The dual missions of the Kolmac Clinic are: (1) to help adults establish a satisfying life without alcohol or other addictive drugs and (2) to leave the alcohol and drug treatment field better than we found it.
Established initially with a focus on alcohol treatment, the Kolmac program soon expanded to include drug treatment as well. As an addiction psychiatrist, I was able to further broaden the program by assembling a clinical staff that was also able to address some of the co-morbid psychiatric conditions that can sometimes complicate substance use disorders. Since 1973, we have provided drug and alcohol treatment for over 10,000 people, many of whom have achieved recovery from the disease of addiction to alcohol and drugs.
The staff and I have created this website as an added resource for those in the community who are interested in recovery. We hope that you enjoy your visit to our site and would appreciate any feedback that you have about it.
George Kolodner, M.D.
Co-Founder and Medical Director
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Drug and Alcohol Treatment
The Kolmac Clinic provides outpatient treatment for adults with alcohol and other drug problems. Because Kolmac is an outpatient program, patients can receive treatment without taking leave from work or family responsibility. At Kolmac, as at other treatment centers, drug treatment and alcohol treatment are no longer considered separately. Patients with problems in one or both areas are treated together. The term “substance abuse treatment” has been used at times, although the stigmatizing implications of the word “abuse” has led to a search for a preferable term such as “substance use disorders.”
The heart of our drug and alcohol treatment program is the participation of patients in the rehabilitation and continued care phases of our program. Detoxification is required for approximately 14% of our patients with alcohol disorders and 85% of those with opioid disorders. Kolmac has pioneered in outpatient detoxification from drugs and alcohol, allowing patients with severe physical addiction to avoid hospitalization. Since 2003, the availability of buprenorphine has dramatically reduced the discomfort of detoxification from prescription pain pills and heroin.
Although we do not have any “magic bullets,” new medications have helped reduce the frequency of relapses and improved the odds for recovery. An added benefit is that these medications have minimal side effects. For alcohol treatment, acamprosate (Campral) and naltrexone (Revia, Vivitrol) have been useful. For drug treatment, using buprenorphine for a period of time beyond detoxification has helped to stabilize patients with opioid addiction. We have become one of the leading organizations advancing the use of buprenorphine as a stabilizing agent for patients addicted to opioids. Our medical staff continuously monitors the safety and effectiveness of new medications to determine which ones to make available to our patients.
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