Emmaus House’s sixth home provides an alternative for the recovery community.
Not everyone recovering from substance use disorder or addiction follows the same path. Just like those recovering from any other disease, each person seeking recovery needs to discern the best course of treatment for them based on the recommendations of professionals and their recovery community. For some, this means participating in a traditional 12-Step program. For others, it means a rigorous residential program that provides clear boundaries and structure. And for others, it means pursuing a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program that uses doctor-prescribed medications along with a holistic course of therapeutic counseling and other social supports to establish a strong, supportive foundation for their recovery. That’s why for our sixth home, Emmaus House has made MAT an option for those living within the Emmaus House community.
Why a MAT House?
First and foremost, people recover differently. Research has found that multiple failed attempts with abstinence programs are common, and Medically Assisted Treatment programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of these individuals to help them chart their course to recovery. The medications prescribed reduce cravings and relapse rates, and by extension, dramatically decrease overdose deaths. While some judge MAT programs negatively, we believe in the science and experience of the tens of thousands who have successfully participated in these programs and found them a viable pathway to recovery, and ultimately abstinence.
Secondly, we discovered that among those men struggling to maintain abstinence through a peer support-only approach, an alarming number of overdoses and deaths were reported. Without medical and pharmaceutical interventions, these men faced multiple relapses. And not only were the relapses a setback to their recovery – they were also putting them at greater risk for medical emergencies and death. Most of the men interviewed credited a MAT program with saving their lives. And a life saved is a life that has the hope of finding healing in recovery.
Finally, the Emmaus House MAT facility provides a safe place for men to call home while they begin their life in recovery. Life in addiction is often lonely, transient, and traumatizing. Emmaus House offers a clean, safe, and structured community where the men can encourage one another and hold each other accountable as they walk together toward a life in recovery. For many, Emmaus House is the first time these men experience a reliable, predictable, and welcoming home where they can live in a community working towards a common goal.
More than anything, we believe everyone is worthy of access to recovery resources, and we are committed to meeting them where they are in the journey. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more or have questions about the Emmaus House MAT program.
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A MAT House testimonial
My name is Jeremy.* I have been living at Emmaus House for three months, and it has been a life-changing decision. I have grown a lot in these last three months, more than I have in the previous ten years of my life. Since moving into the medically assisted recovery house, I have learned how to stay clean and sober, while continuing to push forward. I was living and running the streets every day, doing drugs, and harming myself and others. I know today that I don’t have to live that way anymore. I no longer have to live in the woods or on the streets because Emmaus House offers a stable home. I have gotten a good paying job that I enjoy. Emmaus House has taught me how to live the right way. I no longer need to live that sad life.
At Emmaus House, I am not judged about my past nor my pathway to recovery. I still go to recovery meetings, to be a part of the community. I am now actively trying to do the ‘next right thing’. Emmaus House has been a blessing and life-lesson. I would recommend Emmaus House to anyone that is willing to learn a different way to live life.
*pseudonym used to protect identity