication-assisted treatment can often be helpful in the early stages of recovery. This approach combines behavioral therapy (in group and individual sessions) and medication such as suboxone or vivitrol, which can assist with cravings. If clients are interested in this approach, they are assessed by our medical team and given an individualized treatment plan.

In many cases, treatment helps clients uncover unresolved emotional issues that were being masked by the use of drugs or alcohol. Each client is assessed psychiatrically and treated, if necessary, to build a solid foundation for recovery.