No matter your location globally, you’re likely familiar with New York City. Whether you know it from the Broadway musicals or by its nickname, the “Big Apple,” it’s considered the most populated city in the United States. There is so much to do and food to eat, making it one of the most desired places to visit and live. One of its boroughs, Staten Island, is widely known for its museums, green park spaces, historical buildings, and natural spaces. Staten Island is sometimes referred to as the borough of the parks. Its notable parks include High Rock Park, Lemon Creek Park, Greenbelt, and Clove Lakes. No matter where you are in New York City, there’s something for you.
No matter your reason for visiting New York or Staten Island, one thing you can’t avoid is opioid addiction, which is affecting the region. In the past decade, opioid use has exploded. The opioid crisis has come in three waves. The first stems from pharmaceutical representatives convincing doctors their product was not addictive in the slightest, leading to a wave of opioid prescriptions for anything from a toothache to a sprained ankle. Once the government witnessed the devastating nature of opioid prescriptions, doctors scaled back, which led to the next phase of the opioid crisis when addicts sought out heroin to feed their addiction. It was cheaper and readily available. From there, fentanyl emerged onto the market and led to devastation and destruction.
One could argue that we’re entering the fourth wave of the crisis, which pandemic lockdowns have caused. Statistics back that up, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released preliminary figures highlighting the severity of this new wave. From April 2019 to April 2020, 78,056 people lost their lives. From April 2020 to April 2021, 100,306 people lost their lives due to drug overdose deaths, an increase of 28.5 percent.
For perspective, opioids were responsible for 75,673 deaths, up from 56,064 the year prior. The CDC states that fentanyl was the main culprit, but prescription opioids also caused a rise in overdose deaths. Experts are shocked because they’ve never seen anything like this, with many of them blaming the current lockdowns and depression that follows. When you can’t go to Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Alcohol Anonymous (AA) meetings, it takes a toll on your mental health and will to remain sober.
With the largest population in the United States, New York City has also grappled with opioid addiction. Although it’s not close to the Mexican border, New York is one of the primary entry ports for illicit drugs that are smuggled into the country. The result has been a crisis reaching record levels. If you’re living in Staten Island and you’re fed up with addiction, detox and addiction treatment are the optimal means of battling this disease. The battle against opioid addiction is seldom fought and won alone.
Getting help goes further than you could imagine. Below, we’ll discuss what you can expect if you decide to get the help you need.
Opioid Addiction in Staten Island
In 2015, an estimated 9 million opioid prescriptions were dispensed. Statistics also found that between 2011 and 2014, nearly 145,000 New
Yorkers abused or were dependent on opioids like heroin, fentanyl, or prescription narcotics. The NYS Health Foundation calls the opioid crisis in areas like Staten Island multifaceted, meaning it requires a broad range of interventions to treat. The report also visits the relationship between opioid manufacturers and physicians, showing that drug manufacturers spent $3.5 million in opioid promotion activities to New York State physicians. They found that 10 percent of doctors who prescribed opioids received a payment, and those who prescribed more opioids got more opioid-related payments.
According to New York City Health statistics, 132 Staten Island residents died of a drug overdose in 2020, equating to 37.0 per 100,000 thousand residents. Those aged 35 to 54 made up the largest number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl made up 70 percent of these deaths, with heroin contributing another 50 percent, showing that opioids were the overwhelming majority of deaths in Staten Island.
As such, Staten Island is clearly not exempt from the sheer devastation and destruction caused by opioids globally. However, despite it seeming like there is no end in sight, opioid detox & treatment in Staten Island can save your life. The silver lining is how treatment centers have responded by providing the highest quality of care to help those struggling with opioid addiction.
Opioid Detox & Rehab in Staten Island
If you’ve made the conscious decision to change your life and seek help for opioid addiction, you might wonder how the process works. Fortunately, we’ll discuss that below and provide you with essential information to make you comfortable with your decision. Whether you’re local to Staten Island or want to travel here for treatment, this is how Summit Behavioral Health can help.
Partial Hospitalization
Partial hospitalization (PHP) is the most intensive level of care that allows you to live alone. You will attend addiction treatment services and follow a strict schedule, which might be on a part-time or full-time basis. To qualify for PHP, treatment services require at least 20 hours of your time per week. For inpatient treatment, you’ll go through various therapies based on your current needs, including individual and group therapy sessions. You’ll work through your treatment plan, which can be adjusted as needed. You’ll also attend behavioral therapies, addiction education and create relapse prevention plans to manage your recovery once you leave treatment.
Intensive Outpatient
Intensive outpatient (IOP) shares similar traits with partial hospitalization. However, it only requires nine or more hours of treatment services per week, compared to 20 with PHP. As you gradually adjust to less time in treatment and put that time toward reaching your goals, you’ll likely encounter triggers and stress that threaten your sobriety. By continuing your treatment in IOP, you can address these challenges with the clinical support you might need. Outpatient services are vital steps between more intensive levels of care and establishing independence in recovery. It allows you to continue working through your treatment goals and attend therapies to address your needs.
Aftercare
When you finish a stint in treatment, your path toward recovery has only begun. As mentioned earlier, you’re going to face triggers and stress in life that will make you feel as though you need to use them again. By immersing yourself in 12-step programs and spending time with fellow alumni, you can focus on what matters and safeguard your sobriety. Fortunately, Summit Behavioral Health will continue to help you on this journey and provide you with the tools you need to stay sober.
Opioid Detox & Treatment in Staten Island FAQs
Now that you understand the process when entering into an opioid and detox treatment program in Staten Island, you likely have some lingering questions before committing to getting help. Fortunately, we’ve anticipated some common questions and want to answer them below. If we missed yours or the answer was insufficient, please contact our intake coordinators for more.
How long is rehab?
The answer to that question varies from one person to another based on their current needs. If you were diagnosed with a co-occurring mental health condition, abuse other drugs or alcohol along with opioids, or you’re a severe opioid addict who uses needles, you will need more intensive care than a person who was using their pain medication and needed some extra help to stop. All in all, the process typically lasts from 30 to 90 days but can be shorter or longer. It all depends on what you need. Your treatment plan will be adjusted as you go and could result in a shorter stay than initially anticipated.
Does Summit Behavioral Health provide transportation?
If it helps overcome a barrier for help, we’ll provide transportation to and from the airport, bus station, and to and from off-site appointments. Bear in mind that you will be responsible for these extra charges.
How much does opioid detox and treatment cost?
Again, since we cannot predict what you need without evaluating you, we cannot determine what care you’ll require. For that reason, we cannot provide cost estimates here. Whether you have insurance or not will also factor into the cost of care, so please contact our intake coordinator for more information.
Do I have to travel?
Whether you live in Staten Island or elsewhere in New York, you must travel to our facility.
What insurance carriers does Summit Behavioral Health take?
Your insurance plan will likely cover the costs associated with addiction treatment. Insurance companies must offer coverage for mental health and behavioral treatment. Please contact your insurance company for more details. Summit Behavioral Health is in-network with Cigna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, and others.
