CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) – A new residential treatment center is opening in the Richmond area as nearly 50 million Americans age 12 and older struggle with addiction.
Avenues Recovery is opening the facility in Chesterfield in July.
Amy Handley, executive director at Avenues Recovery of Richmond, said the Richmond area has struggled with high overdose rates for its population size.
“There was a high need for access to treatment, particularly for individuals who are living with co-occurring substance use and behavioral health challenges,” Handley said.
Handley, who has worked in behavioral health for about 10 years, has helped countless people on their road to recovery.
“I think at this point most of us have been impacted by addiction, maybe not with ourselves, but with a family member or community member. There’s still a lot of stigma attached to substance use,” Handley said.
She says the stigma is related to a lack of understanding that addiction is a disease.
“It is progressive, chronic, relapsing, and people can and do get better if they have access to timely care,” she said
The new facility will provide resources for medically supervised detox and structured residential treatment.
“So that involves 24/7 nursing care, individual and group therapies that are evidence-based, individualized treatment planning and case management, psychiatric care, a holistic approach, discharge planning so that individuals can begin their recovery journey here and then continue in the community,” Handley said.
Handley said the continuity of care helps patients avoid cycling through emergency departments.
“The emergency departments end up having shortages for people who need detox and end up cycling back through because they don’t have that extended stay,” she explained.
The center is licensed for 120 beds and will accept Medicare, Medicaid and all major insurance plans.
“We do not want the ability to pay for treatment to be a barrier, especially with something that is life or death at the end of the day,” Handley said.
Handley said some people get caught between systems, seeking treatment for addiction but being turned away because they also have a mental health diagnosis, or seeking psychiatric care and being told the facility cannot handle someone with an active addiction.
“We want to close that gap and find a home for those folks who might not neatly fit into boxes because usually we don’t as human beings,” she said.
Handley said creating new paths to resources will help those who need it.
“I think it’s a great thing that more social media, TV shows, are addressing the realities of addiction and not glamorizing what that looks like. Because avoiding talking about something that is ravaging our community is not going to help,” Handley said.
The facility is finishing updates to the building, including a dining hall and fully equipped gyms on each living unit.
Avenues Recovery is currently hiring staff with backgrounds in behavioral health.
An official opening date in July has not been announced.
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