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Covert Action

Treatment Facility

About Your Covert Action

Opiate Abuse Disorder

The abuse of opiates and opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, morphine, and narcotic pain-killers is a life-threatening condition that affects your health. Opioid addiction wreaks havoc on one’s physical, mental and financial health. Substance abuse strains relationships with loved ones, leads to employment issues along with a whole host of health hazards. Addiction is a complex issue that often leaves patients feeling alone and hopeless, suffering in silence as their disease deepens their struggles in life. Covert Action understands the unique struggles you face and will help you choose a treatment plan that will allow you to regain the balance needed to properly manage this condition.

Dependent patients often suffer for years fearing treatment will carry a stigma and disrupt their lives.

Whether it’s your first time in treatment or your tenth time, take a minute and contact us. We believe we are your best and most affordable treatment option in the state.

Opiate Abuse is obviously a very dangerous habit that resulted in 107,000 Fentanyl related overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021 which was more deaths nationwide than suicides (42,000) and all motor vehicle related deaths (47,000) combined.  Fentanyl overdose deaths are rapidly rising in the US and the deaths  in 2022 will unfortunately be much higher and even higher still in 2023.  Almost every illicit pill people buy is “pressed” or laced with Fentanyl and often laced with Xylazine.   Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer and can markedly increase the addictive potential and overdose potential of the opiates taken.  Look for numerous medical articles we are posting about Fentanyl and Xylazine.

Heroin, fentanyl and other opiates can cause life threatening respiratory depression and patients rarely know how close they often come to not waking up.

Why Choose Covert Action

Expert Quality Care

Dr Christopher Covert has specialized in the treatment of Opiate Addiction and Dependence since 2006. Dr Covert has had well over 4000 individual patients receive treatment from him in that time.  Covert Action opened 11/14/16 and has one of the highest rates of patient sobriety in the entire state.

The highest level of substance abuse treatment is our goal coupled with a desire to create the very best clinic in the Des Moines area.
We want to empower patients with a treatment plan that takes into account the reality of their current lives. We will help you work toward the ultimate goal of a substance abuse free life.   See Bio for more details.

Judy Hager NP is in her third year taking care of patients each day at Covert Action . She has multiple accreditations including certifications in both Addiction Medicine and Psychiatry treatment. See her Bio for more details

Medication Assisted Treatment

  • Methadone and Suboxone are “essential medicines” according to the World Health Organization and should be combined with behavioral counseling for a “whole patient” approach, known as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
  • These medications work through the same receptors as the dependent patient’s drug of choice, but have been proven to be safer.
  • MAT allows the patient’s brain to heal and eases withdrawal as they work with our counselors and nurses towards their recovery. This approach has been rigorously studied over more than five decades, and is widely considered the most effective way to treat opioid use disorder.
  • There is no question that effective Medication Assisted Treatment requires a combination of medication and behavior therapy.

Opiate Abuse Disorder

Expert Quality Care

We want to empower patients with a treatment plan that takes into account the reality of their current lives. We will help you work toward the ultimate goal of a substance abuse free life.

Insurance Coverage

We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, United HealthCare, Medicare, and all three Medicaid plans (Iowa Total Care, Amerigroup and Molina Healthcare). We should be on Aetna, Humana and several others later in 2023.

Medication Assisted Treatment

MAT allows the patient’s brain to heal and eases withdrawal as they work with their counselor towards recovery. This approach has been rigorously studied over more than five decades, and is widely considered the most effective way to treat opioid use disorder.

Meet Our Staff click photos for full bios 

Christopher Covert, D.O.

Christopher Covert, D.O.

Dr Covert was born in Chicago and loves all the Chicago sports teams. He moved to Iowa at age 8 and went to college in Kansas and graduate school at ISU in Ames.
Judy Hager

Judy Hager

Practitioner Hager chose a dual education path in medicine and mental health with substance abuse to best position herself as a holistic provider.
Lindsey Veitz

Lindsey Veitz

Lindsey has worked at Covert Action since February 2018, first as a counseling supervisor and currently as Program Director.
Nikki Kozosky

Nikki Kozosky

My Family includes my two daughters, my two dogs, and Three grandbabies.