Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

What Medication-Assisted Treatment Is

Medication-Assisted Treatment, or MAT, is the clinical practice of combining FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) with counseling and behavioral therapy. It is not a shortcut, and it is not a replacement for therapy. It is the framework the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration identifies as the current standard of care for opioid use disorder.

The medications work by reducing cravings, blunting withdrawal, and blocking the reinforcing effect of continued use. That physical stabilization is what makes therapy possible. When cravings are running the show, insight-oriented work rarely holds. When the biology is quieted, the person can show up to their sessions, keep appointments with their family, and start rebuilding routines that make recovery durable.

At Elevated Healing, MAT sits inside a broader, structured plan. Every person entering the substance use track receives a psychiatric evaluation, a medication assessment, and a coordinated therapy schedule. Medication is one tool. It works because of the clinical structure around it.

The Evidence Base for MAT

The clinical evidence for MAT is unusually strong for a behavioral health intervention. Peer-reviewed research summarized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that MAT with buprenorphine or methadone significantly reduces overdose mortality and increases treatment retention for opioid use disorder. For alcohol use disorder, medications like naltrexone and acamprosate meaningfully reduce heavy drinking days when combined with therapy, as documented in guidance from the American Psychiatric Association.

We stay current with the guidance. When newer research changes a protocol, our medical team updates its approach. We do not select medications for marketing appeal or hold on to protocols simply because they are familiar.

Our Clinician Team

MAT at Elevated Healing is prescribed and managed by board-certified psychiatric providers. Our Medical Director, Warren Taff, MD, brings more than 40 years of psychiatric practice, and our founders, Dr. Kourosh Moradi and Dr. Nicole Fallah, built the program around a specialty-led model that keeps clinical accountability clear. Therapy is delivered by licensed therapists credentialed in evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).

Every person on MAT sees the psychiatric provider on a regular cadence. That is not a paperwork visit. Dose adjustments, side-effect review, and treatment goals are re-examined at each appointment. When something is not working, we change it.

Our FDA-Approved MAT Medications

Note on methadone: We do not operate an on-site methadone clinic. Methadone requires dispensing through a federally certified Opioid Treatment Program (OTP). If a patient’s clinical picture points to methadone as the best fit, we coordinate a referral to a licensed OTP and continue the therapy and psychiatric portion of care.

Program Levels Where MAT Is Delivered

MAT is not a standalone service. It is delivered inside a level of care that matches the patient’s clinical need. The Elevated Healing continuum includes:

• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) — Structured day program with psychiatric oversight, group and individual therapy, and MAT integration. Typically five days per week.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) — Three-to-five sessions per week that allow patients to maintain work or school while receiving substantial clinical support and MAT management.
• Outpatient Program (OP) — Weekly therapy plus regular psychiatric visits for MAT continuation. Appropriate as a step-down from higher levels of care or for stable patients maintaining recovery.
• Telehealth Follow-Up — Video visits with the psychiatric provider for MAT management and dose review, available across California.

The right level of care is determined at intake and can shift over time. Stepping down when a patient stabilizes — and stepping back up if warning signs return — is a normal part of the plan, not a failure.

MAT in Your Area

Our physical campus is at 21250 Califa St, Ste 114, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, minutes from the 101 and 118 freeways in the West San Fernando Valley. We serve patients from Woodland Hills, Calabasas, and the surrounding communities in person, and we deliver telehealth MAT follow-up across California.

Frequently Asked Questions