RELATED: Detox facility planned by region’s hospitals
Included in the budget is $800,000 toward a proposed detox center in Montgomery County and $450,000 to help fund a new consolidated model for delivering behavioral health services in the region — efforts local officials say are much needed to help those addicted to opioids or in need of mental health services.
“You find your reaction time is slowed down because you have to build infrastructure, and that gets people’s attention,” said Brad Reed, director of community resource development at Tri-County Board of Recovery & Mental Health Services. “We’re trying to not only deal with that but also be prepared for the next thing.”
LOCAL: New treatment court therapy aims to keep families intact
The Tri-County board, which covers Miami, Darke and Shelby counties, was allocated $450,000 toward building a new consolidated center that would bring together both public and privately-run behavioral and social services under one roof.
The center, to be called One Wellness Place, would be built between Troy and Piqua along County Road 25-A at an estimated cost of $7 million to $8 million.
One Wellness place would house mental health and addiction treatment providers, public health and other related support services. Reed said being under one roof should make it easier for people to navigate the different services and improve communication between the separate agencies.
The efficiency of having everything together could also also support the launch of a pharmacy specializing in behavioral health, Reed said.
LOCAL: Drug cases swamp crime labs, create another backlog
Project organizers are still seeking private donations and are meeting with a consultant on the layout of the building, Reed said. Work at the seven-acre site could start later this year with construction continuing through most of 2019.
State Rep. Stephen Huffman, R-Tipp City, and also chair of the House health committee, said there was an emphasis at the state level on behavioral health and addiction services and the legislature recognizes the need to respond to the opioid crisis.
He said the One Wellness project could be a model for other counties to integrate services under one roof.
“The state felt it was a unique thing that hasn’t really been tried before,” Huffman said.
One of the largest health project allocations was $800,000 granted to a planned detox and sobering service center in Montgomery County.
RELATED: ‘I had to get help or I was going to die’
The $4.3 million center would act as a type of “first aid” for people needing help for their addictions, officials say. At the detox center individuals could get clean and get access to recovery help.
The planned 16- to 32-unit center is being led by Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association and Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services.
Bryan Bucklew, CEO of GDAHA, said the groups are looking at several possible locations in the Dayton area. A decision is expected in the next 60 to 90 days.
In its request for the funding, GDAHA said the center would “not only to deal with the current opioid crisis but also other substance abuse issues impacting the Dayton region.”
RELATED: Soaring overdoses strain emergency crews from other cities
By the numbers
State capital for local behavioral health projects
$800,000: Dayton Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit and Detox Center
$150,000: Building Franklin’s Hope Project
$325,000: Sidney STAR Transitional Treatment House
$450,000: Tri-County One Wellness Place Troy Facility
About the Author