The road to recovery starts with you.

The first step is always the hardest. But after you make that step, we are there to help.

Definitions:

Opioids – The class of drugs and medications including Lortab, Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Morphine, Codeine, Heroin, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone.

Recovery – Engaging in activities to bring life back to health after experiencing addiction.

Sobriety – It is being drug and alcohol free, even when taking prescribed medications to support.

Harm Reduction – Engaging in activities to reduce harmful behaviors. Includes reducing drug use while receiving services.

Integrated Opioid Treatment – The gold standard of opioid treatment programs. Organizations that offer a variety of services to meet the needs of the recovering person.

Services designed to empower people to succeed in their recovery; based on 24 years of listening to people’s needs.

  • Medication and Substance Use Counseling
  • Emotoinal Wellness and Behavioral Health Program
  • Peer Recovery Support Services
  • Mobile outreach Team
  • Resource Specialists
  • Pregnancy and Women’s Services

Recovery programs vary based on the needs of the person. Creating a personalized recovery program draws from the full group of services that are provided at each The Life Change Center location. Once a person’s withdrawal symptoms are gone; their thinking is clear, and they can plan their recovery.

People Recover. There is Hope.
  • On average, 840 people received services from TLCC each day of 2021
  • In 2021, 100% of the people seeking services came on their own choice
  • On average, 74% of the people seeking services from TLCC were sober in 2021
  • Based on Data from the CDC, a person receiving services at The Life Change Center is 1,342% less likely to die from an over dose than a person who is not in treatment.

Our programs

Medications are used to eliminate or decrease the withdrawal symptoms and end the obsessive search for opioids just to “stay well.”

The quality-of-life improvement based on medications is significant. Under medical supervision, and with the support of The Life Change Center’s entire team, there is structured dispensing of:

  • Methadone
  • Buprenorphine
  • Vivitrol & Naltrexone
  • Narcan/Naloxone

The primary goal is to develop trust. People surviving the life of opioid addiction often struggle with establishing healthy relationships. The counselor creates a non-judgmental atmosphere where a person can speak openly.

The counseling process also helps the person:

  • Increase their motivation towards improving their life
  • Gain insight into non-productive thoughts, behaviors, and feelings
  • Develop appropriate skills to meet their goals
  • Works with the entire team to facilitate the person’s needs

Many people struggle with addiction because drug use acts to lessen emotional pain associated with emotional health concerns like depression, anxiety and trauma. For people that are struggling with their these problems in addition to an opioid addiction, their success is relies on receiving help for both. The Life Change Center offers:

  • Psychiatry
  • Evaluation for medications
  • One-on-one therapy for emotional health
  • Group therapy for emotional health
  • Access to telehealth therapy
  • Family and couples counseling
  • Referral to outside agencies

Strengthening Families Program

Strengthening Families or SFP is an evidence-based group curriculum that focuses on the resiliency of the child. Families meet for dinner and education weekly. The participants receive education and support in an age-appropriate fashion. The child learns skills and the parents learn how to facilitate the child’s learning at home. This program is complimented by the Women’s Services team working with the family to ascertain the child’s strengths and preferences. This information is coupled with the family’s abilities and then linkages are made to get the child into a community-based activity. Funding is made available from the State of Nevada Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment Association (SAPTA) to pay for enrollment and other necessities to increase the likelihood that the child will engage in the activities.

SPRING Program

This program offers a positivity-based contingency management system for pregnant women in treatment. this program offers help to pregnant women in preparing for birth, preparing for the first 6-months of mothering and developing skills for parenting and emotional regulation.

Pregnancy Support

When a woman is pregnant and in the recovery or harm reduction state, their needs are complex, and the level of support is high. The pregnancy support program has been highly successful. Over 40 women a year go through the program and have successful pregnancies.

The program activities include:

  • Advocacy with healthcare systems and providers throughout pregnancy and the first 6-months of the neonatal stage
  • Education on the course of healthcare
  • Education on breast feeding
  • Provision of necessary items such as diapers, cribs, blankets, and many other items necessary for new mothers
  • Group counseling sessions
  • Case management

Mother’s Groups

Weekly group counseling opportunity for pregnant women, and mothers of young children.

One of the foundations of The Life Change Center’s programs is the focus on meeting individuals where they are at and working with them to develop and individualized program of care. The Peer Recovery Specialists or PRSS are individuals with lived experience, training and certification. Their role is to help individuals adjust to the programs at TLCC, support them when they are linking to other services in the community, to advocate for them and to offer support as they are adjusting to a new life of recovery.

Transportation

In cases where an individual needs assistance with transportation to a community provider, our PRSS team is able to provide transportation.

Naloxone (Narcan) Distribution & Education

These haunting statistics come from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The graph refers to a third wave, which accounts for more than half of these deaths. The third wave is fentanyl and carfentanyl. These “super-opioids” have not hit in our community at the same level as it has within the East Coast communities. Unfortunately, it is more likely a matter of when this devastating drug hits Northern Nevada. Because of the high risk of overdose death, the best treatment option for fentanyl is Naloxone or Narcan. The CDC Director states that the use of Narcan should be more common than CPR. Considering the The PRSS team is focused on distribution of life-saving Naloxone (Narcan). The PRSS team wants to get this medication into the hands of drug users and individuals that might be in direct contact with drug users. Trained to provide the proper education, the PRSS team active in developing a system of Narcan/Naloxone availability. please contact them for information on getting some.

Mobile Outreach Team (MORE Team)

If you are a provide of human or health services in Northern Nevada, you are likely that you are seeing more impact of opioid addiction. Please contact us. Our MORE Team can help with linking you patients and clients to our services. The MORE Team members can help with education for your organization.

The MORE Team consists of PRSS and resource specialists. In addition to their work with community providers, the MORE Team helps individuals receiving services from TLCC and those in our Northern Nevada communities. The MORE Team can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Medications used

in treatment

Methadone is a long-acting opiate agonist which has a series of actions similar to those of morphine and other narcotic medications. Yet there are important differences; Methadone has a half-life of ~36 hours, while morphine and many other narcotics have a half-life of ~4 hours. The longer half-life wards off symptoms of opioid withdrawal all day and empowers people to get back into normal life activities without the drug-seeking and drug-using behaviors. In methadone treatment, patients are given enough methadone to ward off opiate withdrawal symptoms, but not enough to induce narcotic effects. In proper doses, methadone does not create euphoria, sedation or analgesia. At a therapeutic level methadone has no adverse effects on motor skills, mental capability or employability.

Buprenorphine is the active ingredient in in the brand-name medication Suboxone or Subutex. Buprenorphine has a long half-life, up to 48 hours. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, and like methadone when taken once daily it blocks other opioids from attaching to receptors in the brain. Buprenorphine at The Life Change Center is medically supervised and dispensed, and comes with full counseling support. This treatment can reduce or eliminate opioid withdrawal and reduce cravings for drug use open up new energies for rebuilding a healthy life.

There are more similarities than there are difference between methadone and buprenorphine. They are both long-acting opioid agonists medications. Some of the differences between the two include that buprenorphine is a “partial agonist” which refers to the chemical make-up and how the medication attaches to the opioid receptors in the brain. Methadone is a liquid mediation, taken orally while buprenorphine is a sublingual medication. Sublingual medications need to dissolve in the mouth and the medication is absorbed through the mouth lining.
People seeking help at The Life Change Center will be involved in a full substance use disorder assessment and a medical assessment. After consideration, options for treatment are given that will help with the decision regarding medication type, or medically assisted vs. non-medical approaches.

These medications are opioid antagonists; they block the opioid receptors. These medications work well for people with no risk of withdrawal who are experiencing psychological cravings to use opioids. These medications do not help reduce withdrawal symptoms, and should not be taken if there is any risk for withdrawal. Vivitrol is a long-lasting form of Naltrexone and can last up to 28 days.

These medications are used when someone has overdosed, they can literally save someone’s life. The medications are given out by the Peer Recovery Specialists of the Life Change Center. These medications do not need a doctor’s prescription, but require education.  These life-saving medications should be in everyone’s home, please contact our Mobile Outreach Team.

The recovery process

While recovery programs differ based on the individual needs, we have observed some predictable phases:

This phase is short, and is designed to guide the recovery program for the first 30 days. For many people this is the hardest phase, but this is where the Hope begins. The steps to take will be made clear and simple, and you will be fully supported.

This is where great things begin; people often experience return of memory and energy levels. It is at this stage where people start to broaden their understandings and clearly conceptualize their options. This is a time where many people engage in frequent group and individual counseling sessions.

After meeting markers set by the individuals involved in our recovery programs, this phase is accented by the move towards independence from the medications. Often we see an increase in counseling during this phase for support.

Medication assisted recovery programs are perhaps best viewed as a bridge between two points, and the goal is to have independence from drugs and medications. Yet, others will need to maintain medications for many years. Our medical staff and counselors can help you determine what may work best for you. For those that complete the medical portion of the recovery program, counseling is designed to address the needs of life without professional or medical supports.

Success rates

Heroin and prescription pain killer abuse has increased to epidemic rates, and alarmingly high rates among young people. The problem is growing and the social costs are skyrocketing.

“The depth of programming we provide is for the Social Return on Investment. It’s about how well we convert revenue into positive social outcomes”

— John Firestone | Executive Director, Counselor

Sobriety

0%
national average without treatment
0%
Average sobriety rate at The Life Change Center

Last year The Life Change Center provided services:

0
times to people in our care

On average, the women and men of TLCC provided services:

0
times per day

Based on the ongoing data collection call the costs of Addiction Survey, which only measures emergency room, first responder and some criminal justice costs, The Life Change Center saved our communities:

$0
after reducing for the costs of our treatment

Last year:

  • 104,287 Americans died of a drug in 2021. (CDC)
  • 1,044,500 Americans misused opioids in 2021. (CDC)

Using simple mathematics, a person in treatment
at The Life Change Center is:

0%

less likely to die from an overdose compared to individuals who are abusing opioids and not receiving treatment.

Program fees

Through our years of experience we have learned to really appreciate the magnitude of difficulty related to opioid addictions. One of the hardest steps is the first step into treatment.

We know about the costs and strains that this puts on people struggling with the addiction, sometimes costing hundreds of dollars per week for opioids and racking up many other expenses. We understand and have developed our program to reduce the financial obstacles of treatment admission.

At The Life Change Center, the cost for self-pay are complete package service programs and all services (individual and group counseling, testing, medical exam, doctor visit and other services) are included in that fee.

We accept:

  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • (HPN, Silver Summit, Amerigroup, Nevada State Medicaid)
  • Private Insurances

Our insurance billing staff will find out about your coverage benefits immediately, while you are completing the admission process.

Accessing treatment

We have trained staff to guide you through the admission process; staff that appreciates the courage in taking that first step.

The admission process requires three assessments:

  1. Substance Use Disorders with a licensed or certified counselor
  2. Medical history with a certified medical assistant or nurse
  3. Medical examination with a physician

This process can range between 1 ½ and 3 hours. It is during these assessments that you will be given many options for treatment. You will have immediate access to case management and group therapy. THERE IS NO WAITING LIST.

To make the admission process as effective as possible you will need a photo ID. Additionally, if you have other prescriptions, please bring in this information.

Reno

130 Vine Street
Reno, NV 89503

(775) 900-8522
info@thelifechangecenter.org

Daytime Hours:
Mon-Fri: 6am – 12:45pm
Sat: 6am – 9:45am

Closed for lunch Mon., Tue., Thu., & Fri. 10:25am–11am. Wednesday closed for lunch 10:25am-11:30am

Intakes Mondays & Wednesdays starting at 6am (Please call ahead for details on intakes).

Evening:
Mon-Fri 4:30pm – 7:45pm
Intakes Tuesdays & Thursdays starting at 4:30pm (Please call ahead for details on intakes).

Sparks

1755 Sullivan Lane
Sparks, NV 89431

(775) 355-7734
info@thelifechangecenter.org

Daytime:
Mon – Fri: 6am-12:45pm
Saturday: 6am-9:45am

Closed for lunch Mon., Tue., Thu., & Fri. 10:25am–11am. Wednesday closed for lunch 10:25am-11:30am

Intakes Tuesdays & Thursdays starting at 6am (Please call ahead for details on intakes). 

Carson

1201 N Stewart Street
Carson City, NV 89701

(775) 350-7250
info@thelifechangecenter.org

Daytime:
Mon – Fri: 6am-12:45pm
Saturday: 6am-9am

Closed for lunch Mon., Tue., Thu., & Fri. 10:25am–11am. Wednesday closed for lunch 10:25am-11:30am

Intakes Wednesdays & Thursdays starting at 6am (Please call ahead for details on intakes). 

Admin

2105 Capurro Way
Sparks, NV 89431

(775) 499-5534 / Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm
info@thelifechangecenter.org

After hours call 24/7
1-833-438-8522