“Right now were are serving 215 or so clients from Minot and the surrounding area and it is steadily increasing,” said Bridget Malone, manager of Community Medical Services of Minot, which is also known as the methadone clinic. “The need is a lot higher than we are serving. There’s definitely more people that need services.”

Laura Larson is the behavioral health director at Northland Community Health Center of Minot. It is there that addicts receive treatment through a combination of medication, case management and counseling.

“They are most successful when doing all parts of the process – medication, support and counseling,” said Larson. “There’s definitely a big need in this state and nationally. It’s a problem.”

“We often refer to Community Health Services and Northland,” said Dina Goodman, counselor at Goodman Addiction Services of Minot. “There’s a lot of opioids and more methamphetamine in the last six months than a year ago. It goes in spurts.”

Kim Fundingsland/MDN Community Medical Services of Minot, sometimes referred to as the methadone clinic, uses a combination of outpatient medication-assisted treatment and counseling to assist addicts in their recovery process.

Ideal Option is another addiction treatment facility in Minot. The clinic has limited hours as posted on their website. There too, says Jane Sveen, the need for treatment in the Minot area is clear. Sveen is with Ideal Option in Bismarck.

“We don’t currently have a full-time provider on site in Minot,” explained Sveen. “We do have some hours to come and be seen by telemed. We want everyone to know we’re here.”

The goal of all the addiction treatment clinics is to allow addicts to return to a much more normal lifestyle, free from the influence of drugs. One of the first hurdles to overcome, once a person commits to removing themselves from the burdens of drug use, is going through withdrawl.

“With opiates, often they are looking at pretty severe withdrawl symptoms,” said Goodman. “It’s not that they don’t want treatment, but rather less painful detox.”

Community Medical Center primarily relies on methadone to treat heroin addicts begin their withdrawl program in what they describe as a “medication-assisted treatment in conjunction with psycho-social counseling” as treatment for opioid-use disorders.

“Everybody is welcome. We don’t expect anybody to be drug free,” said Malone. “They can call or stop in anytime. It’s a laid back atmosphere, not intimidating. It is different for everyone. Quite a few people that have completed the program stay on it, get stable, find jobs and rebuild their lives.”

Goodman said treatment includes an “intensive out-patient program” for those who are staying in the community.

“We have evening programs so they can keep their job, pay rent and not lose their homes,” said Goodman.

Often addicts are willing to engage in criminal acts, such as burglary, to support their drug habit. That leads to possible incarceration which has not proven very beneficial to changing an addict’s life-style. A better method, say many professionals, is treatment.

“Success comes for us when we know clients are physically feeling better, back at their jobs and family and community,” said Larson. “They go to work and contribute to the community. They are feeling healthy and feeling well.”

At Ideal Option the main treatment for those addicted to heroin is usually a combination of Vivitrol and counseling. Vivitrol is used to prevent a relapse of opioid dependence after detox.

“It’s an amazing drug,” said Sveen. “I really have not seen it fail. It really helps people feel better. Our goal is to keep addicts comfortable as long as it helps them. We expect relapse, but then we still work with them. It is a disease. If a person has a safe place to live, a vehicle, a job and a relationship, they do very well.”