Akron Children’s Hospital’s Addiction Services offers outpatient visits

Dr. William Goldman

05-14-2020 (Akron, Ohio)

The Addiction Services Program at Akron Children’s will launch an outpatient clinic to treat children and youth with substance use disorders beginning May 19.

The program provides addiction treatment and counseling for children and youth up to age 18. It complements the hospital’s current program for inpatients with another diagnosis who also have a substance use disorder.

“Not too long ago, substance use disorder was recognized as an adult problem,” said William Goldman, D.O., medical director of the program. “Understanding that addiction is a chronic relapsing disease that starts in youth, Akron Children’s has taken great strides to help treat those who are most vulnerable to this disease. We are excited to be offering our services as an outpatient resource for our community.”

Treatment will be offered for abuse of substances including alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, inhalants, nicotine, benzodiazepines, hallucinogens and cocaine. Patients in the program are treated with evidence-based outpatient therapy including individual and family counseling. The program also provides medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. 

Goldman said Akron Children’s’s program offers both clinical and medication-based treatment.

“Many existing programs focus on mental health with some discussion of substance use but not all substance users have mental health concerns,” he said. “If you look at the national data for children 12 to 17 years of age, many patients have coexisting mental and substance use, but some do not. We will be able at Akron Children's to address both, which is unique.”

For more information on the program, contact Talia Brown at tbrown3@akronchildrens.org. To schedule an appointment, call 330-543-5015 and choose option 1. A physician referral is not necessary.

The Addiction Services program is located in the Lois and John Orr Behavioral Health Center on the second floor of the Considine Professional Building, 215 W. Bowery St. Initial appointments will be in person but telehealth appointments may be an option for follow-ups.

The Addiction Services outpatient program is made possible through philanthropic support. Some of those donors include Lea Heidman and Brian Malone of Fighting For Alyssa; Marci M. Matthews; Robert B. and Regina M. Cooper; AultCare; Medical Mutual; and FedEx Corporate Services.