Straight Answers About Treatment
The questions people search at 2 a.m. before they call anyone — about federal prescribing rules, privacy at work, crisis lines, and what the first appointment actually involves. Written by our clinical team and reviewed by our medical director.
Federal rules and access
Suboxone without an in-person visit
Whether a clinician can prescribe buprenorphine after a video or phone evaluation, what happened to the X-waiver, and what still limits access.
Can a doctor prescribe Suboxone without an in-person visit?Virtual prescribing of controlled medications
How telemedicine prescribing works now across drug schedules, what audio-only allows, and the five questions to ask any remote prescriber.
Can controlled substances still be prescribed virtually?Methadone take-home rules
The 2024 federal rewrite ended the daily-dosing default. What take-home eligibility looks like now and how buprenorphine compares.
Do you still have to go to a clinic daily for methadone?
Treatment basics
MAT vs. detox
Why detox alone is the highest-risk moment in opioid use disorder, and what medication-assisted treatment does that detox cannot.
MAT vs. detox: what's the difference?Behavioral health credentials
LPC, LCSW, LMFT, CSAC, PsyD, PMHNP and MD — what each one can treat, who can prescribe, and who to call first.
Counselor, LCSW, psychologist or psychiatrist: who does what?The intake assessment
Every question you will be asked, how ASAM criteria decide your level of care, and what you can decline to answer.
What happens during a clinical assessment?
Privacy, work and crisis
Confidentiality at work
42 CFR Part 2, HIPAA, FMLA and the ADA — what an employer can and cannot learn, and how to get treatment without disclosing.
Will my employer find out I'm in addiction treatment?What calling 988 actually does
How often crisis calls result in a police response, what the counselor will ask, and when an ongoing program is the better answer.
Does calling 988 send police to your house?
Still not sure what you need?
Our admissions team will talk through your situation and tell you honestly which level of care fits — including when that means referring you somewhere else. See our guide to levels of care or check what your insurance covers.
Get help today
Talk to someone who's done this before
Whether you're calling for yourself or for someone you love, the first conversation is free and completely confidential.
- Admissions — 24/7(571) 586-2883
- Location5400 Shawnee Road, Alexandria, VA