William Jennings Bryan Dorn - Veterans Affairs Medical Center

They offer outpatient, telemedicine and detox. Which one fits is usually decided by how much structure the first few weeks need, and Columbia has 8 other centers within 14 miles.

They detox from alcohol and benzodiazepines. Coming off alcohol without medical supervision can be dangerous, which is why it matters that this is one of 6 places near Columbia that do it.

They prescribe 2 medications: buprenorphine and naltrexone. What a provider actually stocks changes, so ask for the one you need by name before driving to Columbia.

The nearest other center is 2.9 miles away, in Columbia, and there are 8 inside 14 miles.

Some of what they do can happen remotely. Ask which parts, because it is rarely all of them and the 8 centers near Columbia differ on it.

Aftercare is whatever holds the weeks after a program ends, and it is the part people most often skip. A recurrence in the first month is common, and a plan that anticipates it is worth more than one that does not. Book the first follow up appointment before leaving rather than after.

Most programs will say plainly whether they sit on a court's approved list. A deadline inside an order is easier to meet when the program hears about it on the first call. Ask exactly what gets reported, to whom, and how often.

Some programs have a prescriber on site and some rely on yours, which is worth knowing in advance. Any medication you were prescribed by someone else is still their decision until a prescriber at the program takes it over. Ask how soon after arrival you would see a prescriber.