Begin Your Recovery at Shorehaven, Complete Your Recovery at Shorehaven

Research shows that bringing both mental health and substance abuse treatment together in one program produces the best results. The length of the care, be it one, two, or more years, is crucial to long term recovery.

Substance Abuse Counselors at Shorehaven are all licensed in mental health treatment as well as substance abuse counseling. So we can work with both kinds of problems in an integrated way.

Substance Abuse Counselors use many evidence-based methods to help.

Medication-Assisted Treatment means combining counseling with medications that may help reduce the urges or cravings for a drug or help support your recovery. These medications may be used over the long term in order to help with recovery. Shorehaven has psychiatrists on staff to provide these medications. The following are types of Medication-Assisted treatments for the following addictions:

Alcohol - naltrexone (ReVia), acamprosate (Campral)

Heroin, Vicodin, and other opioids - buprenorphine (Suboxone), naltrexone (Vivitrol)

Nicotine - bupropion (Zyban), varenicline (Chantix), nicotine substitutes

Methadone is also used for opioid addiction but is dispensed by special clinics in the community.


Individual Counseling for Substance Use problems [including OWI], Mental Health problems [depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, severe mental illness, etc.], and Family problems. We will work with you individually and we can work with you and your family together as well. For long-term recovery from addiction, including your family or partner in counseling increases your ability to recover.


We create an individualized treatment plan for all our clients. We can serve both adolescents and adults experiencing substance use problems.


Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based method that helps determine your readiness for change and helps you be more prepared to make effective changes.


Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy methods help change the thought patterns which you use, the ones where you tell yourself the behavior is okay, the ways you rationalize or minimize or deny the problem.


12-Step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, etc., use group support and a program of spiritual and behavioral guidelines to help you take responsibility for changing. We use a method called Twelve-Step Facilitation to help you get the most out of these programs.


Relapse Prevention identifies the triggers and patterns for using so you can learn ways to handle them differently.

About Addiction

Addiction is general thought to be a disease. One can be addicted to substances, such as alcohol (including beer), amphetamines (speed), opiate (heroin, morphine), cocaine, marijuana, tobacco, or certain prescription drugs, especially tranquilizers and pain medications (usually opiates).


You may be surprised to learn that one can be addicted to activities, and in the brain, the effect is similar to the addiction to chemicals; these activities include gambling, sex, food, spending, and Internet use.


Addiction is marked by tolerance for large amounts of the substance or activity, devoting more and more of your life to getting and using the chemical or activity, loss of control after starting so that you do more of it than you intend or you can't stop with only a small amount, and adverse reactions when stopping use [withdrawal]. These problems are usually chronic, with frequent relapses.


These problems are on a continuum with:


Addiction at one extreme


Abuse, which is use despite the consequences of using


Problem Use


Social Use


Abstinence at the other end of the spectrum.


Typically, the person finds the substance or activity very rewarding, often making one feel more normal, less depressed, or more relaxed. Eventually, the addictive and harmful nature of the chemical or activity takes over.

Learn about the mental health professionals, their licenses and certifications.