Naltrexone Treatment in Woodland Hills

What This Treatment Is

Naltrexone is a full opioid antagonist — meaning it binds to opioid receptors and blocks them without activating them. If a patient takes opioids while on naltrexone, the opioids can’t produce the euphoric or reinforcing effect. It is FDA-approved for both opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), delivered as a daily oral tablet. The extended-release injectable form (Vivitrol) is discussed on its own page.

How Naltrexone Works for OUD and AUD

For opioid use disorder, naltrexone blocks the reinforcing effect of any opioid use — removing the reward mechanism that drives relapse. For alcohol use disorder, the mechanism is different: naltrexone blunts the endogenous opioid response to alcohol, which reduces the reward associated with heavy drinking. Both indications have solid FDA approval and peer-reviewed evidence, and both work best when paired with structured therapy.

Who Naltrexone Is For

Oral naltrexone is appropriate for adults with opioid or alcohol use disorder who can achieve full opioid abstinence before starting (typically 7–10 days off short-acting opioids, 10–14 days off long-acting). It’s a fit for patients who prefer an antagonist over an agonist approach, and for those with a stable enough environment to support daily adherence. Liver function is monitored, especially in patients with pre-existing hepatic conditions.

Elevated Healing’s Specialty-Led Approach

At our Woodland Hills campus, naltrexone is prescribed by board-certified psychiatric providers with substance use expertise. Initiation is careful — starting naltrexone before opioid clearance can trigger precipitated withdrawal, which is intensely uncomfortable and clinically avoidable when timing is planned right.

Practically:

• Full evaluation at intake including opioid history, alcohol pattern, and liver function.
• Confirmed opioid-negative status before the first dose (typically via urine drug screen and a naloxone challenge in some cases).
• Starting dose typically 25 mg, moving to 50 mg daily for maintenance.
• Concurrent therapy (CBT, motivational enhancement, EMDR when trauma is a factor) — delivered on-site or via telehealth.
• Liver monitoring at defined intervals.

Access at Our Woodland Hills Campus

Our campus is at 21250 Califa St, Ste 114, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, in the West San Fernando Valley. Access is straightforward:

• From the 101 (Ventura Freeway) — exit at De Soto Avenue or Winnetka Avenue and drive a short distance north.
• From the 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) — take Winnetka or De Soto south into the West Valley.
• Nearby communities — Warner Center, Winnetka, West Hills, Canoga Park, Tarzana, and Encino are all a short drive.
• Telehealth — after your initial in-person assessment, most follow-up psychiatric visits can be done by video for California residents.

Parking and check-in details are provided at intake. If accessibility accommodations are needed, tell our admissions team when you call.

Program Levels That Deliver This Care

This service is delivered inside the level of care that matches your clinical need at intake. Level of care can shift over time as treatment progresses.

Insurance, Cost, and Getting Started

Most commercial insurance plans cover naltrexone treatment under mental health and substance use disorder benefits, which are subject to federal parity requirements under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Parity means insurers cannot impose stricter limits on behavioral health services than they apply to physical health services — a real legal protection worth knowing you have when you call.

The first step is a conversation with our admissions team. This call is free, confidential, and carries no obligation. During it, we:

• Verify your insurance benefits within one business day.
• Confirm what’s covered, what your copay or coinsurance will be, and whether prior authorization applies.
• Start any required prior authorization on your behalf so you’re not stuck on hold with your insurer.
• Schedule a clinical evaluation — usually within a few business days of your first call, sooner when the situation is time-sensitive.

If insurance doesn’t cover the service or your plan design doesn’t fit, self-pay options can be discussed. There is no charge to have this conversation. Reach us at (747) 888-3000 or use our insurance verification form.

What Progress Looks Like

Recovery through naltrexone treatment is not a straight line, and durable clinical outcomes rarely happen in weeks. Realistic timelines matter here more than optimistic promises. Most patients notice measurable improvement in the first month of consistent treatment — reduced cravings, more stable mood, better sleep, easier engagement with therapy. Substantive behavioral change typically takes root over three to six months.

Progress is reviewed at every clinical visit. We measure it in specifics: frequency of the target behavior, functional recovery in work and relationships, sleep quality, and — where medications are involved — how well the pharmacology is holding cravings and side effects. When something isn’t working, we adjust. That might mean a dose change, a therapy focus shift, or a step up or down in level of care. The plan follows the patient’s clinical picture, not the other way around.

Setbacks are treated as clinical data, not moral failure. If a relapse or symptom flare happens, the team’s job is to understand what led to it and refine the plan. Patients are not discharged for a relapse. Long-term recovery is often what happens after the acute treatment phase ends, and we plan for that from the first visit — through aftercare planning, coordinated hand-offs, and telehealth follow-up available across California.

Confidentiality and HIPAA Protections

Treatment records at Elevated Healing are protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and, for substance use records specifically, under 42 CFR Part 2 — a federal regulation providing additional protection for substance use disorder treatment information. That means treatment status and clinical details are not disclosed to family members, employers, or third parties without your written authorization, except in narrowly defined legal circumstances (imminent harm, court order).

Practical protections include HIPAA-compliant scheduling and communication systems, secure insurance verification channels, and billing structured to minimize what appears on statements. Patients with heightened confidentiality concerns can request specific accommodations at intake — arrival timing, check-in flow, telehealth-first scheduling — and our admissions team will confirm what’s available.

Frequently Asked Questions