Division of Substance Abuse

changing lives affected by addiction 

Over the past forty years, Montefiore's Division of Substance Abuse has helped thousands of men and women enter recovery and re-join their families and communities. Through recovery, individuals are empowered to help find meaning in their lives and integrate back into their communities.

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Next STEPS

Next STEPS (Substance Abuse Treatment Education and Prevention Service) works with patients to achieve abstinence from substances by focusing on all aspects of the whole person -- physical, mental and social. Next STEPS is located in three large Wellness Centers in the Bronx that provide services including psychiatric treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, and peer support.

Next STEPS takes a client-centered approach to treatment and offers services that are individualized, culturally competent and provided with the utmost respect. Next STEPS works to promote recovery with individual patients, as well as the larger community, by providing recovery-focused social activities, graduate alumni groups, and other peer support groups.

Next STEPS offers individual counseling and groups covering topics such as early recovery, managing triggers, motivation for change, relapse prevention, spirituality, mental health/dual diagnosis, anger management, and the MATRIX Model. Our treatment is informed by evidence-based practices, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing.

Many of our patients have additional needs (mental health, medical, cultural and/or criminal justice); Next STEPS aims to provide these services in a "one-stop shopping" model. We also coordinate care with other agencies when a Next STEPS patient receives care elsewhere or requires a service that we do not provide. The Division of Substance Abuse has linkage agreements with many providers in the Bronx, Manhattan and Westchester.

Medication-Assisted Opioid Treatment 

The Division of Substance Abuse provides several treatment options for opioid addiction. Medications such as methadone or buprenorphine (Suboxone) or other approved opioid-agonist medications, used either in maintenance or long-term tapering, are medically prescribed to normalize biochemistry, block the effects of abused opioid drugs, and eliminate drug craving.  Comprehensive maintenance treatment combines pharmacotherapy with personalized health care, psychosocial support, relapse prevention, and behavioral therapies to manage opioid addiction and substantially improve our patients' health and quality of life.

Medical Care at the Wellness Centers

The Division provides community-oriented primary care for adults age 18 and over. Some of the conditions we treat include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Obesity
• Hepatitis
• HIV and AIDS
• Sexual dysfunction
• Colds, coughs, flu
• Addiction to pain medicines and/or heroin (Our doctors are certified to prescribe Suboxone)

Additionally, we provide services that include:

• Routine Gynecology
• Vaccinations
• Smoking Cessation
• Opioid Overdose Prevention
• Health Home Care Coordination & Health Prevention

Our physicians are board certified in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine, have faculty appointments at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and are on staff at Montefiore Medical Center. Our medical staff provides care for patients hospitalized at Montefiore Medical Center.

The Division of Substance Abuse's Wellness Program offers extended hours and flexible scheduling for patients' convenience. Walk-in appointments are accepted after a patient is registered in our system.

Medicaid, Medicare and many commercial health insurance plans are accepted. Patients paying out of pocket for addiction services utilizing Suboxone may develop a payment plan. No one will be denied access to services due to inability to pay and a discounted/sliding fee scale is available.

The Division's modern, state-of-the-art facilities are conveniently located off major highways. Several are located near major public transportation hubs, and some offer free parking.

No one will be denied services based on inability to pay and discounts are available based on family size and income.

Our Locations

Wellness Center at Waters Place

1510 Waters Place, Bronx, NY 10461

Wellness Center at Melrose

260 E. 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451

Wellness Center at Port Morris

804 E. 138th Street, Bronx, NY 10454

Administrative Contacts

Career Opportunities

The Montefiore Einstein Division of Substance Abuse operates three large Wellness Centers in the Bronx that provide a full range of medical, psychiatry, vocational, and peer support services. We are continually seeking smart, dynamic professionals willing to grow in a rewarding, diverse environment of substance abuse case management, vocational/educational services, and mental health. See the career website for more information –

See our Career Opportunities website for more information.