Opioid substitution therapy for mental health and substance abuse patients
Opioid dependence is a long-term illness, and its treatment is therefore long-term, goal-oriented and systematic. In opioid replacement therapy, the goal set for you is personal and may change at different stages of treatment. We set the goal for your treatment in cooperation with you and take it into account in the planning of the treatment. The goal for improving your quality of life may be rehabilitating you to enjoy a life free from intoxicants or to reduce the harm caused by substance abuse.
In addition to the medical treatment of opioid dependence, the opioid replacement therapy also includes support for health and life management. We will draw up a treatment plan with you. In it, we agree on work that supports your well-being and contributes to the improvement of your quality of life. Rehabilitative work includes, for example, detoxification discussions and practising various skills in your everyday environment. We will update the treatment plan on a regular basis and whenever the objective for the treatment changes, for example.
Opioid replacement therapy is provided in the outpatient care units of the mental health and substance abuse services. The safe start of the medical treatment requires daily visits to the treatment facility. The treatment can also be started in an institution if your health or life management situation so requires. This may be the case if your physical condition is weak or you need to withdraw from other intoxicants in an institution, for example.