Medical TeamA multidisciplinary team working around each patient with one plan

1Why does addiction treatment need a multidisciplinary team?

Addiction does not affect just one part of a person’s life. It affects the body, mood, thinking, relationships and work, and it is often accompanied by a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. That is why international references recommend that the patient be cared for by a team that covers these aspects together.

The international standards for treating substance use disorders issued by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and NIDA’s principles of effective treatment, affirm that good treatment meets the person’s multiple needs, not just their substance use, and that it is continually reviewed and adjusted as the person’s condition changes. This is exactly what an integrated team makes possible.

2Who works on the medical team?

3How does the team work together around the patient?

1. On admission
   Assessment from several angles

   The psychiatrist, internist, psychologist and social worker each assess the condition from their own side.

2. Within days
   A written treatment plan

   The team draws up one plan with clear goals and explains it to the patient, and to the family with the patient’s consent.

3. Regularly
   Team meeting

   The team reviews the patient’s progress and adjusts the medications, sessions or level of care when needed.

4. Before discharge
   Post-treatment plan

   The team agrees with the patient on follow-up appointments, the relapse prevention plan and the family’s role.

Every patient has a responsible doctor who knows them by name and whom they can turn to, and the family can reach the team through a designated channel, while respecting the patient’s right to confidentiality about what they say in sessions. You will find details of this integration in the dual diagnosis program and the family therapy program.

4Medical Director

Dr. Mahmoud El-Sawy

Medical Director · Consultant Psychiatrist and Addiction Specialist

Dr. Mahmoud El-Sawy leads the medical team at Eradah Psychiatry & Addiction Treatment Center and oversees treatment plans and their periodic review. He is also the medical reviewer of all the content published on this site and is responsible for data protection at the center. He studied medicine at Al-Azhar University, specialized in neurology, psychiatry and addiction treatment, and worked in harm reduction clinics and opioid substitution treatment clinics, combining psychological and medication treatment with a practical view of what patients and their families really need.

• Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the Faculty of Medicine at Al-Azhar University.
• Master’s degree in neurology, psychiatry and addiction treatment from the Faculty of Medicine at Zagazig University.
• Diploma in quality and hospital management from 6th of October University.
• Training in cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing (Al-Azhar University, Zagazig University, and the General Secretariat of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment).
• Experience in harm reduction clinics and opioid substitution treatment clinics.

5Which conditions does the Medical Director specialize in?

Dr. Mahmoud El-Sawy’s specialty covers addiction and mental health disorders together, which matters because many patients have both at the same time:

• Substance addiction: opioids, stimulants, sedatives, hashish, and synthetic drugs.
• Mood and anxiety disorders: depression, anxiety, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Severe mental disorders: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders.
• Personality disorders.
• Dual diagnosis: addiction together with a mental health disorder, treated in the dual diagnosis program.
• Behavioral and psychological problems in teenagers.

The Medical Director works with a multidisciplinary team in the roles described above, and a doctor and nursing staff are at the center around the clock. At assessment, the patient and family are introduced to the doctor responsible for the case and the team members who will follow them.

6How do we choose team members?

These are commitments we apply in choosing everyone who works with patients, because the quality of treatment starts with the quality of the team:

• Verifying the qualifications and professional licenses of every doctor, specialist and nurse before hiring.
• Documented experience or training in psychiatry or addiction treatment, depending on the nature of the role.
• Ongoing training in handling emergencies, dangerous withdrawal symptoms, and the risk of self-harm.
• Commitment to a charter that prohibits humiliation, violence or threats in any form, with clear accountability for violations.
• A written commitment to professional confidentiality from everyone who sees patient data.
• Professional supervision and regular case reviews, because work in this field is demanding and the team itself needs support.

7How does the team treat the patient and the family?

• With respectful language: we talk about “a person with addiction,” not “an addict,” and about illness, not shame.
• With explanation, not orders: the patient knows why they take each medication and what each session is for.
• By involving the patient in decisions: the plan is built with them, not imposed on them, as far as their condition allows.
• By involving the family in counseling and family sessions, with the patient’s consent and within what benefits them.
• With honesty: if the team sees that a case needs a level of care the center does not provide, we say so and help with referral.