SAN DIEGO — Two new addiction treatment clinics are opening in San Diego County this week, offering hope to those struggling with opioid addiction.
One clinic is in Vista and the other is in the city of San Diego off of University Avenue. Overall the two facilities will be ale to provide services for up to 15-hundred patients county wide.
Tuesday was the grand opening of the clinic in Vista. Their clinics are behavioral health, medical facility and pharmacy all in one. SOAP MAT, stands for "Stop Opioid Addiction Program" and "Medically Assisted Treatment."
The clinics offer a comprehensive approach to addiction treatment, including medication-assisted therapy, to help with withdrawals.
"Most patients who are new to treatment, they will have to be here on a daily basis so we know the medication is working and there aren't any adverse physiological side effects," said Mark Gonzalo, the regional director of SOAP MAT.
The CEO and executive director, Laura Rossi, says they're one of a few facilities in the country that specialize in helping pregnant and Postpartum women overcome addiction.
"I think pregnant and parenting women are often forgotten. We have to consider the whole woman, woman and baby and of course assist in keeping woman and children together," she said.
You'll also find dozens of therapy rooms at the clinics where patients get counseling to help them to recovery.
"We're building a house here, we're rebuilding lives. The medication is just one tool we use amongst all the other things. Ninety percent of it is what happens in these rooms," Gonzalo said.
With the opening of these two new clinics, the county is taking a significant step towards addressing the deadly opioid crisis. With these comprehensive services, there is new hope and a potential path to recovery for thousands of people.
"We're all about the result. the patient outcome that a patient can get from a to b and us watch them grow.
The grand opening of the clinic in the city of San Diego is set to happen Thursday afternoon. Find more information on SOAP MAT, here.