CleanSlate Partners with Building Blocks Counseling in Phoenix to Create a New Campus Style of Care for Addiction Treatment

Phoenix, AZCleanSlate Centers, a national leader in outpatient medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol addiction, is now seeing patients by appointment at its new center in Phoenix, Arizona. The office-based center is located inside the Building Blocks Counseling (BBC) offices at 7725 N. 43rd Avenue, Suite 522, and will be known as CleanSlate Phoenix BBC. The center’s staff began seeing patients this week.

CleanSlate’s newest center, the company’s fourth in the Greater Phoenix area, represents a novel partnership with BBC, a treatment facility with a broad range of outpatient and inpatient services. The alliance allows CleanSlate and BBC to navigate patients through the continuum of care, helping patients to easily access low-cost services they may need to achieve or maintain recovery.

CleanSlate patients at this center will have immediate connections to services such as individual, family and group counseling; DUI and drug court classes; and intensive outpatient programs. For BBC, the co-location offers its patients access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for their disease, which can be critical to preventing relapse and sustaining recovery. Patients who experience relapse in sober living at BBC can now be transitioned to MAT services at CleanSlate to provide an increased level of care, instead of being discharged for substance use.

“CleanSlate’s new partnership with BBC is an example of how communities can collaborate to battle the opioid epidemic and the disease of addiction,” said Jonathan Candee, an Expansion Business Partner for CleanSlate. “This campus style of care allows both BBC and CleanSlate to expand their services, making it easy for patients to access anything they might need along the continuum of care for recovery.”

Having treated more than 35,000 patients over the past decade, CleanSlate’s program of care includes appropriate medication treatment prescribed by licensed medical providers, as well as clear accountability, supportive counseling and care coordination. With 11,000 active patients across 48 centers nationwide, the medical group is actively growing its footprint to expand much-needed access to medication treatment for addiction.

Building Blocks Counseling, which has been accredited by the Joint Commission and recognized by SAMHSA with a grant, offers a specialized program for men and women involved in the justice system. Whether pre-trial or post incarceration, BBC focuses on the specific needs of this population. The company works with industry leaders such as ViVRE Recovery Housing, Arizona Women’s Education and Employment, and Family Service Agency to offer additional services that are often needed by these men and women, such as life skills development, resume building and structured sober living.

“Stigma already presents huge obstacles for recovery,” said Amy Magras, Center Manager for several of CleanSlate’s Phoenix centers. “People involved in the justice system encounter added barriers to the challenges of recovery. We’re eager to provide additional treatment support for people coming out of incarceration, helping them reclaim their lives and avoid recidivism.”

CleanSlate Phoenix BBC represents another step in the company’s drive towards innovation to address all of the complex issues facing patients who suffer from addiction. For example, staff at CleanSlate’s Phoenix centers currently test patients for HIV and Hep-C, since those suffering from opioid and alcohol addiction often engage in high-risk behaviors that make them more susceptible to contracting those diseases. CleanSlate’s specialists refer at-risk patients to providers of TRUVADA for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a new medication that can help reduce the risk of contracting HIV.

“When I’m having a discussion with patients about their negative results for HIV and Hep-C, I talk to them about this being their ‘clean slate,’” said Felicia Sumlin, Medical Assistant/ Medical Receptionist at CleanSlate’s Phoenix centers. “They often make a new commitment to not engage in high risk behaviors, and if they do I can refer them to TRUVADA providers.”

Candee believes that CleanSlate Phoenix BBC will simplify the confusing choices surrounding addiction treatment. “One of the biggest barriers for patients across the country is how to navigate the continuum of care,” he observed. “With CleanSlate Phoenix BBC, we are helping plug people in to the services they need. Whether you are court mandated to find help, or personally invested, or a family member trying to figure out how to help your loved one, we can work collaboratively to help people connect with services. As we demonstrate that this methodology works, we hope to replicate it with other agencies in Phoenix and across the nation. This represents the essence of one of our company’s core values: together we succeed.”

CleanSlate Phoenix BBC will be open two days a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To make an appointment at this center, call 480-729-8341.

About CleanSlate

A pioneer and leader in office-based, outpatient addiction medicine, CleanSlate is a rapidly expanding national medical group that provides treatment for the chronic disease of addiction, primarily opioid and alcohol use disorders. Founded in 2009 in response to the country’s growing opioid epidemic, CleanSlate’s physician-led centers utilize medication treatment and related therapies to treat patients who suffer from addiction and associated disorders, adhering to the highest quality, evidence-based practices.

Learn more about CleanSlate at www.cleanslatecenters.com, and sign up for our newsletter to receive regular insights about addiction and the opioid epidemic. To schedule an appointment at any CleanSlate center, please visit http://www.cleanslatecenters.com to find the center nearest you. All CleanSlate centers accept walk-ins.