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Substance use disorder programs

The CAVHS Substance use disorder (SUD) program provides resources, support and education to help Veterans lead a healthy drug- and alcohol-free life.

How to get into the program

  1. Veteran can go to the Emergency Department at John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital
    • Primarily for patients at risk for serious withdraw complications (DTs, seizures, etc.)
    • 24-hour access to inpatient hospitalization
    • Medically-managed detox in the medical center
    • Average length of stay is five to seven days
  2. Veteran can go to ambulatory detox at the Eugene J. Towbin VA Medical Center at Fort Roots in North Little Rock, building 170, 3L
    • Primarily for patients with mild to moderate risk of withdraw complications
    • Walk-in access from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
    • Medically-managed safe detox from alcohol or drugs
    • Patients must be psychiatrically stable
    • Average length of stay is thee to five days

Veteran needs to be evaluated at the SUD Evaluation Clinic (Bldg. 170 on Unit 3L). The clinic is open Mon-Fri except on holidays no appointment is necessary in this walk-in clinic.

SUD treatment programs

  1. RRTP
    • Learning the fundamentals of recovering from an addictive disorder
    • Vocational counseling
    • Kinesiotherapy
    • Other programs such as anger management, etc.
    • Average length of stay is 28 days
  2. Intensive outpatient program
    • Learning the fundamentals of recovering from an addictive disorder
    • Vocational programming: incentive therapy
    • Kinesiotherapy
    • Case management and aftercare planning
    • Average length of stay is 28 days
  3. Buprenorphine program
    • Opiate specific detoxification or maintenance therapy for patients with opiate dependency
    • Includes medication education
    • Progress groups meet one to two times a week
    • Individual therapy as needed
  4. Dual diagnosis program
    • Learning the fundamentals of recovering from an addictive disorder
    • Learning to manage a psychiatric disorder
    • Case management and aftercare planning
    • Average length of stay is four to seven weeks
  5. Outpatient aftercare
    • Reinforcement of recover fundamentals
    • Strengthening of community support
    • Average length of stay is six to 12 months

Services Provided:

Recognizing your substance use problem; refusing offers to use substances; recognizing consequences of substance use; building a recovery support system; stages of change; self-help programs and recovery clubs; how to benefit from treatment; dealing with family/interpersonal problems; managing cravings and urges; medications for substance use problems; managing thoughts of using; relapse prevention (reducing the risk); managing difficult emotions; relapse management.

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