Centerstone recently received a Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Center grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration worth $3.4 million over the next four years.
Only one of two organizations nationwide to receive the federal grant, Centerstone plans to use the funds to establish the center, which will provide a full spectrum of treatment and recovery support services to those suffering with addiction, also known as substance use disorders.
The award provides Centerstone with additional capacity to serve residents from Jackson, Bartholomew, Decatur, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan and Scott counties.
According to Centerstone, this region is among the hardest hit by the ongoing opioid crisis. Six of these nine counties exceed the state’s average for drug overdose deaths, four counties exceed the state’s average for emergency department visits for nonfatal overdoses and two of these counties are among the highest risk in the nation for HIV or hepatitis C outbreaks.
It also is estimated there are more than 30,000 people in these counties who are suffering from a substance use disorder but have not received adequate treatment, something the CORC hopes to address.
According to the Indiana State Department of Health’s Drug Overdose Dashboard, eight people died from drug overdoses in 2019 in Jackson County, including six from an opioid overdose.
In 2018, 15 people died of an opioid overdose, while in 2017, that number was 12. In 2016, four people died of an opioid overdose.
“This grant will allow us to expand evidence-based treatments while creating robust connections within south central Indiana communities,” said Suzanne Koesel, Indiana’s chief executive officer for Centerstone.
“The CORC will strengthen the treatment continuum for the area, better connecting key community partners, such as those who provide medication-assisted treatment, housing agencies, health care professionals and community coalitions,” she said. “We believe the CORC will benefit both opiate use disorder services as well as the full continuum of substance use disorders and will lead to notable improvements in the long-term health and well-being of our friends, families and neighbors.”
A wide range of substance use disorder treatments will be available through Centerstone’s CORC, including outpatient care, residential care, medication-assisted treatment, expanded recovery housing options and a variety of intervention services.
The Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act (H.R. 5327) was signed into law in 2018 as part of a larger legislative package, known as the SUPPORT Act (H.R. 6), designed to combat the opioid crisis.
“All of us at Centerstone commend Indiana congressional members for their leadership in proposing meaningful solutions to combat the opioid crisis and provide evidence-based care for members of our community seeking addiction treatment,” Koesel said.
The CORC is expected to be operational by September 2020.
Centerstone is a not-for-profit health system providing mental health and substance use disorder treatments. Services are available nationally through the operation of outpatient clinics, residential programs, the use of telehealth and an inpatient hospital. Centerstone also features specialized programs for the military community, therapeutic foster care, children’s services and employee assistance programs.
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For information about the Centerstone Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Center or any other Centerstone programs, call 877-467-3123.
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