Methadone Clinic

New Season Chief Executive Officer John Steinbrun offers a high-level perspective into the mission, culture and future of the treatment centers.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be giving our blog readers an inside look into the New Season organization, specifically how we provide top-notch treatment to our patients by administering medication-assisted treatment and professional counseling services across the 72 methadone clinics throughout the nation.

The blog series format is “three questions in three minutes” with key and essential personnel in the New Season organization.

In this first installation, we’ll talk with the New Season Chief Executive Officer John Steinbrun, and he’ll offer a high-level perspective into the mission, culture and future of the treatment centers.

Q & A with John Steinbrun, New Season Chief Executive Officer

Question: What sets New Season apart as the nation’s leading methadone clinic?

Answer: We take to heart the statistic that more than 100 Americans die each day from opioid addiction. We well understand that these victims were once professionals, students, mothers, husbands, sons and daughters, all valuable members of society.

Our treatment philosophy is centered on harm reduction. We always treat the patient with dignity.  Our staff is respectful and professional at all times. We meet the patients where they are.

New Season fosters a compassionate and individually-tailored plan for each patient’s recovery. Our clinical method shows an overwhelming success in helping people overcome their addiction, in which 90% of our patients are free of illicit drugs after a year in treatment.

Question: What type of culture do you foster at New Season?

Answer: It all starts with our team. We hire well-seasoned and highly professional doctors, nurses and counselors. We standardize best practices that come from the best ideas offered by these professionals, and then we focus on training those best practices.

My definition of a healthy corporate culture is like we’re all in a school play, and we have rehearsed together so many times that we all know each other’s roles. As a result, if something isn’t right everyone steps in to put us back on track.

This collaborative team approach means that our patients get the highest quality of patient care and recovery outcomes. Not only are 90% of our patients drug free after a year in treatment, but more than 70% have returned to a stable career or are back in school. We’re dedicated to transforming opioid use victims back into valuable members of society.

Question: Where do you see New Season in the future?

Answer: According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nine out of 10 people who suffer from opioid use disorder never get treatment. I think that the biggest barriers to patients seeking treatment are stigma and finances.

All of the press coverage of the opioid crisis is helping to reduce the stigma, and we are helping educate communities through our outreach efforts.

On the financial front, I am convinced that we are headed towards a time when treatment in an opioid treatment program will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health insurance just like any other medical condition. We are working hard to get the contracts and systems in place so that we can bill most third party payers.

I am hopeful that as the barriers of stigma and finances finally come down, countless more people will come into treatment to address their opioid addiction. We’re dedicated to reuniting sons and daughters with their families and mothers and fathers with their children. We’re providing an opportunity to put Americans back to work or back in school through a two-pronged treatment approach: medication and counseling services for as long as the patient needs us.

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Thank you for taking an inside look into the nation’s leading methadone clinic, New Season.