St. Luke’s University Health Network Addiction Recovery Engagement (SHARE)
SHARE stands for St. Luke’s University Health Network Addiction Recovery Engagement and is the first integrated substance use recovery program in the region. Co-occurring disorders, the co-existence of both a substance use disorder and a mental illness, is more typical than not among both adolescents and adults receiving Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT).
The SHARE Program combines the expertise of St. Luke’s Psychiatric Associates and St. Luke’s Toxicology Group medical toxicologists and psychiatrists, who also are board-certified in addiction medicine, along with licensed psychotherapists certified in advanced alcohol and drug counseling, Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS), and substance use disorder case managers working together to guide people on their recovery journey.
Medication-assisted Treatment (MAT)
A service offered through the SHARE Program is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. Research shows that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat these disorders, and for some people struggling with addiction, MAT can help sustain recovery. MAT is also used to prevent or reduce opioid overdose.
St. Luke's University Health Network Addiction and Recovery Engagement - MAT is designed for the treatment of addiction to opioids such as heroin and prescription pain relievers that contain opiates. The prescribed medication operates to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve physiological cravings, and normalize body functions without the negative and euphoric effects of the substance used.
Experienced healthcare providers prescribe the medication, which helps with issues such as preventing withdrawal and reducing cravings for substances. These approved medications allow for a safe way to normalize brain chemistry while avoiding the harmful cycle of substance use.
When MAT is used for the treatment of substance use disorder, people take the medication for as long as they feel it is helping. Your healthcare provider and you work together to decide how long to continue the medication based on how well you and your provider feel it is helping with your recovery.
St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus
451 W. Chew Street, Suite 404
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610-776-4894