The Ambulatory Detox Program
Michael Coburn, MD, Addiction Medicine Specialist; Jessica Elliott, LMHC, Director of Substance Use Services; and Kazi Salahuddin, MD, Psychiatrist and CCA Medical Director.
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A New Level of Treatment
By Morgan Wynkoop, Community Care Alliance Marketing & Development Assistant
Ambulatory Detox is an outpatient program with intensive, daily health monitoring. The strength of the Ambulatory Detox Team is that they support patients experiencing addiction with a combination of knowledge in substance use treatment, experience, and personal motivation. Our clients, whether in outpatient or inpatient programs, are supported with approaches and methods that allow them to create healthy new habits, expand their skills, and implement these practices in their daily lives.
 Bonnie DelSanto, RN, QMHP, Intake and Ambulatory Detox RN; Becky Chartier CCSP, BA, LCDP, RCS, Acute Services Clinician; and Jessica Elliott, LMHC, Director of Substance Use Services.
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On the Radio
Our Team discusses the new Ambulatory Detox program at Community Care Alliance. This outpatient treatment allows people to withdraw from alcohol or substances with medical assistance while keeping to routines. Learn more about this exciting option along with others that fit whatever the situation happens to be.
Listen here
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Dr. Michael Coburn specializes in Addiction Medicine and has an integral role on this team. His motivation comes from his own lived experience as a person in recovery. Dr. Coburn helps patients with substance use disorders, holding positions at methadone clinics, private offices, and now as the Medical Director of AdCare RI. In addition, he operates a small private practice, two days a week, exclusively for patients with substance use disorder (SUD).
Coburn states, “I recognize the futility of continued substance use and the rewards of recovery. Spreading this message both satisfies my desire to help others and helps keep me sober.”
He also notes that there is a wide gap between patients who are suffering with substance use and those that seek treatment for the disease. With his long-standing experience he wants to bridge the gap and be able to provide a means for those to have a plan that works for them. He states, “Broadening my medical reach to include outpatient alcohol and opioid detox would, in a small way, contribute to closing this gap.”
His and the team’s continued focus on meeting patients where they are, helps those “who are unable or unwilling to engage in inpatient detox. And it is this subset of patients that we seek to help.” This commitment is clearly seen. The team’s motivation is crucial to the continued help and support they provide to patients. Without experiences and insights, it is hard to say if our clients would feel safe, supported, and seen.
Dr. Coburn shares his initial recommendation by utilizing best medical practices such as medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder combined with counseling and recovery work. The approach does not stop there—he also takes the patient’s goals into consideration, stating, “I will meet patients in whatever stage of change they might be in and try to maximize their chances of success.” The road to success looks different for each person, which is why he also recognizes harm reduction and is a firm believer in Methadone Maintenance.
The Ambulatory Detox Team embraces all these core factors to create a program that supports the clients’ own goals and successes. It’s the client’s strengths and skills that are fostered to develop and grow to make their recovery successful.