“Archangels gave me my life back. Their team is the most amazing, caring people I have ever met. The housing they sent me to was amazing, the groups are amazing, and this whole project is amazing. If you're tired of being sick and tired, reach out and save your life.”
“This facility is run by some of the best people you could ever ask for. They are extremely professional and truly dedicated to helping those struggling with mental health and addiction. They truly saved my life. I will be forever grateful for everything they did for me.”
“I had the honor of touring this facility, and it was absolutely beautiful, clean, and thoughtfully designed. But more than how it looked, you could feel the love in every detail. Watching the staff interact with clients genuinely touched my heart.”
Plain, fact-first answers about how care works here. Want to talk to a person? Call (888) 464-2144.
A 60-second walkthrough of the Tinton Falls clinic, the space where the program actually runs.
Fentanyl is the dominant cause of opioid overdose deaths in the United States. It is a synthetic opioid roughly 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, originally developed for surgical anesthesia and severe cancer pain. Over the last decade, illicitly manufactured fentanyl has become the primary opioid in the street supply, often without the user's knowledge. This page covers what fentanyl is, why it has become so dangerous, how to recognize and respond to an overdose, and what treatment looks like for fentanyl use disorder.
If you live with or near someone who uses opioids of any kind, including counterfeit prescription pills, naloxone (Narcan) should be in your home. It is available without a prescription at most pharmacies and free through many state health departments.
Fentanyl is a synthetic mu-opioid receptor agonist. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is used medically as an anesthetic and for severe pain (cancer, post-surgical), in carefully measured doses under direct medical supervision. Illicit fentanyl, manufactured outside the legal pharmaceutical supply chain, is the form responsible for the overdose crisis.
Illicit fentanyl appears in the supply in several ways:
The CDC reports that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for U.S. adults aged 18 to 45.
Three properties make fentanyl uniquely lethal compared to other opioids.
A lethal dose of fentanyl can be as small as 2 milligrams, depending on individual tolerance. Compared to heroin or prescription oxycodone, the margin between a recreational dose and a fatal one is much narrower.
Illicit fentanyl is mixed and pressed by people without pharmaceutical-grade measurement. Adjacent pills from the same batch can contain wildly different doses. A pill that produced a "normal" high yesterday can be fatal today.
Fentanyl reaches peak respiratory depression faster than heroin or many prescription opioids. The window to recognize and respond to an overdose is shorter.
These properties also explain why tolerance shifts (after any period of abstinence, including a few days in jail or the hospital) raise overdose risk so sharply. A dose that was tolerable a month ago can stop someone's breathing today.
Group rooms, private therapy offices, the medical office, family programming rooms, and the wellness space, designed for clinical depth and nervous-system regulation.
For people who continue to use, fentanyl test strips can detect the presence of fentanyl in a sample (heroin, cocaine, pills, methamphetamine). They do not measure the dose, but they do provide a yes-or-no signal that can change a person's use behavior in the moment. Test strips are legal in most states, and SAMHSA explicitly endorses their use as a harm reduction tool.
Other harm reduction practices for active users:
Harm reduction is not the same as endorsement. It is a stance that respects the reality that some people will use, and aims to keep those people alive long enough to enter treatment when they are ready.
The signs are the same as any opioid overdose, but onset is faster:
If you suspect an overdose:
1. Call 911. 2. Administer naloxone. Spray nasal naloxone fully into one nostril. If there is no response within 2 to 3 minutes, give a second dose. Fentanyl overdoses often require multiple doses of naloxone to reverse. 3. Begin rescue breathing. If trained, give breaths. 4. Place the person on their side to prevent aspiration. 5. Stay with them until help arrives. Naloxone wears off; the person can re-overdose as fentanyl outlasts the antagonist.
Good Samaritan laws in most states protect people who call for help during an overdose from drug possession charges. Call.
The diagnostic framework is the same as broader opioid use disorder, graded by the number of DSM-5 criteria met within twelve months. The clinical picture has some specifics:
Treatment integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, and trauma-informed care with EMDR available in individual therapy. The medical provider manages MAT (Suboxone, Vivitrol, Sublocade) and psychiatric medications when indicated.
Intake uses the full evidence-based battery: ASAM Criteria, LOCUS for mental health acuity, PHQ-9, GAD-7, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, plus biopsychosocial, nutrition, and pain screens. The assessment drives the treatment plan from day one.
See Our ModalitiesTreatment follows the same continuum as other opioid use disorders.
Medical detox is often the right starting point for fentanyl use disorder, particularly when daily fentanyl use has produced significant physical dependence. Detox typically uses a combination of comfort medications and (where buprenorphine induction is the plan) carefully timed buprenorphine initiation to manage the transition. The Archangel Centers does not provide detox on-site; we coordinate placement with accredited partner facilities. See medical detox in Tinton Falls or medical detox in Charlotte.
Buprenorphine induction in people whose primary opioid is fentanyl requires careful timing. Because fentanyl can be stored in body fat and released over time, premature buprenorphine dosing can produce precipitated withdrawal. Clinical protocols (often using low-dose or "micro-dosing" induction strategies) are well-established. The medical provider plans this carefully.
After stabilization, treatment follows the outpatient continuum:
At The Archangel Centers, MAT for fentanyl use disorder uses:
Methadone is not in our formulary; clients who need methadone are referred to a federally licensed opioid treatment program in their region.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed care, EMDR (when indicated), relapse prevention, family therapy, and recovery community participation. See opioid use disorder for the broader therapy picture, all of which applies.
“I came back from rock bottom. I'm here because I want to show others they can too. This isn't just a business. It's my mission.”- Mike Sorrentino, Founder
Mike and Lauren Sorrentino did not set out to build a generic treatment center. They wanted a recovery-grounded program that mixes lived experience, licensed clinical expertise, and family programming that actually moves the needle for the people who love someone in active addiction.
The clinic that resulted is small enough that each client knows their primary therapist by name, but resourced enough to deliver the full ASAM continuum from Partial Care through outpatient continuing care, with MAT and EMDR available when clinically indicated.
Read the Full StoryMost clients leave the first admissions call with a clinical assessment, an insurance verification, and a scheduled start date. Recovery starts with a decision, not a commitment. The admissions line is staffed around the clock.
Confidential, 24/7 admissions. Same-week placement is often available. Verify your insurance free of charge before any commitment.
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