We accept most insurance plans and provide convenient Telehealth services across Los Angeles and Burbank
If you live in Los Angeles and are looking for real, evidence-based help with substance use, an addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles patients can trust is the shortest path to lasting recovery. A MATE-certified provider brings medication, therapy, and whole-person support together under one roof, which cuts months off the search for the right plan. This guide walks through the 7 things you actually need to know before your first visit, from what MATE certification means to what your insurance covers.
Recovery is possible, and the first step is often the hardest. The difference between a plan that works and one that stalls comes down to who guides it, how the medication is chosen, and whether therapy and co-occurring conditions are handled together. All 7 facts below shape that difference.
A MATE-certified addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles patients see has completed the specific federal training required under the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act. That training authorizes the provider to prescribe medications used for substance use disorders, including buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, without the older waiver limits that restricted access for years.
According to SAMHSA, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is one of the most effective tools for many substance use disorders, especially opioid and alcohol use. MATE certification signals that your provider has the training to prescribe these medications safely and manage the full picture of your recovery.
For patients, this is more than paperwork. It means faster access to medication, fewer referrals bouncing you between offices, and a single provider who can coordinate care from day one.
Before the MATE Act, many patients could not get medications like buprenorphine from their psychiatric provider without a special waiver. That gap forced people to search for a separate MAT provider, which often meant weeks of delay and the fastest slip back into use.
A MATE-certified addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles residents can now see prescribes these medications directly. That means your evaluation, prescription, and follow-up all happen with the same provider. Nothing gets lost between offices, and the plan starts as soon as it should.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that combined medication and behavioral therapy produces the best outcomes for opioid, alcohol, and stimulant use disorders. Direct MATE access removes a major delay from that combination.
Old-model addiction care split the work: one provider for medication, another for therapy, sometimes a third for co-occurring anxiety or depression. Care got fragmented, appointments piled up, and messages between providers slipped through the cracks.
A modern addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles patients trust handles both sides. Medication is prescribed and adjusted based on how you are doing in therapy, and therapy shifts based on how you respond to medication. The same person sees the full picture, which shortens the time to a plan that fits you.
At our practice, our medication management and therapy work together inside every treatment plan. This coordination is the single biggest reason integrated care outperforms the older split model.
One of the biggest myths about addiction care is that insurance will not cover it. That is not true in California. Federal and state parity laws require most major insurance plans to cover substance use treatment the same as any other medical or psychiatric care. Copays, deductibles, and coverage rules all apply the same way.
At LA Integrative Psychiatry, we accept Anthem, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Before your first visit, we verify your benefits so there are no surprises on the bill. Most patients pay only their standard copay for each visit, and the medications are covered under your pharmacy benefit.
If you do not have insurance, ask about transparent self-pay rates upfront. Many practices, including ours, offer clear pricing for both the initial evaluation and follow-ups. Cost should not stop you from starting care, and a good addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles patients can afford makes that clear from the first phone call.
The hardest part of getting help is often just showing up. When shame, work, family, or the shakes of early withdrawal make an office visit feel impossible, telehealth removes that barrier. Most first visits with an addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles patients see can be done by video from home.
Some medications used in addiction care have specific in-person requirements at the start or during periodic checks. Your provider explains what applies to your plan and works around your schedule. Many patients start with a telehealth evaluation, then come in person for one visit within the first 30 days, then return to telehealth for follow-ups.
For a fuller breakdown of how virtual care works statewide, see our guide to telehealth psychiatrist California care.
Substance use rarely shows up alone. Most patients also live with anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, or OCD, and each of those conditions can drive or worsen the substance use. Treating them separately, or worse, treating them one at a time, slows down recovery and raises the risk of relapse.
A trained addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles patients can trust looks at the whole picture from the first visit. That means the anxiety that fuels evening drinking gets addressed alongside the alcohol use. The ADHD driving cocaine use gets treated in the same plan as the cocaine use. The depression underneath opioid use gets its own line in the treatment plan.
This is where the integrative model shines. For background on how whole-person care shapes every visit at our practice, read our guide to integrative psychiatry.
12-step programs like AA and NA help many people, but they are not the only path. Some patients do great with them, some prefer other frameworks like SMART Recovery, and many recover without any group program at all. A modern addiction psychiatrist respects the patient’s choice.
Care at our practice does not require you to join any group, follow any single philosophy, or share any spiritual belief. If a program helps you, great. If it does not, we build the plan around what works for you, whether that is individual therapy, medication, family involvement, or whole-person work.
The point is progress, not conformity. Effective addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles care meets you where you are and moves forward from there.
Research consistently shows that combined medication and behavioral treatment produces faster and more durable recovery than either approach alone. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that MAT reduces opioid use, opioid-related overdose deaths, criminal activity, and infectious disease transmission.
The same pattern holds for alcohol use disorder, where naltrexone or acamprosate combined with therapy produces stronger results than either tool alone. Stimulant use disorders benefit from behavioral approaches combined with treatment for underlying ADHD, depression, or anxiety when they exist.
Most patients working with an experienced addiction psychiatrist Los Angeles residents can access feel meaningful improvement within 4 to 8 weeks of starting treatment. Full recovery is a longer arc, but the momentum builds quickly when the medication, therapy, and co-occurring conditions are all addressed together from the start.
Substance use becomes a clinical concern when it starts to interfere with daily life. If any of the following sound familiar, it is time to talk with a provider:
You do not have to hit a specific bottom to get help. Starting earlier means less to unwind and faster momentum. If you are ready, our Burbank office and statewide telehealth make the first step realistic.
Your first visit runs 60 to 90 minutes. The provider asks about your substance use history, current use, physical health, mental health, sleep, family history, and life context. Nothing is off limits, and everything you share is confidential.
Together, you build a written plan. That plan may include medication, therapy, lifestyle work, referrals for lab work, and coordination with your primary care provider or family with your permission. Your provider explains the timing, what to watch for, and when the next visit takes place. You leave knowing the next step, not guessing at it.
Follow-up visits are usually shorter, around 20 to 30 minutes. During the first 6 to 8 weeks, expect visits every 2 to 4 weeks so the plan can be adjusted based on how you are doing. Once you stabilize, visits often move to every 1 to 3 months.
Most major insurance plans cover addiction psychiatry the same as any other psychiatric visit. Before your first visit, ask the office to verify your benefits. Three questions cover what you need to know: is psychiatric care for substance use covered, what is my copay, and has my deductible been met.
If you do not have insurance, ask about self-pay rates upfront. Many practices offer transparent pricing for both initial evaluations and follow-ups, with no hidden fees on refills or messages between visits. Some medications used in addiction care are inexpensive at cash prices, and pharmacy discount cards can help further.
For a broader look at how to work with your insurance, see our guide to finding a psychiatrist that accepts insurance in Los Angeles.
A few myths still hold people back. Clearing them up makes the first call easier.
Myth 1: “Medication just swaps one addiction for another.” Medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone are used in medically supervised doses that stabilize your brain chemistry and reduce cravings. They do not produce the same effects as the substances they replace, and long-term use is safe when guided by a trained provider.
Myth 2: “I need to hit rock bottom first.” That belief kills people. Earlier treatment produces better results. If you know your use is causing problems, that is enough reason to get help.
Myth 3: “Willpower should be enough.” Addiction changes brain function in ways willpower alone cannot fix. Treatment addresses those changes directly. Getting help is not weakness, it is smart medicine.
Myth 4: “My provider will report me or judge me.” Your care is confidential. Providers focus on your recovery, not on judgment. Sharing honestly is the foundation of a plan that actually works.
Plans look different for every patient, but the building blocks repeat. Three examples show how the pieces fit together in real life.
Example 1: Alcohol use disorder with anxiety. A 38-year-old sales director drinking 4 to 6 drinks nightly, waking with anxiety. The plan: naltrexone at low dose, weekly therapy focused on anxiety and drinking patterns, sleep hygiene work, follow-up every 2 weeks. Result by week 8: drinking down 80 percent, anxiety more manageable, sleep restored, energy back at work.
Example 2: Opioid use disorder starting recovery. A 29-year-old warehouse worker using prescription painkillers daily. The plan: buprenorphine started at low dose and titrated up, weekly therapy, coordination with primary care for pain management, follow-up every 2 weeks. Result by week 6: opioid use stopped, cravings under control, back at work steady, pain managed with non-opioid approaches.
Example 3: Stimulant use with underlying ADHD. A 44-year-old founder using cocaine on weekends, diagnosed with ADHD in the evaluation. The plan: proper ADHD treatment with non-controlled medication first, weekly therapy on stimulant use and workaholism, sleep and exercise plan, follow-up every 2 weeks. Result by month 3: no cocaine use in 8 weeks, focus improved with treated ADHD, business and family better than they had been in years.
The point is that a trained provider matches the tools to the person and adjusts as you respond. Recovery is a plan, not a formula.
Not all providers are the same. Look for these signals when choosing where to start care:
At LA Integrative Psychiatry, our provider Knarik Oganesyan, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, is MATE certified for addiction care, certified in OCD and ADHD, and accepts most major insurance. Both in-person visits in Burbank and statewide telehealth are available. For the full picture of our approach, see our addiction treatment service page.
MATE certification means your provider completed the federal training required to prescribe medications like buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. It means faster access to medication, fewer referrals, and a single provider managing your care from day one.
Most patients feel meaningful improvement within 4 to 8 weeks. Full treatment courses often run 6 to 12 months, with some patients maintaining medication or check-ins longer. The exact timeline depends on the substance, the co-occurring conditions, and your goals.
Yes, in most cases. California parity laws require most plans to cover psychiatric care for substance use the same as other medical care. Confirm with your insurer or have the office verify benefits before your first visit.
Yes. Most evaluations and follow-ups can be done by video. Some medications have specific in-person requirements at the start or during periodic checks, which your provider explains upfront based on your plan.
No. 12-step programs help many patients, but they are not required. Effective addiction psychiatric care respects the framework that works for you, whether that is individual therapy, medication, group work, or a combination.
You now know the 7 facts that shape real recovery: MATE-certified medication access, integrated therapy and medication, insurance parity, telehealth flexibility, co-occurring care, no forced framework, and faster timelines through integrated treatment. The best plans use all of these together.
Schedule your consultation today at our Burbank office or by video from anywhere in California. We accept most major insurance and verify your benefits before your first visit, so there are no surprises on the bill. Recovery starts with one phone call.
Medically reviewed by Knarik Oganesyan, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC. Last updated July 2026. This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. If you are in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is available 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Always talk with your provider before starting or changing treatment.
