Peter Jackson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and medical director of the UVM Medical Center’s new Addiction Treatment Center

(AUGUST 31, 2023) Peter Jackson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and medical director of the UVM Medical Center’s new Addiction Treatment Center (ATC), spoke with the Williston Observer about the ATC’s newly integrated and expanded addiction services.

The ATC brings together psychiatric providers, licensed drug and alcohol counselors, and experienced nurses to reduce barriers to care, expand local access to treatment, and modernize UVM Medical Center’s current slate of treatment programs, with the goal of ensuring that individuals seeking support for substance abuse disorders have a clear path to programs and treatment, regardless of where at UVM Medical Center they are receiving care.

“There is no ‘wrong door’ for individuals seeking support and treatment for substance use disorders,” said Peter Jackson, medical director of the ATC. “We’re reducing and removing barriers to accessing care—not just for those seeking support and treatment for substance use, but for co-occurring disorders as well.”

The ATC is rolling out re-imagined community outreach, treatment, and support strategies, with a focus on providing rapid access to prospective patients, expanding touch-points and referral options for the community at-large, and ensuring that ATC’s treatment and support programs incorporate the most up-to-date best practices.