DENNISON (WTUZ) (August 23, 2024) – The community is celebrating the completion of the region’s first publicly funded treatment center for men with substance abuse.
On Thursday, a crowd gathered for a grand opening ceremony at the Stillwater Crossing residential complex on Dudgeon Way.
Mark Murphy, board member of ADAMHS, says the center is designed to meet the basic needs of men in need of counseling, case management, crisis intervention and resource development.
“When we think about what this really means and what it is for, we must not lose sight of that. This is not just a facility. This is a home, perhaps temporary, for men of all ages who are doing whatever they can to overcome their wounds, to seek recovery, support and treatment,” Murphy said.
ADAMHS Board President Natalie Bollon says Stillwater Crossing can house 16 men at a time to help them in their transition to recovery. She says OhioGuidestone, which has more than twenty years of experience with residential treatment services, will operate the facility.
“(They have) built out their system of care over the past few years to make sure that the prevention program is strong, that the intervention is effective, that medication-assisted treatment is available, that peer support is available, that recovery support is available, and that if we don’t have an excellent service provider, that building is just bricks and mortar and lights and walls,” Bollon said.
John Annarino, chief of staff of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, says this will be the first of its kind in the area.
“This is the only residential treatment facility for men within a thousand square miles. That means 200 men had to leave Tusc and Carroll counties to get the treatment they need. You made a difference today,” Annarino said.
The center will open soon, but an exact date has not been announced. Pam Trimmer, vice president of regional operations for Ohio Guidestone, says they are currently looking for qualified staff.
“They are very involved in the residents’ day activities. They provide recovery-focused services twice a day. They make sure people stay on schedule and on track. It’s a very rigorous schedule. Sometimes they are in recovery themselves, too, so they provide that peer support,” Trimmer said.
The 80,000-square-foot facility, priced at $2.7 million, includes a laundry room and single or double rooms. The cost was covered by funds from the Tuscarawas County Commissioners and grants.
Written by
