Addiction Treatment
Heroin Addiction Treatment In Massachusetts
Medication-assisted treatment for heroin and fentanyl addiction at partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient levels in Braintree and Quincy, with detox arranged through partner facilities when it comes first.
Confidential. Takes about two minutes. No obligation.
Is this the right level of care?
That is what the assessment is for. Tell admissions what is going on and they will say plainly which program fits, what it involves, and what your insurance covers.
Call 888-299-4833- Joint Commission accredited facilities
- Admissions open 24/7
- Most insurance accepted
- Confidential from the first call
Rockland Recovery treats heroin and fentanyl addiction at the partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient levels, with buprenorphine or naltrexone prescribed and managed throughout, sober living for people who need a stable place to live, and treatment for the depression, anxiety, or trauma that usually sits underneath the use. Our centers are in Braintree and Quincy. We do not run detox or residential rehab; when either comes first, we arrange it with a partner facility and pick up from there.
The Drug Is Fentanyl Now
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health finds fentanyl in the large majority of opioid overdose deaths in the state, and most of what is sold as heroin here is fentanyl or a mixture. That changes three things about treatment. The withdrawal is harder and often longer than classic heroin withdrawal. Tolerance builds faster and drops just as fast, so a return to use after a break is more likely to be fatal. And the margin for waiting has closed: a person using street opioids daily in Massachusetts is at risk every day they are not in treatment.
If you are reading this for yourself, the practical version is that the first call should happen today, and the first question we will ask is whether you need detox first. If you are reading it for someone you love, the practical version is to carry naloxone (Narcan), available at any Massachusetts pharmacy without a prescription, and to have the plan ready for the moment they say yes.
Detox Comes First, and We Refer It Out
Daily heroin or fentanyl use produces physical dependence, and stopping means withdrawal: six to twelve hours of anxiety and restlessness, then one to three days of vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and sleeplessness, then a week or more of fading physical symptoms and persistent cravings. It is rarely medically dangerous. It is miserable enough that almost no one completes it without help, and the relief is always for sale nearby.
Medical detox changes it. Buprenorphine started during withdrawal relieves most symptoms within an hour; other medications handle the rest, and nursing staff keep you hydrated and safe. Rockland Recovery does not run detox. We work with partner detox facilities in Massachusetts, make the referral when your assessment shows you need it, and plan your admission to our program for the day you are discharged, with your buprenorphine already started. Detox that ends with a list of phone numbers is the standard prelude to relapse, and in a fentanyl supply, relapse after detox is the most dangerous thing that can happen. Having the next step arranged before you go in is the point.
Medication Is Not Optional
For opioid use disorder, medication is the single most effective intervention that exists. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that people on buprenorphine or methadone die of overdose at roughly half the rate of those who are not, and stay in treatment longer. No behavioral treatment on its own approaches that effect. A program that treats heroin addiction without medication, or that pressures people to taper off it quickly, is not following the evidence.
| Medication | How it works | At Rockland Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Buprenorphine (Suboxone) | Partial opioid agonist. Stops withdrawal and cravings, with a ceiling effect that makes overdose on it alone very unlikely. | Our most common choice. Started at the partner detox or in PHP, managed by our prescribers through every level of care, as a daily film or tablet. |
| Naltrexone (Vivitrol) | Opioid blocker. No dependence and no withdrawal when stopped; blocks the effect of heroin entirely. | For people who prefer a non-opioid option. Requires being fully withdrawn first, about seven to ten days opioid-free, which the partner detox and our team plan for. Monthly injection. |
| Methadone | Full opioid agonist. Long-acting and often the better fit for heavy fentanyl use. | Not offered at Rockland Recovery. Methadone requires a licensed opioid treatment program with daily dosing, at least at first. |
How long to stay on medication is decided with a prescriber, and the research favors longer. People who taper off within the first year relapse far more often than those who stay on for two years or more, and some stay on indefinitely. Being on buprenorphine is not the same as being high, any more than being on insulin is the same as eating sugar.
What Treatment at Rockland Recovery Looks Like
Partial hospitalization is five to six hours of programming a day on weekdays while you sleep at home or in sober living: daily group therapy, weekly individual sessions, psychiatric care, and medication management. Most people spend two to four weeks here after detox. Intensive outpatient follows, about three hours a day on several days a week for two to three months, with schedules built around work. Standard outpatient care continues after that, typically weekly, with medication management for as long as it is needed. Sober living is available alongside any of them, and for someone whose apartment is where the using happened, it is often the difference between outpatient treatment working and not.
Therapy for opioid use disorder is practical. Cognitive behavioral therapy for the specific triggers and the specific responses to them. Contingency management, which rewards negative drug screens and has some of the strongest evidence of any behavioral approach for opioid use. Group therapy, where you hear how someone else handled the dealer’s text. And treatment for whatever the heroin was managing, because most people with an opioid use disorder have depression, PTSD, or anxiety underneath it; our dual diagnosis treatment builds one plan for both. Our post on how to overcome heroin addiction is written for the person going through it and covers the withdrawal timeline, the tolerance trap, and the first 90 days in more depth than a program page can.
The Risk After Treatment
Tolerance drops fast. After as little as one to two weeks without opioids, the dose someone used every day can stop their breathing, and most fatal overdoses in people with a heroin history happen after a period of abstinence: leaving detox, leaving jail, finishing a program. This is the strongest argument for staying on medication, which maintains a degree of tolerance and blocks much of heroin’s effect. Anyone in early recovery, and anyone who lives with them, should have naloxone (Narcan) within reach and know how to use it. Never use alone.
Paying for Heroin Addiction Treatment in Massachusetts
We accept most commercial insurance plans. Federal parity law requires them to cover addiction treatment the way they cover medical care, Massachusetts Chapter 258 requires up to 14 days of medically necessary inpatient treatment without prior authorization (which covers the partner detox for most people), and buprenorphine and naltrexone are covered by nearly every plan. Our admissions team verifies exactly what your plan covers before you decide anything. We do not accept MassHealth, Medicare, or other state insurance; the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 maintains a live list of programs with openings that do.
Our heroin and fentanyl program runs at Rockland Recovery Treatment Center in Braintree and at our Quincy center, serving the South Shore and Greater Boston. It is one of the substance-specific programs described on our drug rehab in Massachusetts page. People who need a substance-free place to live during treatment can combine it with our sober living program.
This page is for information and does not replace an assessment by a licensed clinician. If you are thinking about harming yourself or someone else, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or dial 911.
Common questions
Anything not covered here, ask on the phone. Admissions answers around the clock and there is no cost to call.
Call 888-299-4833Do I need detox before starting your program?
If you are using heroin or fentanyl daily, usually yes. Opioid withdrawal is rarely dangerous on its own, but it is severe enough that almost nobody gets through it unsupervised, and starting buprenorphine during withdrawal is the safest way to begin. We do not run detox; we refer to partner facilities and plan your admission to our PHP or IOP for the day you are discharged, with medication already in place.
Do you prescribe Suboxone?
Yes. Buprenorphine (Suboxone) is the medication we prescribe most for opioid use disorder, and we manage it through PHP, IOP, and outpatient care for as long as it is needed. We also offer extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol) for people who prefer a non-opioid option once fully withdrawn.
How long is heroin addiction treatment?
Detox, when needed, is a few days to a week at a partner facility. PHP is usually two to four weeks, IOP another two to three months, and outpatient care continues for a year or more. Medication often continues longer than that, and research favors staying on it. People who remain in some level of treatment for at least 90 days do far better than those who stop after detox.
What if I have relapsed before?
Most people we treat have. Relapse after a period of abstinence is also the most dangerous moment in opioid recovery, because tolerance has dropped and the supply is fentanyl. A previous relapse is a reason to stay on medication longer and add structure like sober living, not a reason to expect failure.
Does insurance cover heroin addiction treatment?
Federal parity law requires commercial plans to cover it the way they cover medical care, and Massachusetts Chapter 258 requires coverage of up to 14 days of inpatient treatment without prior authorization, which covers the partner detox for most people. Buprenorphine and naltrexone are covered by nearly all plans. Our admissions team verifies coverage at no cost. We do not accept MassHealth or Medicare; the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 lists programs that do.
Levels of care
Which one fits is decided at assessment. Most people move between them as things change.
- Partial hospitalization A full clinical day, five days a week, sleeping at home.
- Intensive outpatient Several sessions a week. Fits around a job for most people.
- Outpatient treatment Regular therapy and check ins. The lightest level of care we offer.
- Sober living Structured housing for anyone whose home makes early recovery harder.
Arranged through partner facilities
We do not provide these ourselves. Where an assessment shows one is what you need, admissions arranges it with a partner facility and picks your care back up afterwards.
Is this the right level of care?
That comes out of an assessment, not a form. Call and admissions will tell you what fits, what it involves, and what your plan covers.