Treating opioid and fentanyl use at Kolmac Integrated Behavioral Health
At Kolmac Integrated Behavioral Health, outpatient care for opioid and fentanyl use combines medication-assisted treatment, evidence-based therapy, and integrated mental health support, designed to work around your life rather than disrupt it.
The scale of the crisis is significant. Since 1999, over a million people in the United States have lost their lives to opioid overdose. Opioid use disorder affects people from every background, profession, and stage of life.
What matters is that effective, accessible care exists, and that getting started is simpler than many people expect.
Understanding opioid use disorder
Opioid use disorder may involve prescription or illicit opioids.
Prescription opioids include:
- Vicodin
- Percocet
- Codeine
- Morphine
- OxyContin
- Demerol
- Dilaudid
- Fentanyl
Illicit opioids include:
- Heroin
- Opium
- Fake prescription opioids
- Illicit fentanyl / carfentanil
Drug traffickers also manufacture and distribute most of the prescription opioids listed above nationwide.
These illicitly produced drugs are more dangerous than their legal counterparts and more dangerous than illegal heroin or opium because they often contain fentanyl, which is 50 times more powerful than heroin, or carfentanil, which is 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of completed CDC data, in 2024:
- 54,045 people died of opioid overdose
- 4.8 million people had an opioid use disorder
- 7.6 million people misused prescription opioids
Yet despite the scale of the problem, SAMHSA’s 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found:
- Only about 1 in 5 people (19.3%) who needed substance use treatment actually received it
- Of the 4.8 million people with OUD, only 17% received medication for it
So the treatment gap remains wide. At Kolmac, our goal is to close that gap by offering opioid treatment programs that are effective, accessible, and affordable, including dual diagnosis treatment for people managing mental health conditions alongside OUD.
Fentanyl: A new danger
What makes fentanyl particularly dangerous is how widely it has contaminated the broader drug supply. It now commonly appears in counterfeit pills designed to look like prescription medications, along with heroin, cocaine, and other substances. Many people who encounter fentanyl do so without knowing it.
That’s especially true for people who believe they’re taking a prescription painkiller or a familiar street drug. Counterfeit pills that look identical to legitimate medications are now common, and a single pill can contain a lethal dose.
Why is fentanyl different?
Opioid overdose deaths have declined since 2023, but fentanyl remains a dominant driver.
According to research published in The Lancet Regional Health, synthetic opioids like fentanyl were involved in 57.9% of all overdose deaths for the 12-month period ending in March 2025 — still over 140 opioid overdose deaths per day.
The need for early intervention
Every day without treatment increases the risk of an overdose. It stops people from getting better and re-establishing connections with their families, friends, and communities. Taking the step to seek help is one of the strongest moves someone with OUD can make.
For those with OUD exposed to fentanyl or worried about a contaminated supply, rapid MAT access offers one of the most clinically meaningful interventions. Buprenorphine (Suboxone) quickly reduces cravings and significantly lowers overdose risk.
That’s why Kolmac organizes its system to ensure patients start treatment without delay.
Buprenorphine and Suboxone: How Kolmac uses MAT
Medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine is the evidence-based standard of care for opioid use disorder.
Buprenorphine works by binding to the same receptors in the brain that opioids target — enough to relieve cravings and withdrawal symptoms, but without producing the same high.
Suboxone, the most commonly prescribed formulation, combines buprenorphine with naloxone, an ingredient that discourages misuse.
MAT at Kolmac
A common concern among patients and families is whether MAT substitutes one opioid for another.
SAMHSA supports the use of buprenorphine and other medications for opioid use disorder as an evidence-based approach to reducing illicit opioid use. It can lower overdose deaths and boost treatment adherence in outpatient care.
At Kolmac, buprenorphine is prescribed and monitored by our clinical team as part of a coordinated plan that includes therapy, group programming, and ongoing support.
For many, same-day buprenorphine induction is available. The dosage is reviewed frequently as patients move from IOP to continuing care, aiming to identify the minimal effective amount that sustains stability and everyday function.
Our opioid treatment pathway
Kolmac offers a full outpatient continuum for people with OUD. The pathway is designed to be clear and achievable, with clinical support at every stage.
For most patients with OUD, that pathway looks like this:
Medically supervised withdrawal management
Structured outpatient programming with integrated MAT
Transition to continuing care as stability is established
Virtual opioid detox
For patients who need support managing withdrawal before entering structured programming, Kolmac’s virtual detox program provides medically supervised withdrawal management from home.
A clinical team monitors symptoms and manages medications throughout the process, without requiring an inpatient stay.
For opioid withdrawal, this often includes buprenorphine induction as part of the detox process itself.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
Treatment at Kolmac can include medication-assisted treatment from the start. FDA-approved medications for OUD include buprenorphine (Suboxone) and extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol).
Kolmac’s prescribing clinicians determine the appropriate medication based on personal history. Our clinicians provide ongoing medication management from IOP through continuing care.
Substance use IOP
Substance use IOP is the core of structured treatment for most patients with OUD. It combines group therapy, counseling, and other evidence-based approaches several days per week.
Frequently asked questions
Kolmac’s clinical team works with each patient to determine the right approach based on their history and progress.
There’s no predetermined endpoint.
Our intake process includes a clinical assessment to determine the right starting point.
Virtual detox is an option for patients requiring initial withdrawal management.
Kolmac’s clinical team approaches each admission without judgment. Our focus is on where you are now and how we can best support you.
Start opioid treatment at Kolmac
Overcoming opioid use disorder is possible, but the path is unique for everyone. At Kolmac, the focus is on approaching you without judgment, wherever you are.
Most don’t know what to expect when they call. We offer same-day evaluations and, for qualifying patients, same-day buprenorphine induction, so care can begin without unnecessary delay.
