Forsyth County launches addiction treatment service through Mobile Integrated Healthcare Section

Forsyth County is now offering medication for opioid use disorder during emergency response situations caused by overdoses and related mental health crises. 

Medication Assisted Treatment, or MAT, uses a mix of behavioral therapy and drugs like methadone and Suboxone to help people with an Opioid Use Disorder combat their addiction. 

When Forsyth County’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare Section started offering MAT last month, it joined the University of North Carolina and Monarch, a specialty mental health care provider as some of the only organizations offering the service in the state.

Brent Motsinger, the section’s manager, said the added service brings a much-needed resource to an often disenfranchised portion of the population and makes room for helping people beyond just a medical emergency. 

"We’ve done four total administrations thus far. We were talking with Wake County and they were averaging around 100 a year so we’re still on track to do right what they’re doing and they’re a little bit larger than us," Motsinger said. "I think as the word gets out there’s just going to be more and more demand for it and more need for it and I’m probably going to have to hire some more staff.”

The initiative offers Medication Assisted Treatment induction and follow-up until the county is able to connect individuals with a community MAT provider. It is funded in part by money from the county's opioid settlement.

*Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct first name of Brent Motsinger.