Recognizing the war on drugs as a social disease issue. Seneca Health Services is unleashing its newest state of the art drug crisis treatment and detoxification center in Maxwelton. Marcie Vaughn, vice president of Clinical Services, announces plans to begin admissions to the facility in July.
Originally planned to be a six-room-with-two-beds stabilization center funded with one million dollars by Seneca, the finished project ends up being a nearly two million dollar building, housing twelve single occupancy rooms.
Vaughn is proud of what is being offered here locally for the first time. Previously, individuals in crisis from Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties had to get to Beckley or Princeton for help and intervention. “The transportation issues for people in these counties alone, prevented proper intervention,” says Vaughn.
In conjunction with the Community Addressing Rx Epidemic (CARxE) organization, Seneca now has the Maxwelton facility to respond to Greenbrier County’s out-of -control and growing drug abuse epidemic.
The inpatient facility, says Vaughn, “has 24 hour Registered Nursing professionals in place providing intensive, safe and emergency care in the process of stabilizing those in crisis.” This is not a long-term stay facility. Vaughn estimates the average stay to be between five and seven days. During which time individuals will undergo extensive psychiatric crisis and detoxification and stabilization, in order to move patients with relatively low medical risks from chemical dependency to a more successful drug abstinence. This will lead to more successful social functioning.
Though focusing on shorter stays, Vaughn adds,” This is not a stop-over, it will be a treatment center.” Treatment will continue following the stabilization of a crisis episode. Vaughn also would like to make clear that this is not a methadone clinic. This is about more than out-patient care. The level of expertise within this facility is laudable.
The facility, ironically located within the industrial park, which is also home to a brewery and a distillery, has created over two dozen jobs for the locality. The building was designed by Lewisburg architect Dan Hart. The entire complex is completely handicap accessible inside and out.
For a period of time, the operational costs will be covered by the Bureau for Behavioral Health. Vaughn explained that there are also monies available for individuals without the ability to pay.