There’s a wide range of treatments, hospitalization programs, and aftercare plans designed to help people struggling with addiction disorders. Do you ever wonder which of these interventions demands the involvement of a trained psychiatrist?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what it means to be an addiction psychiatrist in New York. We’ll also go over how you can find a board-certified specialist in the city and what they can do for you (or your loved ones).
Table of Contents
- 1 Addiction Psychiatrist’s Career Requirements in New York
- 2 10 Ways That Addiction Psychiatrists Can Help People on Their Recovery Journeys
- 2.1 1. Handle Medication Management Aspect of Patient Care
- 2.2 2. Participate in the Initial Rehab Assessment Phase
- 2.3 3. Make the Detox Phase Safer and a Bit Easier
- 2.4 4. Help Find the Best Treatment Approach for Each Patient
- 2.5 5. Deal With Inpatient Emergencies in the Rehab Facility
- 2.6 6. Hold Therapy Sessions for Patients in Recovery
- 2.7 7. Work on the Dual Diagnosis Treatment Plan
- 2.8 8. Consult With Physicians When Needed
- 2.9 9. Supervise Counselors During Training and Receive Referrals From Them
- 2.10 10. Create a Safe, Productive Environment for an Intervention
- 3 Get Help With Your Loved One’s Recovery
- 4 Helplines
Addiction Psychiatrist’s Career Requirements in New York
Psychiatrists are actually medical doctors/MDs. They just specialize in general psychiatry.
But to become an addiction psychiatrist specifically (or at least one who’s certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or the ABPN), the health professional has to undergo special training and pass the needed exams.
It’s worth noting that New York offers a sizable chunk of the nation’s addiction psychiatry fellowship positions. Candidates can use the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry’s (AAAP) database to find all programs available in the state.
Meanwhile, potential patients and concerned family members can use the ABPN’s search tool to locate a board-certified addiction psychiatrist nearby.
10 Ways That Addiction Psychiatrists Can Help People on Their Recovery Journeys
Now that we have the basics covered, we can check out where addiction psychiatrists fit in the framework. Here are ten things that these healthcare professionals can do for the recovering patients and their families:
1. Handle Medication Management Aspect of Patient Care
Between clinical social workers and counselors, there are a lot of people that a person suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD) will come in contact with on their way to recovery.
Some of them, like licensed therapists, are even able to diagnose mental health conditions and tackle them during sessions. But one thing a psychiatrist can do and a therapist can’t is prescribe medications as part of the holistic mental illness treatment plan.
So, if a patient has an anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or some other issue that calls for meds, a psychiatrist has to be included in the picture.
2. Participate in the Initial Rehab Assessment Phase
When someone is first admitted into a rehab or care facility, odds are, they’ll have to undergo a chemical dependency evaluation.
During this assessment, a team of addiction medicine professionals tries to figure out the extent of the drug or alcohol abuse. Counselors, physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists can all be part of that team.
Naturally, samples (usually urine) are taken for testing. But there are also a lot of questions healthcare professionals have to ask before they can move to the next step. They need to understand the situation fully to build a customized, evidence-based addiction treatment plan.
At Long Island Interventions Center, we don’t offer inpatient rehab services directly.
However, we do understand the importance of evidence-based care. We’ve also seen how people respond differently to the same treatment plan. That’s why we heavily rely on assessments and research to guide any and all clinical decision-making.
3. Make the Detox Phase Safer and a Bit Easier
Some medications approved for treating patients have the potential for dependence.
Take Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride), for instance. It’s an FDA-approved drug used for treating major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and even fibromyalgia. Yet, this antidepressant medication can be abused in some cases.
If someone suffering from Cymbalta drug abuse decides to stop abruptly, they might have a hard (and potentially dangerous) time detoxing.
Having a psychiatrist on the team can make a difference, though. They’ll find out if it’s safer to taper the dose and whether the patient could use any other supportive medications to ease the withdrawal symptoms.
We don’t directly offer detox programs for alcohol and drug and alcohol use disorders. But we have trusted affiliate providers. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need to find a suitable facility near you.
Side Note: Antidepressants, among other psychiatric medications, are commonly prescribed for youth in New York City. Think almost one in four of those aged 7–17!
4. Help Find the Best Treatment Approach for Each Patient
A psychiatrist can use talk therapy or medications to help patients focus on their sobriety. But psychotherapy isn’t the only option. Some people benefit from other modalities.
For one, there’s wilderness therapy, a form of outdoor behavioral therapeutic process. And to become eligible for this type of treatment, the patient has to undergo some consultations first.
They might need to complete an intensive outpatient program and finish some psychological testing and a long period of counseling. Most importantly, patients may need a consultation with a psychiatrist.
5. Deal With Inpatient Emergencies in the Rehab Facility
Anyone admitted into an inpatient addiction treatment program likely needs round-the-clock care. This covers the support and monitoring for the detox phase. The program is also suitable for those at a severe overdose risk (in New York, opioid use is a big risk factor).
In some cases, the staff members report psychiatric emergencies, and they might need to get a licensed addiction psychiatrist in to deal with the situation.
6. Hold Therapy Sessions for Patients in Recovery
Psychiatrists and psychotherapists can both hold group sessions in a rehab facility. Their main role is to act as facilitators, which means that they’ll guide the discussion to a productive and therapeutic zone.
They might resort to role-playing exercises or cognitive-behavioral approaches to do that, but they’ll still want the session to be a safe space for all patients/family members involved.
Side Note: While Long Island Interventions doesn’t directly offer group therapy sessions, we’re happy to put you in touch with an affiliate.
7. Work on the Dual Diagnosis Treatment Plan
Psychiatric care might be needed for patients with a dual diagnosis.
For reference, a dual diagnosis is when a patient has a pre-existing mental health problem along with an addictive disorder. And it’s not really uncommon in New York.
Here’s a glance at the statistics for dual diagnosis cases in the state:
| Age Group | Annual Average Percentage of SUD Cases With Any Mental Illness | Annual Average Percentages of SUD Cases With a Serious Mental Illness |
| 18–25 years | 13.44 | 4.46 |
| Over 26 years | 6.58 | 2.25 |
| All over 18 years | 7.47 | 2.53 |
Side Note: The previous numbers and data were pulled from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports from 2022–2023.
8. Consult With Physicians When Needed
An addiction psychiatrist may consult with other clinicians and healthcare professionals when the patient’s well-being demands so.
For instance, they recommend a medical evaluation if they suspect that there’s an underlying condition that only a specialized physician could diagnose.
9. Supervise Counselors During Training and Receive Referrals From Them
According to the New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA), psychiatrists and Ph.D psychologists can supervise counselors while they do their required training time.
Counselors might also refer patients to a psychiatrist if they suspect a serious mental illness.
10. Create a Safe, Productive Environment for an Intervention
All the previous points on this list show you how a psychiatrist can help someone suffering from SUDs once they get admitted—assessments, medication management, talk therapy, and so on.
However, some people don’t get this far because they don’t get the help they desperately need. According to SAMHSA’s 2023 national survey on drug use, more than 1.5 million people didn’t seek treatment or even believe that they needed it.
That’s where interventions come in handy.
Interventions, when done right, can prompt a person to seek help and take a step towards recovery. They shouldn’t be crafted with the purpose of guilt-tripping, and they definitely shouldn’t feel hostile.
Since things can get heavy and quite emotional, it can be wise to get a professional intervention specialist to stage and manage the meeting. This interventionist can be a drug counselor, a social worker, a therapist, or a psychiatrist.
Of course, it helps if they’re a specialized addiction psychiatrist rather than a general one. This way, they’ll know how to handle people with SUDs. They should also have a good understanding of the available treatment options.
Get Help With Your Loved One’s Recovery
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the number of roles that an addiction psychiatrist can play. The range covers a lot of aspects, from handling a patient’s medication prescriptions to staging interventions on behalf of the concerned friends and/or family members.
The team here at Long Island Interventions includes board-certified interventionists ready to help you through one of the most difficult discussions you’ll ever have with a loved one.
Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask about our team’s qualifications and the services we offer. And if it turns out that you need a service that we don’t offer at our West Hempstead facility, we’re glad to refer you to a healthcare provider who can help you out.
